Preferred Undergrad Majors for Consulting Internships

I was wondering if consulting firms like McKinsey prefers certain undergrad majors over others, even if only by a little. Strong math/quantitative skills are obviously necessary, but would there be any preference between say operations research/financial engineering, mechanical engineering, and physics at a place like Princeton?

What Should I Major in to Get A Consulting Job?

Our users shared that the OP should major in any meaningful and somewhat relevant major that they are passionate about. Our users also emphasized the importance of majoring in something that you are passionate about as that will make it easy to get a high GPA.

D M - Real Estate Associate:
I would do something that you could get a 4.0 in and that you love doing. When I say do something you love, I don't mean Art History or some soft major like that. As long as it's something substantive (ie- Philosophy, Math, Bio, English, etc...) go for it.

However, user @SuitedWolf", an investment banking analyst, shared a different perspective:

SuitedWolf - Investment Banking Analyst:
You don't need to do finance or engineering, just do something easy that can guarantee a 4.0 and you're golden, at least for getting the interview

eating926:
Yeah, but then things go to shit because you haven't developed any analytical/thinking abilities by taking such an "easy" major...

Most of the students I have seen that get into McKinsey (didn't look into BCG/Bain) actually had two degrees (including bio, engineering, computer science - hardly an easy subject to get a degree in).

Check out a video below to learn more about how to choose your major.

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I would do something that you could get a 4.0 in and that you love doing.

"You stop being an asshole when it sucks to be you." -IlliniProgrammer "Your grammar made me wish I'd been aborted." -happypantsmcgee
 

I actually really love mechanical engineering and physics -- operations research would be a little bit of a stretch, but I like math. Is GPA basically the prime factor, as long as you're doing something quantitative? At least before the interview and all that.

 

yeah, but then things go to shit because you haven't developed any analytical/thinking abilities by taking such an "easy" major...

most of the students I have seen that get into McKinsey (didn't look into BCG/Bain) actually had two degrees (including bio, engineering, computer science- hardly an easy subject to get a degree in)

 

Bio is really tough, actually...

And when I say do something you love, I don't mean Art History or some soft major like that. As long as it's something substantive (ie- Philosophy, Math, Bio, English, etc...) go for it.

"You stop being an asshole when it sucks to be you." -IlliniProgrammer "Your grammar made me wish I'd been aborted." -happypantsmcgee
 
mas1987:
Bio is really tough, actually...

And when I say do something you love, I don't mean Art History or some soft major like that. As long as it's something substantive (ie- Philosophy, Math, Bio, English, etc...) go for it.

There's nothing conceptually challenging about Biology. With hard work, most people of average intelligence can master the subject. Try taking advanced Mathematics or Computer Science courses. With those subjects, you either have the prerequisite mental ability or you don't, in which case you'll be unable to master said subjects regardless of how much work you put in. From this perspective, Biology is an easy major.

My advice to young girls is this: You should marry someone you love. But when I say "marry someone you love," I don't mean marry someone poor or someone unattractive. As long as they're making seven figures (Handsome Bankers, Hedge-fund Managers, BX/TPG/KKR Partners), then you should definitely go for it.

 

That's because most people are ignorant about what biology actually entails. It isn't about watching 2 cells fuck in a petri dish. Try understanding things like gene regulatory networks, epigenetics, the inheritance rules of genes with multi-base breaks, advanced genetic engineering (CRISPR, TALENS and Zing Fingers), or regulation of chemical neuronal messages.

Biology is tough. And whilst there may not be elements to biology like quantum physics, remember that biology itself has lots of sub-derivatives such as quantum biology.

 

just because it is memorization, doesn't mean it is easy though.. i would have the fucking hardest time spending all that time and energy reading through text and learning all details about chem and bio in order to do well.

 
reallycoolguy][quote=mas1987:
Try taking advanced Mathematics or Computer Science courses. With those subjects, you either have the prerequisite mental ability or you don't, in which case you'll be unable to master said subjects regardless of how much work you put in.

So by this reasoning, majors in physics or mathematics would be more attractive than in engineering because they're much more conceptually difficult?

 
pillowtop][quote=reallycoolguy:
mas1987:
Try taking advanced Mathematics or Computer Science courses. With those subjects, you either have the prerequisite mental ability or you don't, in which case you'll be unable to master said subjects regardless of how much work you put in.

So by this reasoning, majors in physics or mathematics would be more attractive than in engineering because they're much more conceptually difficult?

Not necessarily. After all, consulting is not conceptually difficult...

 

the best course at any uni in terms of transferable skills clearly is mathematics&philosophy. in terms of quantiative ability and analytical and critical thinking this just rapes every other course. hard.

 

yeah, math/physics just seem "harder" in the pure sense. although engineering/CS might be better with applied quantitative skills, math/physics are much more difficult to grasp -- a certain higher level of intelligence is definitely required to understand concepts in those fields.

 

I say engineering.

It's quantitative, emphasizes practical problem solving, involves team projects/collaboration and depending on your major (ChemE/BME/ME) it can be tailored for a specific industry consulting group.

 

Not necessarily--don't let "management consulting" mislead you into thinking that it's really about management. Kind of how "investment banking" doesn't mean that you should major in "investments".

Major in Powerpoint and you'll be a rockstar consultant.

 

the advice about Powerpoint was spot on.

My major was Applied Math. Off the top of my head, people working at my firm majored in History, Computer Engineering, International Relations, Operations Research, an MA in Statistics, and of course a bunch of MBAs (most of the associates).

 

Yeah I'm not sure there's a lot of value in studying management/business at undergrad level. If you want to do something in this direction maybe economics or finance might be a bit more solid.

Personally, I'd suggest doing something you enjoy which will leave plenty of careers open to you...you won't go too far wrong with sciences or engineering, and I doubt it will have any impact on your chances of getting into a bank.

Rody

 

I go to a technical school where McKinsey specifically comes to recruit Engineers. They bring 10+ engineering graduates with them to talk about why they switched ove to conculting. Is this only McKinsey or is there a trend toward technical undergrads for Strategy Consulting in general?

 

McKinsey loves to hire Engineers from undergrad. From grad school, they hire Sloanies a bunch. Basically guys with top notch analytical skills.

Bain and BCG have different taste, but tend to look more at fit.

 
MBBDubai:
My situation: I want to major in management and international business at McDonough but it seems like M/B/B like finance majors more considering who they've hired in the past two years have been finance majors.

discuss.

During my interviews with all three, I got the impression that they LOVE hard science majors. Especially engineering.

One Associate Principal at McKinsey went so far as to say that he thinks engineering majors are the most successful at the firm.

That's just my experience...

 

If finance majors have historically done well, then it should be a good major. The question is, how many management majors who WANTED M/B/B got one (or how many students majored in management at all). Finance probably will be better anyway. If you don't get M/B/B (it's going to tough, you know that), do you have any back-up careers/firms in mind with a management background? Finance will open more doors. You don't want to be on the general management track, which is probably what most management majors, whether they want it or not, end up doing. Like some people indicated here, management teaches you about organizational behavior/internal controls (looking at the company from the inside, like managerial accounting), not so much corporate strategy. IMO, it's only useful for HR consulting at best. I heard management is nothing more than "applied psychology." The one management course that might be useful is something along the lines of "Managing Change," if Georgetown has something like that. I had/have this exact same issue, but I think finance/accounting skills are more valuable for business majors. Some schools do have a Strategy concentration, but I don't know how useful that would be either. Maybe others can clarify. I'm still wondering about that.

 

A technical/analytical background is a lot more important at the entry level. If you must stay in a business major Econ or Finance are better choices.

 

Are there firms that wouldn't accept students with MA's into neither 'analyst' nor 'associate' level because theyre over / under - qualified respectively.

 

In the event that you don't happen to become a Rhodes Scholar ... ? ... your hard sciences and other heavy analytical majors will bode well. But like the first comment states, it's all about the GPA. Whatever you choose, make sure you're as close to Summa as possible.

 

Going to chime in and pose a Q, why do you think business majors aren't as marketable (this being taken at face value, no one major can seal one's fate as different candidates are different) ? I have met more soft science majors than business. Thoughts?

 
JackDevlin:
Going to chime in and pose a Q, why do you think business majors aren't as marketable (this being taken at face value, no one major can seal one's fate as different candidates are different) ? I have met more soft science majors than business. Thoughts?

Business doesn't teach you how to think, its also an incredibly easy major

"The way to make money is to buy when blood is running in the streets." -John D. Rockefeller
 
JackDevlin:
Going to chime in and pose a Q, why do you think business majors aren't as marketable (this being taken at face value, no one major can seal one's fate as different candidates are different) ? I have met more soft science majors than business. Thoughts?

how many top schools offer business majors?

 

I think consulting is the industry in which college major matters the least. Go to any office at any consultancy and you'll find a mix of engineers, econ, law, business and even sociology and philosophy. Pick a major that interests you and do well in school.

The business of business is business.
 

While you can get in with any major and there are a lot of factors other than major, a 4.0 in engineering or a hard science is worth a lot more than a 4.0 in English or business.

 
Best Response

From what I've seen, it can be very difficult for interviewees to convince interviewers that they really had a passion for finance when they don't have a business or engineering degree. Several of my engineer friends who eventually got jobs in finance said they experienced this in interviews to a certain extent as well. Just be prepared for this and thankful that it's not worse (you could have a passion for Asian studies instead of physics).

That being said, figure out what you're really interested in. If you are genuinely interested in pursuing finance I would go business major and physics minor. You'll have a much easier time pulling all nighters for a subject that you are passionate for.

I get the sense you aren't sure yet, which is completely understandable as a freshman. If that's the case just try a few classes out freshman year and see what sticks. The decision should make itself.

 

Pro-tip: Google "investment banking major" and click on the first link. Mergers and inquisitions is a great website.

Are you trying to get into M&A or S&T? From what I've gathered the optimal major/minor combination is first and foremost the one that will get you a high gpa (maybe 3.5+ if engineering/hard science, but really 3.7+). Picking a tough major just to "stand out versus the hordes of undergraduate business/econ students" is what you don't want to do. However if you really would enjoy studying a tougher major over business/econ, it makes sense to take advantage of your affinity for science and math. Any major/minor combo would work, but CS is probably most employable + business minor if they offer courses relevant to finance. As you already know, academics at Cornell are no joke, so make sure you study something you can succeed in.

 

from my standpoint, I think quants are similar in a way - physics, CS, math, Statistics etc. pick one and hopefully make a major. I personally would lean (biased) towards statistics and OR, as long as you grab programming under your belt.

I also see though, if you have time, have a UG in business (major) is also a very impactful thing. it gets you to the networks that other divisions may not offer, and just even be in those subscription lists for the recruiters/speakers is a great benefit

 

If you are good with cases, good with people, quick on your feet, and mildly interesting, you can get a job in MC from any major. Keep in mind you will want to figure your degree into your "why consulting" story, but that's pretty easy to do. Economics/Finance is certainly a suitable, maybe even optimal, way to go. If you find you you don't want to travel every week/can't do the cases/want to make more money, you can take your degree and try for IB.

 

It's very school-dependent. At my school for instance, the engineering programs are very strong and looked at favorably by consulting firms, as well as several other kinds of companies. The Econ program, on the other hand, doesn't have the same prestige.

That could easily be flipped at other schools that are more known for their liberal arts programs.

 

Operations Research:Financial Engineering is strictly available to SEAS, whereas Econ-Math is only available to students in the College. You don't have the choice to choose between them. Which school will you be attending? Hopefully its not SEAS.

 

^ That's impressive.

Like I said in the original post, I know major doesn't matter much in terms of getting the first interview. But I'd like to know which one develops the consulting skillset and sets you up for doing well in the interview itself.

 

I think this is one of those cases where people think the world is more complicated than it really is. All you really need to get consulting interviews is a high GPA (you can major in anything at all), good extracurriculars, and some activity (consulting club, working at a startup during your undergrad yrs, working on refining a nonprofit's business plan or strategy, etc.) that shows a demonstrated interest in the field. Considering that I have a friend who got a Bain FT offer w/o knowing how to calculate profit 1 week before the interview, we're not talking about something you should devote your undergraduate career to.

I'm a double Studio Art and Physics major senior without any finance/business experience prior to recruiting. I worked at CERN (the physics lab) last summer, and I ended up w/ an offer from McKinsey London.

I think the important thing is just to be smart, enthusiastic, and have good leadership credentials.. and be able to justify why you want to do consulting.

 

Major doesn't really matter as long as you have a solid 3.8+ GPA and are analytical enough to succeed in the case interviews. 7 people I know and I are going into MBB this fall, only one was a business major. I doubt that is the universal rate but you get the point. Just take a few business classes along the way or pick up a business related minor and you should be fine.

 

There's actually different tpyes of 'management' programs. Some courses focus on quanty managerical economics stuff, while others concentrate on fluffy org. behaviour crap. I strongly advise to do the former...

 
oldmansacks:
engineering and economics. or business math and economics. finance for consulting is useless. you will learn it on the job.

I could be mistaken, but I think OP has the option of "management" or "finance and economics", so the finance gets built into the latter.

Proboscis
 

Probably Quant Econ, but to be honest, your major isn't really that big of a deal. Just make sure you study what you're passionate, get really good grades, and start networking and building your resume from the beginning and you'll be all set.

 
Cpt Savior:
Your major for consulting isn't a big deal. For Investment Banking, you probably want to look into the Quant Econ.

No one cares about your major. Just go to a good school and you'll be fine.

"For all the tribulations in our lives, for all the troubles that remain in the world, the decline of violence is an accomplishment we can savor, and an impetus to cherish the forces of civilization and enlightenment that made it possible."
 

I'm going to Tufts next year that's why, so then International Relations with Quant Economics should be the way to go then right? What would I benefit from studying Entreprenurial Leadership instead?

 

As everybody has said, your major isn't a big deal for consulting. Seriously. Just do whatever will get you the best GPA. Then build a strong resume and a good network of consultants. If you do those three things, you should be able to get most OCR interviews. (For example, at my school, English and Sociology majors with 3.75+ got MBB interviews, while Econ majors with 3.5/3.6 didn't.)

If you're potentially thinking about banking, that's a different story.

 

If you want to do consulting as it was said before your major is not that important. Consultants represent the whole range of academic spectrum from arts to hard core physical sciences. Your goal should be to choice something that really interests you and do whatever you can to get really good grades.

Most consultants are really analytic and also good with numbers. So if you find mathematics difficult, then I would take more quantitative classes.

"Practice drinking whisky straight."
 
y2jerichoy2j:

I hope to be either an investment banker or consultant that travels internationally frequently and the college I'm going to attend (Tufts) has a few majors that suit the bill perfectly. First, I plan on majoring in International Relations, but I need help deciding on whether I should double major in Quantitative Economics or minor in Entrepreneurial Leadership instead. Which one should I choose to take and why?

what is a "international consultant?"

do you mean having the opportunity to travel abroad and work on engagements? IF SO, then you need to align yourself with an industry focus that is transferable across regions (finance).

 
mashed potatoes:
y2jerichoy2j:

I hope to be either an investment banker or consultant that travels internationally frequently and the college I'm going to attend (Tufts) has a few majors that suit the bill perfectly. First, I plan on majoring in International Relations, but I need help deciding on whether I should double major in Quantitative Economics or minor in Entrepreneurial Leadership instead. Which one should I choose to take and why?

what is a "international consultant?"

do you mean having the opportunity to travel abroad and work on engagements? IF SO, then you need to align yourself with an industry focus that is transferable across regions (finance).

no.

manufacturing/shared services.

 

Economics is worth considering- it definitely places well into consulting. Also classes will typically be easier than an engineering major, which means more time for internships, extracurriculars, networking, and practicing case interviews.

"No one ever wishes they had slept more in college."
 

I honestly don't think it makes much of a difference. The important thing is that you excel in your degree. It's much easier to do this if you're studying something you're passionate about so I'd go for whatever you're most interested in

I previously worked for McKinsey in London and have started a blog about consulting and how to get into it at www.theconsultingcoach.com
 

Whatever you do, don't screw up your GPA. Do a ton of EC n volunteering. Always be busy doing something with your extra time, but keep an eye on your GPA.

As to what major you should choose, I'll leave that to the experts.

 

Would it benefit me to apply for the McCombs MPA program (integrated 5-year Masters)? I'm hearing from upperclassmen and advisors that it would be a better route to move into consulting but I'm not sure how much credibility they have.

 

Depends on where you see the benefit. If you want to study accounting and a get a masters within a 5-year time-span then sure, go for it.

Right now it sounds like you're just trying to figure out the "path" to break into consulting . I admire your determination and forward-thinking, but you have to realize that there's not a cookie-cutter mold for this. If you focus on building your experience through internships, relationships through organizations, and credentials through your GPA then you're on the path for MC. I've seen a variety of students both through the interview and offer phase and they were all pretty much incredible people that made it a point to excel at whatever they did regardless of background.

 

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