Kellogg MBA - Chances for Tier 1 & 2 consulting

I'm a rising second year at Kellogg who is headed to an MBB for the summer, so think I can share some valuable perspective - long post coming:

You should be well positioned to get interviews with MBB and Tier 2 firms. The high GMAT/GPA helps, as does a background that is somewhat interesting/rarer but is still analytical. You'll still need to do the requisite networking though. My impression of that whole process was to do everything you can to seem likeable/genuine and demonstrate your interest in consulting. You basically are looking to ensure that the main recruiting contacts know who you are and have a positive impression of you. This applies for both the main Kellogg recruiting team and individuals you meet from your offices of interest if that is not Chicago. I would be surprised if you didn't get "closed list" interview invites to at least 2 or 3 of MBB and number of tier two firms, as they all interview a LOT of people. Kellogg also has a bidding system that can be a safety net in case you don't hit it off with a particular firm (and people DO land offers after bidding on interviews).

Once you get your interviews, it mostly comes down to nailing the cases as well as demonstrating your likeability (e.g., passing the "airport test"). This is where practice comes into play, although as many second years will tell you, its not necessarily about quantity of practice but more about quality. You need to find good partners to practice with, who can press you in your weak areas and give you useful feedback. This initially means second years who interned in consulting, or classmates who came from consulting firms. Later in the game you can practice with other first years once they have figured out what they are doing. Keep a case log of all the things you do wrong, look for trends and address them.

Also, the natural tendency for type-A overachievers like incoming MBAs is to over-prepare, however I would argue that is of little use here. The consulting club and second years do a great job of guiding you through the process that has led to success time and time again. In particular with case prep, I would avoid starting practice too early (e.g., before November), as people really do burn out or become too robotic if they have done a million practice cases. It is important to appear that you ENJOY working through your cases during interviews and be friendly/likeable, both of which are harder if case prep has become a stressful chore. The one thing I would advocate doing early adn often though is making friends with second years who are headed to firms you are interested in. Don't be transactional about it, but rather try to build a real relationship with these folks (whether it is through KWEST, clubs etc.) but make a mental note of who worked where. They will be valuable resources to you throughout recruiting.

In terms of percentages, I would say that ROUGHLY 30-40% of first years who earnestly pursue consulting end up at MBB for the summer and an additional 20-30% end up at tier two shops.

Other roles to apply to depends on your interest, but I probably see the most overlap with Tech and startups, and a lot of people who don't end up with a consulting internship go that route. That is not to say that those roles are necessarily easy to get, but the timing just works out that you can refocus on those roles after consulting recruiting, but not on say banking. Bottom line is if you don't get consulting for an internship, relax, everyone gets a good internship and you can always take another shot in the fall for full time, which is where nearly half of fulltime consultants get their offers.