Most strategic consulting firms offer their employees the option of a sponsored MBA at any of the world’s leading business schools. This looks more generous than it is: even though they pay the astronomical tuition fees, the fine print tells you that you’ll be working for McKinsey, BCG or Bain for at least a couple of years after finishing your MBA to pay off their ‘gift’. Applying for an MBA while working at these firms has an additional advantage: they let you in more easily.
But what if you’re not one of those lucky few? What if you are considering an MBA to later join a consulting firm? Which MBA gives you the best chances on a job at McKinsey, BCG or Bain? Well XiaoXiao Ma was wondering the same thing and investigated how many people working at MBB had an MBA from which business school. The list with his results below comes from the Consulting Times:
There are some important caveats however: he does not exclude sponsored MBA-ships and does not include consultants with an MBA that worked at MBB but then left for other jobs. Nor does he take firm size or school size into account. That being said: the results are not so surprising: HBS, INSEAD and Wharton “supply” the most consultants.
If you want a job at McKinsey, BCG or Bain, I suggest you first apply now before you do an MBA. Read the Company Profiles and my book to increase your chances on a job. Good luck!