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You can try networking with those groups beforehand. Corp dev also tends to have the most technical interviews and sometimes they’ll only interview with a handful of analysts - i.e., it’s a totally one sided matching process (they get who they want). But you can increase your odds by studying up on technicals (valuation methods for your particular industry, recent deals, etc)… Show that you are hungry (but not obnoxiously so). From what I’ve seen, corp strat interviews are by far less technical and really come down to fit, so it can be tougher to stand out. Really depends on the company/group. 
 

At the end of the day, don’t worry too much about where you land for your first rotation. I started off in my absolute last choice group - and it turned out to be an incredible experience with a group of really good people. My first manager went to bat for me and I ended up exactly where I wanted to be at the end of the program.