As summer internship season begins, a Batten course helps students win case competitions — and land coveted internships.

For the third year in a row, students enrolled in UVA Batten’s experiential course, Introduction to Management Consulting and Strategic Decision Making, have won top honors in the Bain & Company Women’s Case Competition at UVA. Participants from the course have also won, for the second year in a row, the 2025 Deloitte Undergraduate Case Competition. 

Taught by assistant professor of public policy Brendan Boler, the course is the product of an innovative collaboration between the Batten School and the University Career Center, where Boler also serves as faculty director for integrated career education at UVA. It offers students hands-on, client-based experience in structured problem-solving, data-driven storytelling, and team collaboration. 

While firm-sponsored case competitions aren’t part of the formal curriculum, students earn extra credit for participating, and teams affiliated with this Batten course consistently perform at a high level. These competitions offer immersive, real-world learning that bridges the gap between textbook learning and practical experience.

This year, teams developed an expansion strategy for Play Henry, a fast-growing pickleball brand geared for women. Finalists presented their findings to Bain consultants, with winning teams earning first-round interviews, a number of which have led to offers in the past.

These case competitions closely replicate group “case interviews,” a format used by consulting firms to evaluate how job candidates think and collaborate. In a case interview, participants are presented with a business problem and asked to structure their approach, interpret data, and deliver clear, actionable recommendations, almost always under time pressure. The skillset required for success in case competitions mirrors this format, making them a powerful proving ground for aspiring consultants.

“From the moment we received the case briefing, I found myself drawing on the frameworks, templates, and strategic approaches we learned in LPPS 3440,” said Catie Byrne (Commerce ’27). “The course didn’t just prepare me to navigate the competition with confidence, it empowered our team throughout the process, applying everything we learned in a real-world setting.”

Learning by doing

With over 80 students enrolled and many more waitlisted, LPPS 3440 is one of UVA’s most in-demand electives. In addition to the opportunity for case-based learning, students from across Grounds work in teams on semester-long consulting projects for real clients.

“My greatest takeaway from this experience was seeing first-hand the value of diversity within teams,” said Sonia Mistry (Economics ’27). “Between engineering, economics, and commerce, we each brought a differing perspective to the project. The creativity that resulted was evident throughout the process and was key in developing the most innovative, full-proof solution for the client that we could.”

This year’s competition was all the more meaningful given that Play Henry was founded by a Double Hoo. According to co-founder Ellie Jamison (Batten BA ’18, MBA ’24), the company has already put the team’s work into action. “Watching more than 15 teams dive into our model and present thoughtful, research-based strategies was truly surreal. We left with invaluable ideas,” she said. “We have already penetrated some of their recommended target markets, and their insights are directly contributing to new revenue opportunities for our business.”

Alumni helping out

Teaching assistants — former students who excelled in the course — help teams stay on track. They review slide decks and Excel models, lead case interview prep sessions, and offer feedback throughout the semester. One standout former assistant is Dan Nakasone (MPP ’22), now a third-year consultant at Boston Consulting Group.

“I first met professor Boler at a UVA-sponsored case prep session right before my first-round interview with BCG,” he said. “Getting to serve later as a teaching assistant for the course was a full circle moment for me. It was a great experience to help others the way professor Boler helped me.”

Teams are also supported by coaches who draw from their professional experience as consultants to offer weekly guidance and real-world perspectives throughout the project. Priya Viswanathan (MPP ’23), who now works at Bain & Company, coached student teams this year.

“The UVA community, and Batten specifically, developed me into the person I am today,” she said. “My education brought me incredible career opportunities and introduced me to lifelong friends and mentors, so being able to give back in such a fun and tangible way was extremely rewarding.” 

Supporting an experiential learning course of this scale requires close coordination between Batten and the University Career Center. David Lapinski, director of employer relations and experiential education, and his team play a vital role, from sourcing real-world client projects to recruiting alumni coaches for each team. Boler expressed deep gratitude for their partnership and ongoing support, and credits their efforts as a key driver in attracting high-caliber students from across UVA.

Beyond the classroom, Boler offers case interview prep and coaching over the summer, and in the late fall, turns to helping graduate students during the recruiting cycle at the Darden School of Business.

“As much as I love teaching, one-on-one coaching is what gives me the most energy,” he said. “Spring is for teaching; summer and fall are focused on interviews. It’s the perfect balance, and LPPS 3440 provides a strong foundation that makes these one-on-one sessions even more impactful.”

Boler also noted that the course provides value well beyond consulting. Students gain skills in structured thinking, teamwork, and data-driven communication — all foundational to effective leadership in both the public and private policy spheres, where sound judgment and the ability to persuade and influence others are essential.

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Case Competition Winners

Each team includes students who have taken, or were concurrently enrolled in, LPPS 3440.

Bain & Company Women’s Case Competition

•    2025 (1st): Paige Barron, Catie Byrne, Sonia Mistry, Grace Pereira
•    2025 (2nd): Tvisha Bakshi, Alison Cohen, Carter Harris, Christy Guan, Tina Yao
•    2024 (1st): Carly Appel, Elizabeth Cohen, Vaishnavi Naveen, Marie Memeka
•    2023 (1st): Ishita Sharma, Allie Maahs, Avery Tyrrell, Sara Quinlan, Rebecca Yakobson
•    2019 (1st): Yuri Choi, Marika Gutzman, Emily Yuhas, Sarah Zhou
•    2018 (1st): Jenna Gustafson, Charlotte Kolb, Hannah Lass, Kylie Sullivan, Yuki Yang
•    2017 (1st): Rory Finnegan, Katie Henslee, Ann Liu, Catherine Makepeace, Maggie Zheng
 

Deloitte Undergraduate Case Competition at UVA
•    2025 (1st): Marina Martinez-Cid, Rohan Misra, Alex Peskin, Rebecca Vanni
•    2024 (1st): Carly Appel, Michael Edwards, Marie Memeka, Liam Tuohy