Asking MBB consultant why rejected?
Recently interview invites came out for an MBB firm (it is obvious which). I did not recieve one. I don't have any huge red flags (target, 3.7+, two internships, involved in clubs) and was a little confused. Beforehand, I talked to the school lead and showed my resume, and he said it was good and work on cover letter and casing. My cover letter was decent, I had it edited and reviewed by 3 or 4 friends, including one who is interning at same MBB.
I understand that I applied to a competitive office (NE, so NYC + Boston) and they don't give out many interview invites, but I was a little surprised.
Now I am wondering if it would be weird to talk to school lead about where I went wrong or ask for how to improve my application for next year.
Pro: good advice, have a year to apply
Con: seems weird and tryhardy, everyone knows the rest of MBB is yet to come out, might get blacklisted (worst case).
Based on the most helpful WSO content, here's what you need to know:
Pros and Cons of Asking for Feedback
Pros:
Cons:
Steps to Take:
Example Email:
Subject: Seeking Feedback on My Recent Application Dear [School Lead's Name], I hope this message finds you well. I recently applied for an interview with [MBB Firm] but did not receive an invite. Given the competitive nature of the office, I understand the decision, but I am eager to improve my application for the next cycle. Would it be possible to get some feedback on my application? Specifically, I would like to know if there are any areas where I can improve, whether it be my resume, cover letter, or interview preparation. Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to any advice you can provide. Best regards, [Your Name]Final Thoughts:
By taking these steps, you can turn this setback into a learning opportunity and increase your chances of success in future applications.
Sources: Annual Review was bad how do I bounce back?, Want to talk to High School teacher but don't know how to reach out, "The Ask" - How to?, My thoughts as a Non-Target, Get an edge on the competition - ask Vantage Point MBA your business school application questions
Dude you won't be blacklisted. Send them a kind and not pushy email. The worst they'll say is that they can't give you feedback.
I know the office I applied into was weighty on the alumni networking -> interview pipeline. I think there was a lot of emphasis on connections to get an interview- ones that were talking to multiple people multiple times. I believe there was an emphasis on them being able to advocate for you when going through your specific school's apps.
How many people did you talk to? I ended up talking with 3 from my school in target office thinking that would be enough. Also mentioned some people from other offices in my cover letter (mostly personal friends accepting internship return offers).
3 school alumni, two of which were 2nd year AC's, and the last a first-year AC. With this firm specifically they normally list your school team leads under your school's page on their site. This will only apply if you're a target school though. I ran a mock case with one of the ACI 2's.
For competitive offices like these everything needs to be in place. Any referrals? Didn't mention that in your post.
You mention "2 internships" and "involvement in clubs". You do not, however, mention leadership or impact in either the internships or clubs -- nor whether they are name brand internships. Think of it this way: how did you stand out among all of the other applicants from your same target who also had a 3.7+ gpa?
I had excellent impact in clubs and internships . Very much so -- I had my resume reviewed by people with 2+ years under their belt from each MBB. Consulant of 2 years at M (made strong connection after in-person recruiting), and school leads at both Bs. I got compliments for impact and incorporated all advice. However, they were not brand name internships, I'm thinking maybe that hurt me? I thought high impact would balance with lack of brand name.
I'm thinking it might be difficulty of office which hurt me the most (from a mindset of what are controllable factors). I was likely competing with others who had brand name internships as well as impact. We will see -- others of MBB have yet to come out, my other two offices are in large cities but not NE/Chi/SF.
no it's not tryhardy to want to better your profile. no issue sending the email
but did anyone refer you beforehand? did you have any coffee chats? everyone at school who i remember went MBB definitely had someone vouching for them - if you dont then you're competing against a billion kids who also have a 3.7+ and relevant experience. at that point its just a shitshoot and is more random than anything else
Ask for feedback! It's only tryhard to expect an interview if you felt like you deserved one over others. The perfect applicant has a margin of 'not getting an interview.' A random applicant with 'worse' stats may get an interview. The point is to keep the head down, and if you are to ask for help, make sure it doesn't come across as if you were expecting an interview and were surprised you didn't get one.
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