Guides · By Victor Hardt · Updated · 3 min read
UChicago finance and investment clubs
The Blue Chips runs a $200,000 equity portfolio with more than 50 undergraduates and puts new members through a one-quarter New Member Education curriculum. Maroon Capital calls itself UChicago's leading quantitative-focused finance RSO, and the Derivatives Group covers options and trading. For venture capital there is LTF Ventures, a student-run fund where I'm a general partner. It takes only a few associates a year.
The Blue Chips, Maroon Capital, the Derivatives Group and the Undergraduate Investment Banking Group each cover a different part of finance. Compare them by focus and recruiting calendar. Venture capital is its own track, and LTF, where I'm a general partner, is a student-run fund for it.
The four finance clubs you will hear about
| Club | What it is |
|---|---|
| The Blue Chips tbc.uchicago.edu | Founded 2003, with more than 50 undergraduates. It manages a $200,000 value-focused equity portfolio that an alumnus gifted, so the money is real. |
| Maroon Capital mc.uchicago.edu | Calls itself UChicago's leading quantitative-focused finance RSO. The curriculum covers asset classes, quantitative finance, statistics and coding, and the club says over 200 undergraduates a year now apply. |
| Derivatives Group dgqt.rso.uchicago.edu | The quant trading club. It focuses on financial derivatives, and its education series runs from probability to options pricing. |
| Undergraduate Investment Banking Group uibg.org | The banking club. Weekly seminars on investment banking technicals, case competitions and networking. Founded 2012, and it says more than 300 students applied last fall. |
From each club's own site, checked September 2026. Membership numbers and portfolio size are the clubs' own published figures.
Prepare the basics before you apply
The Blue Chips teaches finance and investing fundamentals in its New Member Education curriculum, but members take it after they're admitted. Getting in takes a written application and two rounds of interviews with leadership members. Students who have been through it say the interviews include technical questions. Learn the basics before you apply.
2-for-1 12 oz açaí bowls at Deep Purpl (from October 8) and 2-for-1 subs at Subway 53rd Street, plus deals at 12 more Hyde Park restaurants (one from September 29, one from September 30, four from October 1 and one from October 8). Free for verified UChicago students, live Monday, September 28.
Get PoolWhen each club recruits
The Undergraduate Investment Banking Group opened its fall 2026 applications on September 25. They close October 4 at 6 pm, with interviews October 5 to 7. The Blue Chips recruits this fall with a written application due October 8 and two interview rounds. It takes first- and second-years in fall and winter and doesn't ask for a resume. The Derivatives Group's 2025-26 page says it runs an autumn education series open to all students and picks members only in Winter Quarter, through a technical assessment. Maroon Capital's site says it recruits once a year, in Autumn Quarter.
The industry has its own calendar on top of this. Banks recruit for the third-year summer internship in the fall of second year, and Career Advancement says to start networking and preparing as early as first year. The recruiting guide has the dates.
Venture capital is a separate track
If you care most about startups, start with LTF Ventures, a student-run VC fund at UChicago where I'm a general partner, so I'm not neutral about it. It gives student startups non-equity grants, and the students on the team source, screen and make those investments themselves. Per LTF's FAQ, it takes only a few associates a year, recruits once a year in autumn and doesn't take fourth-years. This year's applications open October 19. LTF's site lists Speakeasy, Perspectives Health and Freestyle among its startups, and says the last two are backed by Y Combinator.
The venture capital clubs guide covers LTF (where I'm a general partner), Midway Ventures and the other ways into VC from the College.
How to choose
The Blue Chips focuses on fundamental value investing and managing its portfolio. Maroon Capital is quantitative. Its curriculum runs from asset classes to statistics and coding. The Derivatives Group does quantitative finance too, with probability, options pricing and trading projects.
Each club's own site has its current program and requirements. Compare them there, and skip third-party rankings.
The coffee chat budget
Recruiting season means a lot of coffee chats. Pool is a food deals app for UChicago students, free and open only to verified students. This quarter that means 2-for-1 12 oz açaí bowls at Deep Purpl (from October 8) and 2-for-1 subs at Subway 53rd Street, plus deals at 12 more Hyde Park restaurants (one from September 29, one from September 30, four from October 1 and one from October 8), live from Monday, September 28.
On Pool this quarter. The app is free right now.
- 2-for-1 12 oz açaí bowls at Deep Purpl
- 2-for-1 subs at Subway 53rd Street
- 2-for-1 half chicken plates at Nando's PERi-PERi
- 2-for-1 Philly sandwiches at B'Gabs Comfort Cafe
- 2-for-1 jerk or honey wings at Ja' Grill
- 2-for-1 Wagyu Steak Frites at Chemistry
- 2-for-1 wraps, salads and bowls at Litehouse Whole Food Grill
- 2-for-1 chicken shawarma wraps at Cedars
- a free refresher with any treat at StruggleBeard Bakery
- a free third taco or a free drink with a Taco Dinner at 5 Rabanitos
- 2-for-1 Indian combo meals at Rajun Cajun
- 2-for-1 chicken and waffle bites at Dawn A.M. Eatery
- 2-for-1 lattes at Sweet Drip
- 2-for-1 sushi, pizza and more at The Sit Down Café & Sushi Bar
Live Monday, September 28. StruggleBeard Bakery starts Tuesday, September 29. B'Gabs Comfort Cafe starts Wednesday, September 30. Rajun Cajun, Dawn A.M. Eatery, Sweet Drip and The Sit Down Café & Sushi Bar start Thursday, October 1. Deep Purpl and Nando's PERi-PERi start Thursday, October 8.
Questions people ask
- What is the best finance club at UChicago?
- There isn't one best club, because they do different things. The Blue Chips manages a real $200,000 value-focused portfolio gifted by an alumnus. Maroon Capital describes itself as UChicago's leading quantitative-focused finance RSO. The Derivatives Group does quant trading, with different math and different firms.
- Do you need finance experience to join The Blue Chips?
- The Blue Chips teaches finance and investing fundamentals in its New Member Education curriculum after you are admitted. Getting in still takes a written application and two rounds of interviews with leadership members, so learn the basics before you apply.
- When do UChicago finance clubs recruit?
- Mostly in autumn. The Undergraduate Investment Banking Group's fall 2026 applications opened September 25 and close October 4 at 6 pm. The Blue Chips recruits in fall with a written application due October 8 and two rounds of interviews, and takes first- and second-years in fall and winter. The Derivatives Group's 2025-26 page says it only picks members in Winter Quarter, after a free autumn education series.
- Is there a venture capital club at UChicago?
- Yes. LTF Ventures, where I'm a general partner, is a student-run VC fund at UChicago. It gives student startups non-equity grants, and its FAQ says it takes only a few associates a year, recruits once a year in autumn and does not take fourth-years. Midway Ventures teaches venture fundamentals and does pro bono consulting for startups.