Do non-target school students ever get internships at MBB while in school?
If yes, how? I have sent applications out and talked with people at these top consulting firms, but it seems really tough for an undergraduate from a non-target school to break in. Is it really true that MBB only takes undergraduate interns from HYP?
They definitely do.
When you say you've done everything possible, what does that mean?
They take the top from anywhere. Obviously, most are from the top institutions (self selection)
Focus on networking with your local office. That being said, if you're at a non-target, you better have a near perfect GPA, near perfect SAT, prior work experience, solid leadership experience, etc. to even get the attention of your local office recruiter.
Near perfect SAT not required, probably least important of the 4 you listed. There is a minimum threshold though (Don't go walking in with less than a 1300 Math+Reading)
I've never seen an undergrad intern with less than 1400. I'm sure they exist, just expressing surprise that you put 1300
What level of non-target are we talking here?
These are large firms; I'm sure there are interns from non-targets somewhere. Definitely more than the the 2 schools you listed; but the definition of target is always subject to debate. If you are asking if MBB takes undergrad interns from school's that it doesn't go to campus to recruit from, the answer is yes although it's very, very difficult.
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I'm sure they have taken interns from bschools ranked similarly to the ones you reference. That said, they are few and far between. Even people from target schools who do everything right have much less than a 50/50 chance of getting an internship. You get a second and third bite at the apple with undergrad full-time recruiting and an MBA.
gpck, thank you for the response! May I ask you an additional question? You said, "even people from target schools who do everything right have much less than a 50/50 chance of getting an internship." May I ask what you specifically mean by "everything right"? You are referring to their college major, GPA, and SAT score, right? Or are you talking about specific skills that candidates have developed while in school and at previous internships outside of consulting?
Moreover, if someone comes from a target school like Columbia College or University of Pennsylvania's CAS (the non-Wharton Penn), does it matter what their major is when they apply? I ask because I have a friend who is also interested, but she is studying political science/international relations at one of the target schools.
What I mean is check off all boxes of people who typically get internships, which you basically listed, as well as have good internships leading up to his or her junior year. To have a decent shot today, you really need to have the right major, GPA, SAT (though i think major and GPA matter more) AND internships. That will get you an interview. It won't guarantee you get an internship. You still have to ace both the fit and case interview.
Believe it or not, the soft skills or "fit" interview are where a lot of people fail. Someone's resume can look great, but you get them in the room for 30 minutes and they come off like a pretentious ass. I have dinged more people for that then people who straight up bombed a case.
As far as target school, but not target major, the closer it is to something "businessy" or analytical, the better. The firm I worked at (Big 4) also considered engineers and would think about econ students who had taken business classes that also had insane GPAs. Maybe others can say if Math/stats or Comp Sci majors are also considered for specific roles. My feedback is more dealing with the core generalist recruiting that happens.
I would tell your friend to apply, but her chances are lower than someone who would be applying from Wharton. Basically, as you remove "checked boxes" your odds are going down. How much? No one can really say with certainty, but you have a lower chance than an identical version of yourself with one more checked box. That said, she can't change majors at this point, so she should just apply and hope for the best.
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