Competitions · Business and economics · Pirate's Pitch
Pirate's Pitch, the Seton Hall competition.
Three hundred and fifty words, or three minutes of video, to get to a shortlist of ten. Then five minutes in front of alumni founders and business faculty in New Jersey. It is the closest thing here to Shark Tank.
Read this first
Two conditions that decide whether this is for you.
Neither is hidden, but both sit in the small print, and both change the answer for a student outside the United States.
A grade point average of 3.0 or better
The competition sets an academic floor, which is unusual. It is stated on the American 4.0 scale, so a student on IB, A-level or another system needs a defensible conversion before applying.
The final is in New Jersey, in person
The ten finalists are invited to Seton Hall’s South Orange campus in November. There is no remote route to the final, so entering means being able to travel there.
And the scholarships pay only at Seton Hall
Every finalist wins a scholarship, but it is drawn down as an annual reduction on what Seton Hall charges, payable on admission to it. For a student who will not apply there, the value is the cash prize alone.
Which is worth weighing honestly
The cash is $2,500 for first and $1,000 for second. If Seton Hall is genuinely on the student’s list, the package is substantial. If it is not, weigh the trip against the cash.
At a glance
What the competition is.
Pirate’s Pitch is run by the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the Stillman School of Business, Seton Hall University. It uses a pitch-and-panel format, and finalists may present either an idea or a business they are already running.
- Who can enter
- High school sophomores, juniors and seniors - grades 10 to 12 - with a grade point average of 3.0 or better
- Entry
- A written business idea of no more than 350 words, or an unlisted video pitch of no more than 3 minutes
- Language
- English
- You may pitch a live business
- Yes. Entrants who already run something may present that rather than a proposal
- Shortlist
- Ten finalists, selected in early November
- The final
- In person at Seton Hall’s South Orange campus, New Jersey, in November
- The pitch
- Five minutes to a panel of alumni entrepreneurs, business leaders and business faculty
- How it is scored
- On the written submission and the oral presentation together
- Registration
- August to October
- When awards are given
- Immediately after the presentations. Cash prize cheques are posted to the first and second place winners
The entry
Four questions, and you answer all of them.
The organisers publish exactly what the submission must address. In 350 words that is roughly ninety words per question, so nothing can be left implicit.
| Question | What it is really asking |
|---|---|
| What problem does your product or service solve? | A specific problem, held by specific people. "There is no good app for this" is not a problem statement |
| How do you plan to make money? | The mechanism, not the ambition. Who pays, for what, and how often |
| Who are your customers and why would they buy? | A defined group and a reason grounded in their situation rather than in the product’s features |
| Who are your competitors and how will you be better? | Naming real competitors. An entry claiming to have none reads as research not done |
The alternative to the written entry is an unlisted video of no more than three minutes, answering the same four questions. Choose the format that suits the student - the questions do not change.
The awards
Cash to two, scholarships to ten.
Every finalist receives something. Note the split between money paid now and money paid only if you enrol.
| Award | Cash | Seton Hall scholarship |
|---|---|---|
| First place | $2,500 | $10,000, drawn as $2,500 a year |
| Second place | $1,000 | $6,000, drawn as $1,500 a year |
| All other finalists | - | $4,000, drawn as $1,000 a year |
| Audience Choice | $300 | Voted by the audience at the final, for their favourite finalist |
Cash prizes are posted to the winners after the event. Scholarships are provided to students on admission to Seton Hall - so they are a conditional fee reduction rather than a payment, and they are worth nothing to a student who enrols elsewhere.
The final
Five minutes to people who have actually done it.
The panel is the reason to enter. Founders and executives asking about your business model is a different experience from teachers marking a project.
Alumni founders and executives
The judging panel is made up of successful alumni entrepreneurs, business leaders and Stillman School faculty. They ask the questions an investor would.
Five minutes, and both halves count
The written submission is scored alongside the presentation, so a strong pitch cannot rescue a vague entry - and a good entry still has to be delivered.
You can pitch a real business
Entrants already running something may present that instead of a proposal, which suits a student who has been trading for a year and has numbers to show.
And the audience votes too
A $300 Audience Choice award goes to the finalist the room likes best, decided separately from the judges’ ranking.
Preparation
How Hanlin prepares a Pirate's Pitch entry.
A 350-word entry and a five-minute pitch are both exercises in compression, and they reward the same preparation.
Writing 350 words that answer four questions
Around ninety words each, with nothing spare. Drafting long and cutting hard is the only way to get all four answered properly.
Naming real competitors
The fourth question catches most entries. Finding out who already does something similar - and being specific about why yours is different - is research, and it shows.
Rehearsing five minutes to a hostile room
Founders ask sharper questions than teachers. Practising with someone briefed to attack the business model is worth more than ten polished run-throughs.
And deciding early whether Seton Hall is on the list
Most of the prize value is a Seton Hall scholarship. That is a good reason to enter if the student is considering it, and a reason to weigh the trip carefully if not.
Why Hanlin
Preparation for Pirate's Pitch at Hanlin is taught by full-time subject tutors, on a course tier chosen by placement paper rather than by year group.
Programme formats
Five ways this is taught.
Group size is the whole difference between these. It decides how much of the tutor's attention a student gets and how far the course can bend to them, so it is worth choosing rather than accepting.
| Format | Group size | What it suits |
|---|---|---|
| One-to-one | One student | Content, pace and emphasis set by what this student actually needs rather than by a syllabus. The only format that can be rebuilt mid-course. |
| Small group | Three to eight | Opens at three. Frequent discussion, and the tutor can slow down or move on according to what the group has absorbed. Most students chasing a higher award are taught in this one. |
| Class | Eight to twelve | Taught by the subject lead or a medal coach. Less back-and-forth, so it suits a student who will say when something is unclear. |
| Large class | Ten to twenty | For students in the middle of the placement range, and a way to try a competition before committing. Students often move to a small group or to one-to-one afterwards. |
| Past-paper class | No cap | Past papers worked through in sequence in the weeks before the sitting. Free to students already enrolled. |
Course length for Pirate's Pitch is set after a placement paper. The gap between where a student is and what the paper asks for is what the course has to close, and that gap is not the same for two students in the same year group.
How it runs
Six steps, four people on your side.
The same process for every student, so that nothing depends on one tutor remembering to do it.
Step 1Pre-course assessment
A placement paper before anything is booked, so the course tier is chosen on evidence rather than on a year group.
Step 2Tutor matching
A subject tutor is matched to the result, and their full background is provided before you agree to it.
Step 3Plan and group
A study group opens with four people on one student: the tutor, a planner, a supervisor and an academic manager.
Step 4Scheduled teaching
The teaching office sets the timetable around the competition date and school term, and teaching begins.
Step 5After-class reports
What was covered, and how the student handled it, reported after every lesson.
Step 6Homework follow-up
The teaching assistant and the form teacher both check that homework is done, which is where most preparation quietly fails.
Free resource pack
Case and submission pack
The same material our own Pirate's Pitch students work from. Scan the code, say what you need, and an advisor sends it.
Tell an advisor which competition and year group, and the material comes back the same day. Free, and you do not have to enrol in anything. If we do not already hold what you need, we will go and find it.
- PDFPast cases and question sets
- PDFA worked example of a full submission
- PDFEvent categories and the judging criteria, broken down
- PDFEntry checklist and the dates for the current cycle
Teaching team
Who would teach it.
Three of the twenty-two tutors on the published Hanlin roster - the ones whose subject this is.
Bai
Master's in social entrepreneurship from Hult International Business School in San Francisco and a business administration degree from the Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, with an exchange at Texas A&M's Mays Business School. Accredited by the College Board, Cambridge International and the IBO, a certified intermediate economist, and a judge at the 2020 Diamond Challenge global final and the 2021 NEC China final.
Zhang
Master's in engineering management from NYU and a double degree in finance and supply-chain management from Syracuse. Nearly nine years overseas and in finance, including at a well-known venture firm - experience that feeds scenario-based teaching. College Board-accredited.
Jiang
Master's in business analytics from the Schulich School of Business, a finance and business economics degree from York University and a software engineering degree from the Harbin Institute of Technology. Years in North America, university teaching before returning, and long experience across the whole economics curriculum.
Where it is taught
Hanlin learning centres.
Teaching runs from Hanlin's own centres in Shanghai, Shenzhen, Chengdu and Hangzhou, and online for students elsewhere.
Talk to an advisor
Everything Hanlin does for Pirate's Pitch, in one conversation.
Entry, planning, coaching and the past papers. An advisor will tell you which of these a student actually needs, including when the answer is none of them.
Competition entry and planning
Which competitions suit this student, in what order, and by when - then we handle the registration, including the ones that can only be entered through a school or a centre.
Competition coaching
Taught by full-time subject tutors, on a course tier chosen by placement paper rather than by year group.
International curriculum tutoring
IB, AP, A-Level, IGCSE and the US high school curriculum, taught alongside school and timed around the exam calendar.
Competition past papers, free
A large library of past papers, mark schemes and syllabus breakdowns across every competition on this site. No charge and no enrolment.
Scan to add an advisor
Say which competition or course you are asking about. Replies in Chinese or English.
Or call +86 21 6352 6630FAQ
Pirate's Pitch, briefly answered.
What students and families ask before entering.
Who can enter?
High school sophomores, juniors and seniors - grades 10 to 12 - with a grade point average of 3.0 or better on the American scale.
How do I enter?
Submit an original business idea in 350 words or fewer, or an unlisted video pitch of no more than three minutes, answering four set questions about the problem, the revenue model, the customers and the competition.
Can I pitch a business I already run?
Yes. Entrants who already operate something may present that instead of a proposal.
How many finalists are there?
Ten, selected in early November.
Where is the final?
At Seton Hall University’s South Orange campus in New Jersey, in November. There is no remote alternative.
Who judges it?
A panel of successful alumni entrepreneurs, business leaders and business faculty. They score the written submission and the five-minute presentation together.
What are the prizes?
First place: $2,500 cash and a $10,000 Seton Hall scholarship at $2,500 a year. Second: $1,000 cash and a $6,000 scholarship at $1,500 a year. All other finalists receive a $4,000 scholarship at $1,000 a year. An Audience Choice award of $300 is voted by the audience.
When do I receive the prize?
Awards are conferred immediately after the presentations. Cash prizes are posted to the first and second place winners. Scholarships are provided on admission to Seton Hall University.
Are the scholarships worth anything if I go elsewhere?
No. They are a reduction on what Seton Hall charges, payable only on admission there. For a student going elsewhere, the value is the cash prize.
When does registration open?
August, closing in October, with the competition in November.
Related
Other entrepreneurship competitions.
What students enter alongside Pirate's Pitch.
Pirate's Pitch enquiries
Worth it if Seton Hall is on the list.
The entry is short and the panel is genuinely experienced, but the final is in New Jersey and most of the prize is a Seton Hall scholarship. Tell us where the student is applying and an advisor will say plainly whether this earns its place in the year.