MBB from Non Target School with good GPA

Hi WSO,

Sorry but it is yet another thread about what my chance are of getting a job with one of the consulting greats.

My current situation is that I am at a non target public university in canada about to go into the third year of my BBA. I have a good GPA (currently 3.98) and I have one semester of work experience in the Finance dept. of a medium sized international corporation (and I have great references from the VP and Director).

I would like to try to get an internship with one of the big consulting firms (and ultimately a job) but I'm not sure what my chances are coming from an unknown university. Is there anything I can do to increase my chances? (besides networking)

I would also appreciate any insight into the work environment at the consulting firms. From my research so far it seems that BCG has a really good internship program but Bain has a great corporate (team-)culture but not having any experience working for any of them I really know nothing...

Also, I have been living on my own and paying for all my living expenses and tuition fees myself so I do have to ask what I can expect to get paid during an internship with one of the big consulting firms (not looking to get rich from an internship but I need to be able to pay my bills)

Thank you for you help!

 

****MOD EDIT: Revealing others' personal information, no matter how detailed, is a no-no on WSO.

cibo:
Let me make this simple.

These places are perceived as elite because they only let in elite people.

Do you think you are that elite?

This post is fuckin retarded and not helpful at all, good job at being hardcore.

What do you mean by elite? What matters most and in what combination? School, good grades, experience, stories, ECs?

How about you talk about what you mean by elite and how an amalgamation of the above lends itself to breaking and not just flame someone for asking a question.

****EDITED****

'Before you enter... be willing to pay the price'
 
cibo:
Let me make this simple.

These places are perceived as elite because they only let in elite people.

Do you think you are that elite?

This reminds me of a story... Eli Manning (QB for the GIANTS) was once asked the same question. He answered YES! The rest of the world made a joke out of it. Later on in that season he brings home the Lombardi trophy and answers again saying YES.

Moral of the story: don't let people tell you your not good enough. Always prove them wrong through your work.

 
jpmoranmonkeysachs:
cibo:
Let me make this simple.

These places are perceived as elite because they only let in elite people.

Do you think you are that elite?

This reminds me of a story... Eli Manning (QB for the GIANTS) was once asked the same question. He answered YES! The rest of the world made a joke out of it. Later on in that season he brings home the Lombardi trophy and answers again saying YES.

Moral of the story: don't let people tell you your not good enough. Always prove them wrong through your work.

That was more the tone I was going for. If you don't believe you are good enough, then you aren't and vice versa.

 

@BepBep12

First off, I'm not being pretentious.

I'm questioning what makes you great. Not in hubris, I'm talking about what can you do to stand out.

2nd, You're quite touchy and stalkerish. I don't try too hard to hide my cv but I still think you're pretty lame for making it personal. Very grown up.

 
cibo:
@BepBep12

First off, I'm not being pretentious.

I'm questioning what makes you great. Not in hubris, I'm talking about what can you do to stand out.

You're quite touchy and stalkerish. Thanks, for making things personal on a random comment. Very grown up.

Fine. It sounded douchey as fuck though. My apologies for jumping on it. I did help you though...take down your fucking CV.

'Before you enter... be willing to pay the price'
 
BepBep12:
cibo:
@BepBep12

First off, I'm not being pretentious.

I'm questioning what makes you great. Not in hubris, I'm talking about what can you do to stand out.

You're quite touchy and stalkerish. Thanks, for making things personal on a random comment. Very grown up.

Fine. It sounded douchey as fuck though. My apologies for jumping on it. I did help you though...take down your fucking CV.

Alright, point taken and thanks for the info.
 

You don't have to be that elite, the hardest part is just having a connection that can get you an interview and bypass the resume drop. Most people are really smart, but there are a whole lot of idiots at all these firms.

You're more than qualified for an entry level position, just network your butt off - call up any alums, etc. Also it tends to be easier to get through smaller regional offices than NYC/LA/London etc. and if there's an office near you try there first, and you can always transfer later in your career.

Good luck!

if you like it then you shoulda put a banana on it
 
Best Response

To your work culture comment - Bain has a rep for being a little more fratty and hierarchical, BCG is a bit flatter and you'll see more of the senior people and work closer. McKinsey pride themselves on being the most cerebral. I've got friends who've worked at McK in Toronto and Berlin, BCG in London and Chicago, and Bain in Chicago. Each firm has unique strengths and weaknesses, and one can make strong cases as to why any of the three is the 'best.' I made it to final rounds with Bain in London and my impression was very positive. My friend at McK says that BCG is really legit and does a great job training its junior people, where Bain you might get more siloed in and just crank a bunch of work.

if you like it then you shoulda put a banana on it
 

1) cib is correct, however horrible that sounds. That's life; consulting is perception.

2) No, you have no chance whatsoever. Waste of your time. I have over 10 friends at all 3. Is that going to prevent you from applying? If not, GTFO this thread is pointless.

3) Acceptance rate for MBB is like less than 1%. Why do you think so many sub 50 post count people come here, ask noob questions, then never come back? Because they just chase "MBB" and they can't cut it. There's like what...7 guys on the consulting board who are actually MBB? And how many of them are actually active? Stop embarrassing yourself.

4) Everything on this thread can be found with a search function.

 

Why are there so many Canadians on these boards?

I'll make one comment about target vs non-target schools here: Depends on the country I guess. I was visiting Frankfurt, Germany once and met this girl who was an Analyst at DB HQ in Frankfurt. We talked about Finance and recruiting paths in Germany and the United States. One thing that stood out about Germany is that top banking/consulting firms are not prestige whores like here in the US. Of course being in or near Frankfurt helps, but since most German grads come from state-funded universities, firms do not differentiate whether you graduated from one or another. Might be because Germany is a more egalitarian society or that only the academically gifted go to college there, but then again in other places like Europe you have elitists like the Ecoles and the Oxbridges.

I am a non-target college student myself and although like the rest of the country I don't know much about our northern neighbors, it seems to me from these boards that there is a hierarchy in Canada as well. Queens/Ivey/McGill/Toronto among the names I have heard.

Outside of WSO, I have heard of Simon Fraser and UBC in Vancouver, but nobody ever seems to talk about those.

 

Delectus sint id qui pariatur sit in. Nam aut facere sint. Ut ex vitae ullam sunt. Voluptas quo error eveniet aut est atque est. Et sunt voluptatum dolorum consectetur enim distinctio.

Ad eligendi ullam saepe ratione ex aut hic. Ipsa voluptatibus labore impedit in ad. Ad eos quasi porro quod aut et. Et sunt quasi odio quia. Voluptas distinctio voluptas qui voluptatum a delectus magni id. Sed et corrupti et et.

Life, liberty and the pursuit of Starwood Points

Career Advancement Opportunities

March 2024 Consulting

  • Bain & Company 99.4%
  • McKinsey and Co 98.9%
  • Boston Consulting Group (BCG) 98.3%
  • Oliver Wyman 97.7%
  • LEK Consulting 97.2%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

March 2024 Consulting

  • Bain & Company 99.4%
  • Cornerstone Research 98.9%
  • Boston Consulting Group (BCG) 98.3%
  • McKinsey and Co 97.7%
  • Oliver Wyman 97.2%

Professional Growth Opportunities

March 2024 Consulting

  • Bain & Company 99.4%
  • McKinsey and Co 98.9%
  • Boston Consulting Group (BCG) 98.3%
  • Oliver Wyman 97.7%
  • LEK Consulting 97.2%

Total Avg Compensation

March 2024 Consulting

  • Partner (4) $368
  • Principal (25) $277
  • Director/MD (55) $270
  • Vice President (47) $246
  • Engagement Manager (99) $225
  • Manager (152) $170
  • 2nd Year Associate (158) $140
  • 3rd+ Year Associate (108) $130
  • Senior Consultant (329) $130
  • Consultant (586) $119
  • 1st Year Associate (538) $119
  • NA (15) $119
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (145) $115
  • Engineer (6) $114
  • 2nd Year Analyst (342) $102
  • Associate Consultant (166) $98
  • 1st Year Analyst (1046) $87
  • Intern/Summer Associate (188) $84
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (547) $67
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

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...”