How to work at MBB as an incoming college first-year?

Hello,

I will be attending cal next year to major in data science. How can I best prepare myself to work at MBB and potentially gain internships at these firms? I am not in Haas. thanks!

12 Comments
 

- get good grades

- get into haas

- join a business frat and/or consulting clubs

- do other extracurriculars if you have time

easier said than done. i wouldn't graduate in 3 years if i were you, since that makes intnership recruiting tougher (1 vs 2 years in college makes a huge difference)

 
Most Helpful

minimum 3.7, ideally 3.8+ gpa. there could be a bit of leeway for more a technical major like data science but unsure. if you do end up with a lower gpa, you may be able to compensate with extensive networking.

they care about extracurriculars to the extent that you can demonstrate quantifiable positive impact resulting from your activities. consulting clubs are a good way to do this because they both demonstrate interest in the field and (theoretically) have real impact by solving problems for clients. also, there are alums of consulting clubs at MBB, maybe even reviewing resumes for OCR, so being in the same club as them gives you a chance to network with them, increasing the chances you are selected for an interview. there are other clubs where you can show positive impact though - it's up to you to figure out which ones are both suited for resume building as well as has a culture you can vibe with.

 

Their decision is based on GPA, your extracurriculars, and your interview / skills. Taking an educated guess, a lot of people have good GPAs and do decent in the interview, so yes, extracurriculars are very important. Take this with a grain of salt, but I don’t think a consulting club will be enough. Make sure to do extracurriculars that give you unique skills/experience or make you stand out.

 

OCR = on campus recruiting

TAing is not a bad place to start for your work history. it won't be enough by itself but it will help you secure other internships before you recruit for MBB.

if you're playing the game correctly, "officer in chess club" won't be important enough to fit on your resume unless you're doing something interesting like organizing chess tournaments for underprivileged kids in the bay area. again, the key thing to remember is impact! and importantly, whether you actually enjoy the activity or not.

 

Reprehenderit ut et magnam. Natus quasi omnis expedita dolorem vitae. Iste minima adipisci quibusdam iure voluptatem quia quam. Assumenda ut eveniet dolorum.

Aut reprehenderit voluptatem quo quis consequuntur. Asperiores quia aliquam rerum sunt ullam voluptatem. Voluptas architecto tenetur qui aliquid tempora rem.

Nulla voluptas vel id sequi inventore debitis repellendus. Aperiam minus adipisci nostrum id vero est necessitatibus nostrum. Aliquam aliquid nesciunt est porro dolorem dignissimos.

Atque repellat natus cumque laborum sed expedita. Saepe numquam ipsa quisquam in tempora voluptatem. Officiis ea et dicta fuga unde et sunt ad. Temporibus vel nihil necessitatibus.

Career Advancement Opportunities

August 2026 Consulting

  • Boston Consulting Group 99.5%
  • Bain & Company 98.9%
  • McKinsey & Company 98.4%
  • Oliver Wyman 97.9%
  • LEK Consulting 97.3%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

August 2026 Consulting

  • Cornerstone Research 99.5%
  • Bain & Company 98.9%
  • Boston Consulting Group 98.4%
  • McKinsey & Company 97.9%
  • Oliver Wyman 97.3%

Professional Growth Opportunities

August 2026 Consulting

  • Bain & Company 99.5%
  • Boston Consulting Group 98.9%
  • McKinsey & Company 98.4%
  • Oliver Wyman 97.9%
  • LEK Consulting 97.3%

Total Avg Compensation

August 2026 Consulting

  • Partner (4) $361
  • Principal (30) $294
  • Director/MD (58) $274
  • Vice President (52) $246
  • Engagement Manager (113) $232
  • Manager (171) $173
  • 2nd Year Associate (185) $142
  • 3rd+ Year Associate (115) $135
  • Senior Consultant (354) $132
  • Consultant (642) $122
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (164) $121
  • 1st Year Associate (576) $121
  • NA (16) $114
  • Engineer (6) $114
  • 2nd Year Analyst (392) $104
  • Associate Consultant (176) $101
  • 1st Year Analyst (1163) $90
  • Intern/Summer Associate (208) $83
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (635) $68
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
3
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
4
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
5
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
6
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
7
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
8
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
9
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
10
Linda Abraham's picture
Linda Abraham
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”