SIC seasons all follow the same four-stage shape. New participants sometimes assume the heaviest work is in the Application stage. It is not. The Application stage is a conversation. The Regional Stage is where the rubric starts grading your reasoning, and the Global Stage is where the real intellectual weight lands.
Stage 01 — Application (March 20 – June 1)
This is the advisor intake conversation. The advisor confirms your grade, runs you through track selection (Junior individual vs. Senior team), and walks you through any school-side consent paperwork. There is no online form. Most applications are completed inside ten minutes of conversation; nuanced situations take longer.
Stage 02 — Regional (April – July)
The first weighted stage. Junior participants begin filing weekly thesis logs against a simulated portfolio. Senior teams build toward a mid-stage research draft, which receives written mentor scorecards before the Global Stage opens. Time commitment averages 3-5 hours per week for Junior; 5-8 hours per week per team member for Senior.
“The teams who advance reliably treat the weekly check-in as a structured update — not as a chance to re-justify whatever the position has done in the intervening week.”
Stage 03 — Omaha Dialogue Summit (early May)
Three days of small-group panels and working sessions. Read the dedicated Summit explainer. Attendance is optional but valuable.
Stage 04 — Global (July – August)
Final submission. Junior: end-of-season portfolio review with a written reflection on revision decisions. Senior: the final defended strategy report. Both judged on the same four-axis rubric. Featured Cohort recognition published with permission after the Global Stage closes.
— SIC Editorial Desk · S15 prep series