Guide to Summer MBB Recruiting in the UK

I'm currently working at MBB having previously been a summer intern and thought I'd make a few point for those looking to recruit for MBB in London.

Process

• Unlike banking, MBB does not reward early applications. There will be a strict deadline, typically around Christmas time, and only after that will they begin to review CVs
• There's usually some kind of game/online assessment
• First round interviews tend to go out around late Jan / early Sept.
• Expect two/three rounds of interviews. Each round could contain multiple interview. You should expect a mix of behavioural and case-style interviewing at each stage
• Final rounds and decisions are normally sent out before the start of March

Target Universities

• There is a stereotype that MBB is harsher towards non-targets than IB and I think that is unfortunately true. I will say that this seems to be changing however
• The top targets remain Oxbridge, with them making up roughly half of summer intake
• Other big targets are LSE, Imperial, UCL, Durham, Warwick (only more recently). Others are well-represented too, I'm just forgetting them
• Non-targets or semi-targets do exists, but probably make up more like 5% of intake

Degree types

• MBB are pretty agnostic about what you study. Economics, PPE, humanities etc. are the most common. Also a fair amount of STEM. Not uncommon to see less standard courses.
• In general, what you study shouldn't be a problem. However, this may affect the university rankings above depending on the strength of the course at that specific institution e.g. Economics/Maths at Warwick is very good, but one of their humanities courses would be less good since their strength lies more in STEM courses

What they look for in CVs

• Extracurriculars are very important, but they don't have to be related to consulting at all
• Leadership roles at big university societies are favoured- the bigger the society and the more senior the better
• Good work experience is valued. This might be previous consulting at a T2/boutique, or IB, or civil service etc. The industry is less important, more the prestige of the role
• Other things that are valued are serious academic research, working with startups or non-profits, high-level sports, and other things I can't think of but just sound intriguing
• Your grades should be at least 2:1. The less target your university, the higher the expectation. I'd guess the modal grade for successful applicants is a First. You do however have more leeway when applying for summer internships as you haven't actually got your grades yet. You can always choose to leave them off your CV (but this might work against you if you're applying from a university where a First is considered a must- hard to say)
• You don't need to nail all of the above, just enough of them to pass the CV screen
• In case you've been confused reading US-centric content, networking is not really a thing in UK undergrad recruiting. No harm in reaching out to people, but don't expect any special treatment.

What they look for during interviews

• Your ability to case well is obviously of paramount importance. I won't cover casing much here because it should be a whole other post, but it goes without saying you should really have your casing nailed
• Throughout the interview, you will be tested on your ability to communicate well. This is a big deal in consulting. You should be precise with what you say, structure your thoughts clearly, and make sure to actually answer the question. This applies to both behaviourals and casing
• As always, use the STAR method when answering behaviourals. You should really focus on the AR part of the word, as that's what they're looking for. Have a wide variety of stories ready to talk about, and know them well. Mck in particular goes very hard on behaviourals (BCG have more of a case focus).
• Show that you have a good understanding of the job, and that you're actually interested in the industry. The first place you can show this is when answering "why consulting", but also at the end of the interview ask your interviewer some well thought out question about the industry or their area of practice
• The interview (particularly at later rounds) is also somewhat of a vibe check. You need to come across as someone they'd be happy to work with, meaning you need to seem like you'd be good at the job as well as just being a likeable person. Don't be an NPC

General thoughts

• Recruiting for MBB summer internships is particularly hard compared to full time
• Mck and BCG only take small intern cohorts and Bain doesn't even run a summer internship in London. I'd say there's ~40 spots each summer in all of MBB London so it's a long shot for anybody
• Given the small cohort size, rates of return are high (at least 90%)
• The flip side of this is that most FT hires did not come through the internship so you have better chances when applying next year

I know MBB recruiting has already wrapped up by now, but hoping some people read this and find it helpful for next year. Happy to answer any questions people might have.