Elon Musk, the richest man on the planet and Donald Trump, the president, both were Wharton undergraduates. There has to be some significance here...how can it be possible that one school graduated two of the most powerful people on the planet??
10 Jan 2021
Banking: - You're gonna learn an insane amount about not just financial modeling but also how companies are structured inside-and-out. Bankers are basically real estate agents for companies and just like how real estate agents know everything about a house they sell, bankers become extremely well-informed about the companies and industries in which they operate. - Better pay: nothing else to say here, just the truth - More hours: Sure it sucks to work more, but, guess what? You're young, you have the energy to work. Learn as much as you can now, cash out on your knowledge from banking to find
06 Oct 2020
Hey guys, I go to a target (H/Y/P/S) undergrad and we had our final-round interviews for the AC role at Bain (NYC/ Boston/ SF) on Tuesday the 29th. I know MBB typically get back with news within 24h if it's good or longer if it's not-so-good but none of my friends have heard back yet. What should we expect the decision timeline to look like? Maybe we can use this space to keep a tab on when decisions start going out... Would really appreciate any insight on this for this year in particular (have read through previous posts)
01 Oct 2020
Just wanted to start this forum topic since I know a few of us are feeling antsy about Bain final round decisions. I would be interested in hearing about your ACI final round calls and the turnaround time to receiving an acceptance or rejection. Please post if you have or have not received an acceptance, and for which region of the US! Also let us know how your overall interview went from your perspective, and how well that matched the outcome. Thank you!
10 Oct 2020
Which is more prestigious: A Wharton undergraduate going to McKinsey? or A Harvard undergraduate going to Goldman Sachs?
27 Nov 2020
Open to questions of any nature from students, consultants, or anyone else. I am an incoming first-year associate at a tech-focused PE fund, currently rounding out my 2nd year at MBB. I attended a top target (H/Y/P/S/W) for undergrad and interned on the buy-side in undergrad. I can try to help by explaining any part of the process, including what seems to be a trickier jump from consulting to buy-side, or anything more specific that I can be helpful with. WSO Mentor Want to work with me? Check out my profile here.
03 Nov 2020
I don't want to be in consulting or ib for more than 2 years, just wanna learn about biopharma space and get into biotech vc. I'm between 2 offers for full-time right now: Evercore in Life Sciences banking division (Menlo Park) or Mckinsey SF is generalist. Pros of Evercore: I'll be only on biotech deals and can learn much more about the field and how to think strategically about business from a finance perspective + more pay Cons of Evercore: Not as well known, so may not add that stamp to my resume that Mck would Pros of Mckinsey: Good to have on resume, will add that stamp to have my resume
25 Sep 2020
I am in a very privileged position to have received a McKinsey offer for the associate position in NA. Previously, I had attended the Bain summer program for advanced degrees but unfortunately bombed the final case interview and did not receive an FT offer. The recruiting manager communicated that I was placed on a pseudo-waitlist and that they will reach out to me at the end of August or early September. Now I am in a bind. I know it is easy to just accept the McKinsey offer and never look back, but Bain has always been my top choice and I really felt at home with all the Bainies during my
22 Aug 2020
I don't want to be in consulting or ib for more than 2 years, just wanna learn about biopharma space and get into biotech vc. I'm between 2 offers for full-time right now: Evercore in Life Sciences banking division (Menlo Park) or Mckinsey SF is generalist. Pros of Evercore: I'll be only on biotech deals and can learn much more about the field and how to think strategically about business from a finance perspective + more pay Cons of Evercore: Not as well known, so may not add that stamp to my resume that Mck would Pros of Mckinsey: Good to have on resume, will add that stamp to have my resume
26 Sep 2020
I'm a junior at an east coast target school (3.8 GPA, think Princeton/Columbia/Penn) but am looking at offices on the west coast (have just always wanted to try living in the west coast)! I know my school is a target for east coast offices like NY - but I'm struggling to see alumni from my school at some of the MBB LA offices that I could potentially network with/talk to. Is this going to negatively impact my chances of being accepted/at least called back for a first interview? Do LA offices prefer to recruit from schools like UCB and Stanford as opposed to Ivies? Any advice? Thanks so much :)
22 Aug 2020
I'm going to kind of brag here, but I have a natural talent for casing. I haven't practiced much at all, but can get all of the advanced answers in each case. I also go to HYPSW. However, I feel like I don't have strong quantitative financial/modeling skills, so I thought I could do IB for junior summer to gain those experiences, and then shoot for MBB full-time. Is this a dumb strategy? Would it just be safer to do MBB junior summer? My worry is that I won't be able to gain that quantitative financial experience once I step into consulting, so I might as well delay it by a bit to hone other
30 Aug 2020
I know that AI MBB resume screeners are coded to pick out keywords for large companies mentioned in resumes like "IBM" or "Goldman Sachs." I was wondering if these AI resume screeners are also primed to pickup keywords for smaller but distinguished firms like "Lazard" or "Evercore."
17 Sep 2020
This is the age old question. Here is my quick take on it. Happy to answer any questions about my experience or anything on your mind. Here it is, Banking vs. Consulting, an overview. #### Skills/Training: Banking: A slightly narrower but more focused skill set: quantitative and modeling focused. By the end of it, you'll be an expert at valuation and typical models like M&A, LBO, and capital raises. Consulting: Broader skillset. By the end of it, you'll get very good at structuring an ambiguous business problem, identifying a path to solve it, figuring out data and information needed
25 Jun 2020
Hi everyone, hope you are all doing well in this coronavirus season. Wanted to contribute to the community during this time with a Q&A. I imagine many of you consultants or college students are at home chilling, so thought this could be an interesting use of time. Open to answering all sorts of questions about life in MM PE, my time at MBB, transitioning from MBB to PE, college to MBB, etc. I hope this is a helpful discussion on this forum. For some brief background - target university, 2 years at MBB, and now towards the end of my first year as an associate at a MM PE firm in the US. Pretty
30 Apr 2020
All Canadian offices included, and U.S. offices, if any. Is it also possible that a target in one country to place in another one? Especially in less competitive offices, like ME/Africa. Thanks.
26 Jul 2020
Hello everyone, I'm currently a third year Italian undergraduate student at Bocconi University, interested in starting my professional path in London IB but that would also be interested in Consulting (most likely in Italy) I'm considering several choices for my masters, and I'm not excluding MiMs from top schools. I was wondering what do you guys consider to be the most attractive alternative and the one providing more optionality with regards to picking IB and MC. I also want to understand if a one-year program is worth the price, given that i have some professional experience (in a PE fund
14 Mar 2020
Open to answering questions regarding MBB, recruiting, breaking in, day to day life, career choices, etc. Background Academic: MSc in Finance (Europe) - top GPA, public undergrad b-school (target locally) Internships: Summer analyst at MBB; Summer analyst at Goldman Sachs (IMD London); Off-cycle analyst at European Private Equity FOFs. Received full-time offers from all three Other: GMAT 730 WSO Mentor Want to work with me? Check out my profile here.
05 Nov 2020
I'm in the pre-MBA stage of my career and currently working for a T2 Strategy Consulting firm. As the title suggests, I am hoping to get perspectives about how feasible it would be for me to recruit for Banking and Consulting at the same time during MBA recruiting. I would also welcome any general advice about my situation. Investment Banking is far and away my first choice, and I would be willing to devote much more focus to IB recruiting than consulting, the latter of which I think could be done successfully with less effort given my background. That said, I want to be realistic about my
09 May 2020
I'm interested in what people think the best training is for starting a search fund. I know that this is becoming a more popular career option for people out of business school. For graduating undergrads who plan on going to business school 3-5 years down the road, what do you guys think would be the best gig out of college if you intend to start a search fund after business school. I feel like the main options that people with this goal would consider are: * MBB consulting(you get to learn how many different types of management decisions are made, given coaching on "strategy", get exposure to
18 Apr 2020
Hi! So I am going to USD in the fall of 2020, but I recognize that it's not a target for MBB. However, what I have noticed is that a few USD graduates have made it in, and it appears that they were basically the best of the best. My goal is to pursue internships that will help me and to perform as highly as possible. I'm in the Honors Program as well. So, my main questions: What are some of the best internships for MBB in San Diego (or LA)? What should I be majoring in? (I'm planning to do an Econ-Finance Double Major with a minor in IT Management). I'm asking early so that I can plan ahead
18 Apr 2020
It's summer time and many of you out there are likely in your first internship with a consulting firm. Here are 5 things I found to be helpful in converting my internship into a full-time offer: #### Demonstrating core attributes / skills: 1. Coachability: you don't have to know everything day one, it's definitely not the expectation. However, I think it is important to show that you're coachable and are willing to receive feedback and learn / grow from it. Consulting is generally an apprenticeship model where you learn from coaching and guidance you receive from your teammates and team
25 Jun 2020
Starting school this Fall, background is in ER. Dream career is working at a value oriented HF or traditional asset manager. Not as interested in the multi-manager platforms since I wouldn't have pursued an MBA. Beyond even obtaining a role post-MBA , there is the concern of being irrelevant as a fundamental equity analyst in 15+ years. The industry is obviously changing, and tbh does the world really need another person determining the right P/E multiple for Target? All that said, I enjoy the investment process and the job's lifestyle compared to other roles. I see it more as a craft that I
17 Jan 2020
Hi friends. Recently left MBB after spending 2 years after college there. Always thought it was helpful reading Q&A when I was a student thinking about career-pathing, so wanted to offer this up. Busy in a new job, so will respond when available and might close this thread up early, but for now, please ask away. For context: Target college MBB big US office Based in the US Obviously please keep questions professional and I will try to provide as much insight as possible. Won't reveal anything though that is too personal. Still care about anonymity.
19 Sep 2019
Hi all, Was wondering what would be best to break into a Portfolio Ops team at a MF (KKR Capstone, Oaktree Ops...) : MBB or a REPE AM team at a Megafund? From my understanding Generalist Portfolio Ops and REPE AM both do reporting, stakeholder management, operational improvement with the management of portfolio companies, but MBB does have a more "generalist" side. Anyone has insight on this? Thanks so much
22 Jan 2021
Ive been thinking recently. Based on what I've read from this site or heard from others, Most people who join MBB/T2 end up staying there for 2-5 years, maybe getting an M7 MBA along the way. They sacrifice a lot in their 20's due to the work hours and stress of succeeding at a top school and their firms. But at the end of the day, unless they make partner, they usually end up at corporations side-by-side with people who took a more 'normal' or less prestigious route, going to a state school and working 9-5 throughout. If that's the case, then is all the effort (top undergrad --> 60 hrs/week
21 Jan 2021
So I'm working at KPMG Advisory(associate currently but AM in like 2-3 years) in Asia. Our work comprises mostly of corporate finance m&a feasibilities, fin. modelling, fdd etc. I'm a chartered accountant and want to know if I should prep for an mba or any other msc strategy etc. My goal is partner at a strategy firm (only if work satisfaction is high which depends on the assignments.). I'm indifferent about mbb aur b4 currently as my long term goal because if I study further I'll probably have to start from associate consequently raising the opportunity cost. I want to know if I should
16 Jan 2021
Hi all, This forum has been a constant source of great information, so I'd like to give back with my first Q&A as I wrap up with MBB and prepare for the next role.
05 Jan 2021
Hi All, Hope everyone is well. I am getting to the point in my career where I want to make a change and head in a different direction. I am currently assessing different business schools and wanted to list my "stats" and hear what people think. Goal is to transition to MBB/Tier 2 consulting (want to be in the Texas area after school, but could see myself moving back to the New England area after 3-5 years). I realize some of these schools are stretches, but I would appreciate any feedback! GPA: 3.54 (non-target state university in New England) GMAT: Based on practice tests, assume around 720
06 Jan 2021
I find myself feeling more and more like an MBA (even from a top school) would not be worth it. While I have plenty of time to decide before applying, it would be nice to have a better sense of whether I want to set my sights on one before starting work full-time. For background: I'm starting full-time at an MBB (post-undergrad). I spent last summer at a top EB and decided to switch industries. I'm at a top 10 undergrad school now. Right now, I feel like (1) I'll already have brand names on my resume without an MBA (2) an MBA would completely wipe out all my pre-MBA earnings and put me back in
30 Dec 2020
How well does Northwestern place into MBB consulting? I'm currently a freshman at NU who's interested in the field and was just wondering how I should be using my time throughout college? What type of internships, lab research, clubs etc? I'm a little lost about what to do and would love it if any of you guys gave some feedback. Thank you and have a great day!
30 Dec 2020
Which is more prestigious: McKinsey or Goldman Sachs? McKinsey Pros: McKinsey McKinsey Cons: Not Goldman Sachs Goldman Sachs Pros: Goldman Sachs Goldman Sachs Cons: Not McKinsey If anyone could provide insight, that'd be awesome!
17 Dec 2020
I'm in the process of exiting Bain (I'll refer to it as MBB from now on so that others searching can see the keywords) have a few questions about moving from MBB to MM/LMM that I haven't been able to find clear answers to, and I was hoping you monkeys could help me. Don't feel obligated to answer everything if you don't have the information on each piece--semi answers are helpful here as well. 1a) How difficult is it to get into HSB/GSB from an MBB and MM or LMM background, and if it's harder, why? I know that MBB has ~3x the chances of getting into B School at any given MBA program (Nearly
16 Dec 2020
Hi! I'll be brief and please feel free to redirect me to the appropriate place if this is the wrong place. I have an offer at Firm #1. I have a final-round interview with Firm #2 on Friday. Firm #1 wants an answer BEFORE Friday, conveniently. Firm #1 does not know I'm applying to Firm #2. If I get Firm #2, I would likely take that offer (location). Both are MBB. The way I see it, below are my options. Please advise, any help at ALL is appreciated. Take Firm #1 offer and withdraw from Firm #2. Withdraw from Firm #1 and hope Firm #2 works out. Take Firm #1, renege if Firm #2 works out. Renege
16 Dec 2020
Hello, What are your thoughts on pursuing an MBA after 2-3 years at MBB? As a physician in my 30s turned consultant at MBB with no formal prior business education, I am contemplating whether it would be useful to pursue a top MBA (if I can get in) after a few years at MBB (let's say after I reach the manager level). I have heard some mixed opinions, from "yes absolutely necessary, positions at/above that level are rare if you don't have a top MBA", to "not needed in your case, too old to rebrand yourself with an MBA, plus MBB already provides some legitimacy as far as brand recognition"
15 Dec 2020
I'm interning with an MBB in NJ, but I hope to be in DC long-term. (The decision to be in NJ was made because of the pandemic/uncertainty.) Once/if I receive a full-time offer, how can I start to make the move to DC? Should I stay quiet about where I want to be for a bit or start a conversation early? I know the popularity/demand of an office plays a heavy role in whether you're granted a permanent transfer or not, and I'm not sure how DC compares. I'd be willing to stay in NJ for up to 2 years post-grad, meaning I'd start to look for something else that would get me to DC - maybe apply to
09 Dec 2020
I'm a physician (MD) turned consultant at MBB (US). Really enjoying the work so far (healthcare exclusively so far), but starting to think about exit opportunities (3-5 years down the road). 1) What are some common exit opportunities for associates/managers at MBB in the healthcare sector? (including salary, hours etc) 2) In addition to healthcare which would be the most straightforward path for me, I have a keen interest in finance, though no prior training (life science undergrad --> med school --> residency --> attending, no MBA), nor work experience in finance. As you can imagine, I am
08 Dec 2020
Sorry if this is a stupid question. Having done some research, I have discovered a huge discrepancy between the starting undergraduate salaries at MBB in the US and the UK. I wanted to check that these discrepancies are correct and, if so, ask about the likelihood of gaining a position in the US coming from a UK university (Oxford/Cambridge). Any advice would be much appreciated.
06 Dec 2020
Let's say you're attending an elite MBA program, with around $150k of tuition costs sponsored by a tier 2 consulting firm (think Deloitte, OY, S&, ATK). Would MBB consider offering a loaded sign-on bonus (covering 50%+ of tuition) to entice such a candidate? Curious to hear if this is a regular occurrence.
06 Jun 2019
Hi everyone - I've been trying to work out the compensation levels across europe in MBB. So far based on the information provided here on the forum and also through other channels I know the following for entry level positions (pre-MBA): UK: around 50k pound +/- 10% NL: 50-55k euro DE: 70k euro CH: 95-100k euro Nordics: 50-60k euro Now I am completely in the dark regarding Belgium, Luxembourg, France and most importantly Central Europe/Eastern Europe Region/Balkans Some people say it is 1/3 of Germany, some people say more some less... I've heard that purchasing power is actually one of the
22 Nov 2020
I've been lucky enough to land two consulting internships (after junior year of college) - one from Deloitte, and another from Strategy& (PwC). I'm wondering which one I should take. Here's what I'm thinking so far, where a "*" indicates that these are the most important factors I'm taking into consideration: Just to emphasize, name-brand is really important to me, as is the possibility of transitioning into MBB for the following summer - Deloitte (currently leaning towards this choice): *please correct me if I'm wrong, but the name brand here is better I think (at least according to Vault)
14 Nov 2020
Hi everyone. I applied to two of the MBB about two weeks ago and am a bit nervous because I haven't heard anything yet. I had referrals for both; my recommenders reached out after I submitted my applications on the websites. I was thinking of following up with my contacts in a few days if I still haven't heard anything. Thank you so much, An Aspiring Consultant
12 Nov 2020
I looked at some employment reports of top 15 bschools during 2012-2017 and this seems to be the trend. For example, Columbia, a finance powerhouse, had 55 graduates heading over to McKinsey in 2017, while that figure for Goldman Sachs was only 8! The top 5 recruiters in 2017 were McKinsey, BCG, Bain, Amazon, and Deloitte. In fact, across top 15 bschools, the percentage of MBAs who went to IB in 2017 is only 5-10%; for consulting it is 20-30%. Now, I understand that: 1. Maybe half or more of those heading to MBB had their MBA sponsored -> they were just coming back 2. BB IBs get most of their
16 Sep 2018
Does anyone have any information about Siemens Management Consulting directly or indirectly? Interested in hearing about perceptions, experience, etc..
20 Oct 2020
What is the difference between the Silicon Valley offices of MBB and the SF offices of MBB? Do they have different client mixes or do they both focus mainly on tech/healthcare
29 Sep 2020
I come from an unconventional background (architecture) and would like to get into MBB. I am deciding between Columbia and Kellogg. I am from New York and prefer to stay in New York after MBA. That said, I feel Kellogg would give me a better shot of getting into MBB as it can leverage better my background. Any thoughts?
04 Feb 2019
Hi monkeys, does anyone have any insight into the culture/work of MBB offices in Seattle? Looking at getting to the West Coast and feel that I'm probably more of a fit for the city than SF/LA, but can't find much about their presences.
28 Sep 2020
I'm currently an undergrad at a target school(non-ivy) for top tier consulting firms(MBB, Deloitte, etc. whoever else you want to say). I had two final round interviews for MBB for the internship this summer, but did not get them. I did however get offers from all Big 4 I applied for and decided to go with S&O. I was encouraged to re-recruit by my contacts and recruiters for next year at MBB, but I was curious what other peoples' thoughts were. My main question is I understand the prestige is better, but is the salary and potential future exit ops so much better that I'd be dumb not to re
26 Mar 2019
I am a senior Fin/Acct major at a top 50 state undergrad business school. We are Big 4 target but not MBB/IB so I know where I stand. I have a 3.7 and decent involvement. I currently have an offer for BIg 4 Enterprise Risk Advisory after I graduate which I got from an internship. I enjoyed the people and the work was also enjoyable when it wasn't tech audit focused. However I am a little more interested in strategy compared to audit/risk management. I want to weigh the advantages of a Big 4 name vs a small no name strat/research firm that I think I have a chance at. I want to set myself up for
18 Sep 2020
I want to be an entrepreneur, so I'm not too focused on name-brand for my long-term goals, I'm more focused on learning opportunities. So: What do you actually learn from being a consultant? I know everyone says "soft skills" or how to "think strategically" but what does that actually mean? Do you think you'll gain more knowledge/skills on how to manage a business than if you did investment banking at an EB getting to work closely with clients on their operational strategy?
17 Sep 2020
or Want to Sign up with your social account?