Two Penn State students have recently made their mark on the stock market with accounts worth $694,226 and $649,056 -- at least on paper.

Ronald Gregrich (graduate-business administration) and Louis Schwartz (junior-real estate) are ranked in the top 100 of more than 11,000 students participating in the AT&T Investment Challenge, a nationwide collegiate investment game in which each participant tries to earn the most money from a $500,000 portfolio with the investments of their choice.

The game offers students "an opportunity to gain a better understanding of the business world and the companies that operate within it," according to The Collegiate Exchange, an AT&T publication which updates the game's progress each month.

The game runs from October through February and is open to anyone, Gregrich said, who ranked 58th at the end of December. A $50 entry fee is the game's only requirement, and the grand prize is $25,000, he added.

Gregrich said he learned of the game from signs posted in the business administration offices; Schwartz got involved after seeing an advertisement. A total of 114 Penn State students are participating.

Schwartz, who is currently ranked 38th, said his plans for law school and a career as a real estate lawyer will keep him involved with the stock market, adding that if nothing else, the game is a challenge for himself and the seven members of his fraternity who are also participating.

Gregrich said he invested in one company, while Schwartz said he had a "wide-range portfolio."

Feb. 28 is the last day of trading, so student players still have time to maximize their investments, which Schwartz said could change drastically.

The grand prize will be awarded March 9. Gregrich said if he gets the prize money, he would use it to travel.

Schwartz said he intends to spend a month in Europe if he wins.

"After school is over I'd jet off to Greece," he said.