Do different offices carry different prestige? For example, does McKinsey in Dallas have as much cache as in Boston on a resume for B-School?
Trending Content - Management Consulting Forum
Career Resources
WSO Free Modeling Series - Now Open Through
June 30, 2026
9 Free Financial Modeling Lessons
Get instant access to lessons taught by experienced private equity pros and bulge bracket investment bankers including financial statement modeling, DCF, M&A, LBO, Comps and Excel Modeling.
+Bonus: Get 27 financial modeling templates in swipe file
+Bonus: Get 27 financial modeling templates in swipe file
High Finance Applications
Guaranteed
Get at least one offer GUARANTEED
- 1:1 support
- 92% success rate
- 2,000+ mentor network
- Unlimited Live bootcamps
- AI for resume + LinkedIn
- Networking automation tools
- HireVue simulation tool
- Full course library
- Private Slack community
- 20hrs of mocks
- + much more...
i am wondering this as well - is it safe to assume NY offices are considered the best for all of these firms?
For McKinsey it doesn't really matter, since most of the staffing is done globally (you can be based in Dallas but be sent to San Fran or Hong Kong to do case work).
For Bain, the type or work varies more with the location. E.g. San fran, Boston and NY have a lot of finance/PE work whereas Chicago would be more consumer.
BCG is in-between.
For all three firms, there are more and less selective offices - meaning many applicants apply to the NY / SF / Boston offices but may not get them if it's a difficult year recruiting-wise. In that case, candidates can get offers for the "less selective" locations.
For B-School terms, the location doesn't matter as much as the type of experience and level of exposure. It can be argued that a candidate is slightly more attractive for B school if he's in SF/ NY -- with exposure to large PE clients, F50 first, instead of Miami or Dallas where there can be local clients.
Chase Us, Break In!
The Recruiting Ace: An Inside Look at Banking, Finance, and Management Consulting RESUME AND COVER LETTER RE-WRITES http://chasingconsultantsbreakingbankers.blogspot.com/
ahhh prestige whoring at its finest. brings a tear to my eye
Am I the only one who finds a typo in the thread title (Presitge) mildly amusing? I'm not usually the grammar police online, but to misspell prestige...kind of flies in the face of the word itself.
national association of good grammar - nagg
Bain Boston is tops. NYC is for the people who weren't good enough.
breakingbankers, so if some offices are "tougher" to get into does it make sense to put a less difficult one as your first choice?
My two cents:
"Prestige" was more of a factor back in the day when the consulting industry wasn't as mature. Yes, Bain and BCG's Boston offices WERE the flagship as was McKinsey in NY.
But now what you're really looking for is what the scale of the office is. For example: The McKinsey office in Charlotte is much smaller than the McKinsey office in Atlanta. So Atlanta is better.
My advice: preference whatever office recruits at your school. If you go to Northwestern and the BCG Chicago office recruits there, I'd pref Chicago.
It depends on your school - if you're coming from Ivies and other top targets, it really doesn't matter what your preferences are because you'll have a decent shot at your choices (alums are scattered and the firms have more formal recruiting across offices)
Otherwise, choose office preferences based on proximity to your school and which offices have more of your alums. Of course you should also consider where you want to live and what industries interest you, but it helps to think about where your chances may be higher of getting an offer.
Chase Us, Break In!
The Recruiting Ace: An Inside Look at Banking, Finance, and Management Consulting RESUME AND COVER LETTER RE-WRITES http://chasingconsultantsbreakingbankers.blogspot.com/
Voluptatem iure molestiae et quibusdam. Deleniti consequatur dicta fugit voluptas omnis recusandae.
Accusantium repellendus nesciunt aut qui. Fugit quod eius sed voluptas eveniet accusamus. Dolor laborum possimus nostrum fugiat occaecati. Voluptatem rerum facilis fugit maiores autem qui. Illo repudiandae eos deserunt cumque aperiam facere hic. Dolorem voluptas tempore sed sequi.
Sint magni dolorum fugit vero. Fugiat consequatur iure vel beatae. Illo omnis impedit et optio est.
See All Comments - 100% Free
WSO depends on everyone being able to pitch in when they know something. Unlock with your email and get bonus: 6 financial modeling lessons free ($199 value)
or Unlock with your social account...