2024-2025

Harvard Pre-Collegiate Economics
Challenge (HPEC)

HPEC challenges students through a series of individual and team rounds on economics knowledge at the Advanced Placement Microeconomics and Macroeconomics levels.

understanding of economic theory.

Each year, HUEA organizes the Harvard Pre-Collegiate Economics Challenge (HPEC), a prestigious international competition for high school students passionate about economics and its role in the world around us. HPEC challenges students through a series of individual and team rounds on economics knowledge at the Advanced Placement Microeconomics and Macroeconomics levels as well as economic news, history, recent research, and applications in a wide variety of fields such as education and the environment.

In the past, students have found this competition to be fun and helpful preparation for the AP Economics exams. In addition to the Challenge itself, competitors and coaches will have the opportunity to build friendships with their peers, hear

presentations from and interact with professors, graduate students, and real-world economists, and learn about the wider world of economics beyond the high school classroom.

HPEC 2025 will likely take place on the 2nd weekend of April, 2025 (April 12th). This year, teams can only compete in-person on Harvard's campus, as the board has decided to not hold a virtual version of HPEC this year. See the coaches' manual linked below for details on the competition from last year. A manual with any updates for this year's competition will be uploaded soon, but aside from a few (if any) minor tweaks, the rules and coaches manual will remain the same.

Teams will be able register for the competition soon (details and a registration form will be posted below soon). However, note that the Challenge is subject to space constraints, so space may fill up prior to the above deadline. Thus, it is best for teams to register well in advance to ensure they can reserve space for their team.

Images from HPEC 2023

Rules

Each team requires a registration fee of $125. See the registration form for specific payment details and options. Teams based in the US must pay via Zelle. There is no option to pay via PayPal due to issues with our PayPal account. Thus, US-based teams should make arrangements before the registration deadline (which will be updated here soon) to pay via Zelle. International teams should email HUEA to discuss additional payment options, though Zelle is preferred if at all possible.

All payments are final, as we start making preparations given current understanding of competition attendance; withdrawal for any reason will not be refunded.

Competition Information

The (tentative) HPEC 2024 Coaches Manual can be found here.

Important Forms

The 2024 Photo Consent Form can be found here.

The 2024 Liability Release and Contact Form can be found here.

Competition Registration

The official HPEC 2024 registration form can be found here. Please review this form carefully as there is a lot of information here, including payment details.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many people can be on one team?
- Teams consist of 1-4 people. Teams of 3 or fewer can still compete, but the quiz bowl rounds will likely be more challenging with fewer team members.

How many teams can one school bring?
- Depending on space availability and with priority registration given to the first team, each school may be able to bring additional teams total if space allows. For now, schools can register 1 team, and indicate interest in sending a 2nd team.

What if my school is unable to bring a teacher as a coach?
- We require that a coach be present with the team. You are allowed to bring a parent as a coach if your teacher is not able to attend the competition--please reach out to us by email.

What COVID-19 restrictions will HPEC participants be subject to?
- At this time, HPEC will not require participants to provide proof of vaccination or a negative test before arrival. However, participants must not come to campus if they are exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19, have been diagnosed with COVID-19, or have otherwise been instructed to quarantine or isolate.

Past Problems/Essay Prompts

Advances in artificial intelligence (AI) have the potential to affect growth, inequality, productivity, innovation, and employment. OpenAI’s ChatGPT, in particular, has greatly increased public awareness about the significance of AI and its implications for the future. What impact will the development of AI have on economic inequality, the composition of the workforce, and economic output as a whole? How can nations prepare for the micro and macroeconomic changes brought about by AI?

Measuring national and global economic activity allows us to understand how economies change in size and structure—how they grow and contract. In addition to Gross Domestic Product (GDP), government budgets, and the money supply, alternatives like the Human Development Index (HDI) and Gross National Income (GNI) are used to assess economic progress. What are the advantages of our current economic indices, including GDP, HDI, GNI, government budgets, and the money supply, and in what areas are they lacking? Which of these indices do you find most helpful, and how can we enhance or combine them to improve our understanding of economic measurement?

Proponents of income redistribution support the idea that redistribution policies will increase economic stability and give more opportunities to the less wealthy. Others, however, are more skeptical and believe it could have negative consequences for economic growth. Current methods of redistribution include taxation, welfare, public services, and other monetary policies. What strategies for income redistribution should the U.S. adopt from other countries? What economic impacts could a wealth tax or super millionaire tax have? What type of redistribution is most effective and feasible? What would be the impacts of the U.S. enacting universal basic income? Discuss the implications of any of these issues and feel free to expand on other areas of economic redistribution.

As the United States weighs the impacts of China’s rise to global prominence, economics and national security have become increasingly intertwined. As a result, the United States government has imposed both tariffs and investment restrictions on China to limit the nation’s access to both US markets and intellectual property (specifically in sensitive industries such as semiconductors). What are the economic implications of these policies for United States firms, consumers, and workers? Discuss the most important perspectives of the US-China trade war and provide suggestions on how both countries can manage the prospect of a changing economic order.