How the University of Tennessee's Tennessee Capital Markets Society Turned Adventis's FMC® Program from a Resource to a Requirement
The Tennessee Capital Markets Society (TCMS) is building a powerful track record of preparing undergraduates for elite finance careers. By making the Adventis Financial Modeling Certification (FMC®) Program a requirement for members starting with the Class of 2028, TCMS is sending a clear message: technical excellence is non-negotiable. This is the story of how the right student leaders helped TCMS raise the bar for future members.
Partnered with Adventis since 2024
7 TCMS members are Adventis-certified
About the TCMS
Founded in 2016, the Tennessee Capital Markets Society is the University of Tennessee's most rigorous student-led finance organization. The TCMS recruits top-tier students and develops them into standout candidates for investment banking, private equity, and other high finance roles.
Admission is selective, with the TCMS recruiting 15 top-performing freshmen and sophomores each semester into its program. Academy members, as newly accepted members are called, go through a semester-long academy after they are selected. The academy introduces members to high finance, basic accounting, finance, and valuation topics, and helps members begin networking. It culminates with a stock pitch as well. After you graduate from the academy, you become a general member, where you [discuss with Scotty/Charlie].
Established: 2016
Annual cohort: ~30 students
Partnered with Adventis: Since 2024
FMC® Level I Certified: 7 TCMS members
Why the TCMS Chose Adventis’s FMC® Program
Before the FMC® Program was introduced, technical development within the TCMS varied based on individual effort and available resources. That began to change when Charlie Curtis became president. After experiencing firsthand the clarity that Adventis brought to three-statement modeling and financial statement integration, he made it a priority to scale the program across the TCMS.
"The students who went through Adventis weren't just watching videos—they actually understood how the statements connected. That's why I made it a requirement."
— Charlie, 2025 Investment Banking Summer Analyst at Lazard, UT '26
Scotty Brown, the incoming president of the TCMS, took the Adventis FMC® Program during his own technical prep and saw an immediate advantage in interviews and projects.
"I could confidently say I knew how to build a circular three-statement model. That impressed people. It also made a huge difference in our internal TCMS projects where modeling skills matter."
— Scotty, 2026 Investment Banking Summer Analyst, J.P. Morgan, UT ‘27
A Growing Legacy of Technical Excellence at the TCMS
The Class of 2027 had five students earn their Adventis certification through the FMC® Program—a small but significant milestone, as certification was not yet required. TCMS leadership found that there was a high correlation between members who earned Adventis certifications and members who earned the more coveted summer analyst positions.
Beginning with the class of 2028, academy members will be required to earn the FMC Level I certification in order to graduate the academy and become general members of TCMS.
Adventis certifications are also being promoted earlier. The TCMS leadership plans to encourage aspiring members to earn Adventis certification prior to applying, following the example of other elite programs like UIUC's IBA.
"We're planning to promote Adventis to freshmen who come to our engagement fairs each year. It’s a great way for aspiring members of TCMS to demonstrate they have what it takes to break into high finance and be a successful member of TCMS."
— Charlie, 2025 Investment Banking Summer Analyst at Lazard, UT '26
Why Adventis Stands Out
Many technical training programs offer certifications that consist of multiple choice exams—but none involve the same level of hands-on fluency. The TCMS has tested others, but according to Charlie, none come close in terms of practical application:
"We’ve had students sit through boot camps of other programs and still not be able to build a financial model. With Adventis, if you're certified, it means you can actually build financial models from scratch, and with a high level of proficiency."
— Charlie, 2025 Investment Banking Summer Analyst at Lazard, UT '26
When you enroll in Adventis's FMC® Program, you get access to the online course, but becoming a university partner also provides the option of on-campus boot camps. After attending their first Adventis boot camp in Spring 2024 the TCMS committed to holding one per semester moving forward. Scotty is currently on track to become a certified Adventis Student Trainer so he can lead future boot camps on campus.
"For our freshmen, having Adventis Student Trainers there in person to help troubleshoot and explain why a model isn't balancing made a huge difference. The boot camp was perfect for them."
— Charlie, 2025 Investment Banking Summer Analyst at Lazard, UT '26
What Other Universities Can Learn from the TCMS
Start with student champions: It took a leader who earned the Adventis certification and saw value in the program to make it stick.
Make certification a requirement, not an option: Structured deadlines drive engagement and results.
Use in-person boot camps to reinforce learning: Live support makes the material click, especially for underclassmen.
Promote early engagement: Freshmen who certify before applying gain a head start on technical prep.
As the TCMS continues to evolve, Adventis will be a foundational part of its member development strategy. With plans to require the Adventis certification to become a general member and train internal Adventis Student Trainers, the TCMS is closing the technical gap between target and non-target programs.
"You can be from a non-target school and still break in. But you have to be twice as prepared. Adventis helps us do that."
— Charlie, 2025 Investment Banking Summer Analyst at Lazard, UT '26
Bring the FMC® Program to Your Campus
The University of Tennessee's TCMS shows that with the right leadership and tools, non-target schools can compete at the highest level.
Want to replicate their success? Reach out today to learn how the FMC® Program can transform your student organization.