INVESTING: Get ‘Em While They’re Young

Paul Lobosco, 29, a business student at New York City’s Fordham University, wagered $1 million on stocks last week. But at worst he stands to lose only $49.95. That is the fee that 13,000 students paid to enter AT&T’s first Collegiate Investment Challenge, a four-month contest designed to give an almost-real adventure in handling a stock portfolio.

Each entrant is equipped with a simulated brokerage account containing $500,000. The investors place orders by calling a toll-free number that puts them in touch with student “brokers” in Wellesley, Mass., who record the transactions based on the latest stock quotes. The investor who earns the most by Feb. 28 wins $25,000 in real money and a trip to the Bahamas.