SME Student Chapter March Madness

SME Student Chapters hit the court for the March Madness showdown, from March 1–31, 2026.

Every new student member, student renewal, and graduating senior who bridges to an Emerging Professional membership puts points on the scoreboard to compete for prizes. Build momentum, move up the standings, and battle for your division title until the final buzzer.

Want The Playbook Before Tip-Off?

Join the SME Student Chapter March Madness Rules & Scoring Webinar on Friday, February 13 at 2 p.m. ET. We will break down scoring, divisions, bonus point opportunities, and exactly what student chapter officers and Coaches (Faculty Advisors) need to know before March 1. The webinar is optional but recommended, and a recording will be available if you can’t make it live.

FAQs:

Who can compete?: Any student chapter in good standing may compete in the March Madness competition from March 1–31. There is no opt-in or opt-out process.

A chapter is considered in good standing when its officer information is current. Chapters that have not submitted officers for the 2025–2026 school year must do so by February 13 by emailing chapters@sme.org.

Chapters without updated officer information by this deadline will not be eligible to participate. Unsure if your chapter’s information is current? Email chapters@sme.org.
How does my chapter score points?: Your chapter earns points when students join or renew their SME membership for $20 during the competition window March 1–31 using the required tracking code MADNESS26. Students must pay $20, any other discount during this time is ineligible to count towards March Madness.

Base points

New student member: 2 points

Student renewal: 1 point

Required use tracking code MADNESS26 at checkout to receive points.

Bonus points for graduating seniors
Graduating seniors can earn extra points by upgrading to Emerging Professional (EP) membership:

Bridge to Emerging Professional

Free 1-year EP membership ($45 value)

+1 bonus point

Required: Use promo code EPMADNESS26 when joining online to be tracked and receive the 1-year membership at a discounted rate $0.

Emerging Professional 5-year option

5-year membership at a discounted rate of $155 ($225 value, receive more than 1.5 years of free of membership)

+10 bonus points

Required: Use promo code EPMADNESS26 when joining online to be tracked and receive the membership at a discounted rate $155.
How is everything tracked?: Points are tracked only through official codes and required forms. To count points toward your chapter:

Students must join or renew online between March 1–31 and pay $20

Students must enter MADNESS26 in the code field during checkout when joining or renewing

Graduating seniors who are not going to grad school must:

Use code EPMADNESS26 to receive 1 year of an Emerging Professional membership for free ($45 value) and receive +1 bonus point, OR

Use code EPMADNESS26 to receive 5 years of an Emerging Professional membership for $155 ($255 value) and receive +10 bonus points

Important

No code = no points

All scoring is based on verified code usage
I’m graduating this year. Can I still join or renew and have points count?: Yes. Graduating seniors (if not going to grad school) can earn bonus points for their student chapter by joining or renewing as an Emerging Professional during March Madness.

You have two options:

Bridge to Emerging Professional

Free 1-year EP membership ($45 value)

+1 bonus point

Required: Use promo code EPMADNESS26 when joining online to be tracked and receive the 1-year membership at a discounted rate $0.

Emerging Professional 5-year option

5-year membership at a discounted rate of $155 ($225 value, receive more than 1.5 years of free of membership)

+10 bonus points

Required: Use promo code EPMADNESS26 when joining online to be tracked and receive the membership at a discounted rate $155.

Important

You must use promo code for points to count. No code = no points.
What if I forget to use the code when I join/renew?: No code = no points.
Where do I enter the code?: When checking out, enter the code in the “Add coupon or promo code” field in “Item Summary”. Both the MADNESS26 (used for normal $20 student membership) and EPMADNESS26 (discounted 5-year Emerging Professional membership only for graduating seniors) codes can be entered here:
I’m trying to use the code at checkout but it’s not working: Contact membership@sme.org with the subject line “March Madness” and someone will help you. Please note that SME’s office hours are 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Monday-Friday.
Do all chapters compete against each other, or are they broken into tiers?: Chapters are grouped into divisions based on chapter size and compete only within their division.

Green Division (DI): Student chapters with 25+ members as of Feb. 13

Blue Division (DII): Student chapters with 11-24 members as of Feb. 13

Grey Division (DIII): Student chapters with 1-10 members as of Feb. 13

Divisions are set by Feb. 13 and do not change during the competition.
What division is my chapter in?: We will upload a chart to this section on Feb. 13. Divisions are set on Feb. 13 and do not change during the competition.
Are there discounts for student memberships?: No. The standard $20 student membership is not discounted during March Madness.

Discounted pricing is available only for graduating seniors who choose to join or renew as an Emerging Professional. See the section “I’m graduating this year. Can I still join or renew and have points count?” above for full details.
I’m already a member but not up for renewal during March. Can I renew early and have points count?: Yes. Early renewals are allowed and encouraged.

If your membership is not up for renewal during March, email membership@sme.org to request an early renewal. Be sure to mention that you are participating in SME Student Chapter March Madness, and your renewal will be counted toward your chapter’s March Madness points.
How do I know where my chapter stands throughout the month?: Chapter standings will be posted on this page and updated twice weekly throughout March. All chapters will be listed, ranked by total points within their division.
What are the prizes and when will winners be announced?: Winners will be announced April 7.

Each division will have three winners with nine winning chapters total.

First Place (each division)

Pizza party paid for by SME (up to $200)

SME Store gift card to purchase SME swag for your chapter

Recognition across SME channels

Chapter banner to use at recruitment and chapter events

Second & Third Place (each division)

SME Store gift cards to purchase SME swag for your chapter

Recognition across SME channels
Are international chapters eligible to participate?: Yes. International chapters are fully eligible and encouraged to participate.
What does my chapter need to do before March 1?: Ensure officer information is current by emailing updates to chapters@sme.org. If student officer information is not updated by Feb. 13 your chapter will not qualify to participate.
I still have questions!: Join us for a live SME Student Chapter March Madness Rules & Scoring Webinar on February 13 at 2 p.m. ET. In this short session, SME staff will walk through how chapters earn points, how divisions work, bonus point opportunities for graduating seniors, and what students and officers need to do before March 1. The webinar is optional but recommended for student chapter officers and Faculty Advisors. It will be recorded and posted to this page. If you attend live, you will have the opportunity to ask questions.

If there are still questions beyond the webinar, please email chapters@sme.org.

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SME Student Chapter March Madness

Want The Playbook Before Tip-Off?

FAQs: