Degree Apprenticeship to MBB?

Question

Hi,

I am in Year 13 (last year of high school) and contemplating doing a degree apprenticeship with Accenture in management consulting where I would be working for 4 days and studying for 1 day and would earn a degree in Business Management from the University of East London at the end of the 3 years. How likely would it be for me to get into MBB after the apprenticeship is complete on a grad scheme considering that I did not go to a prestigious undergrad but have 3 years of experience under my belt? Would it be a good idea to do a postgrad at LSE, Imperial, LBS or Oxford?

Thanks

Answer 1

Hi there,

First of all, well done on being already focused on your career path so early on! In terms of your question:

Q: How likely would it be for me to get into MBB after the apprenticeship is complete on a grad scheme considering that I did not go to a prestigious undergrad but have 3 years of experience under my belt? Would it be a good idea to do a postgrad at LSE, Imperial, LBS or Oxford?

This is my personal point of view.

If you have a chance to go to a top BSc I would do that rather than the non-target + Accenture. It doesn’t mean your current option won’t work but the signaling effect of a top university and the alumni community are very important assets that you can use for your whole life (not just for MBB).

If that’s not an option and non-target + Accenture is your best bet, then you could:

Apply to MBB anyway after the non-target BSc
If that doesn’t work, do a postgrad at a target school

I agree with Ian that there could be other interesting options besides MBB, so I would keep that in mind.

Good luck!

Francesco

Answer 2

Hi there,

Please don't take this the wrong way: Every single person's odds are low….it's MBB.

Please reset expectations. Even the “best” have low odds.

This doesn't mean give up. It just means don't miss the forest for the trees here.

Shoot for the moon/stars, but don't make it what you live and breathe for.

The reality is, the “best” odds are already low, and that a UCL degree + Accenture would not be in that category. Network a ton, get a ton of experience, go 100% into what you are currently doing. Then, let opportunities come as they arrive.

I worked for a no-name company called Appian out of undergrad. I got promoted twice in 3 years, got sent to Australia, and had incredible mentors and learning.

After my MBA, I got BCG (after not being invited as an undergrad).

The funny thing? The best job I ever had was this no name company called Appian (that has now gone public btw). BCG was exhausting and during my time there all I thought about was how great Appian had been.

Just do your best now in what you're doing now. There are thousands of firms, roles, possibilites, etc. out there. If MBB happens, amazing! If it doesn't, also amazing!

Answer 3

Hi there,

I think this is an interesting question that may be relevant for many people. I would be happy to share my thoughts on it:

First of all, it is very difficult to provide a meaningful answer without reviewing your profile as a whole. While, in general, the odds of passing the screening phase of the application process with MBB are always low, it depends on your entire profile.
Moreover, I would highly advise you to opt for the option that better aligns with your professional (and maybe even personal) mid- to long-term goals. In order to make an informed decision, I would advise you to do the following:
- Weigh the different criteria that are meaningful to you independently of the current options (e.g., prestige, culture, international exposure, location). After that, score the options based on your criteria and their weighting, resulting in different scores. This way, you have covered the left-brain perspective.
- Critically assess your initial reaction to the outcome of the scores. For instance, if you feel the urge to tweak the numbers, this is a solid indicator that you do not want this decision to become reality. This way, you have covered the right-brain perspective.
- By doing so, you will be able to integrate both parts of the brain into the decision-making, guaranteeing a higher chance that you will still be happy with it years later.

If you would like a more detailed discussion on how to address your specific situation, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

Answer 4

Hello,

Good on you for thinking ahead to career pathways so early! First off, I reiterate the views of the other coaches here that getting into MBB is not easy, regardless of your background or school. It also sounds like you've found a really great scheme that will allow you to learn more about consulting while doing your studies, which sounds useful and interesting, so congratulations on that ! If your ultimate goal is just to get into MBB, I think it depends on what your options are. If you do have an offer from a target uni for undergrad, I think (unfortunately) that will make it easier to get into MBB straight out of uni than Accenture apprenticeship + non-target uni. If you don't have an offer from a target uni, then there's not really a choice for you to make here. I would take the scheme you describe, try applying to MBB for internships/full-time jobs, and if you are unsuccessful you could always continue onto a postgrad like the ones you mentioned, and then reapply. That being said, in my personal view you should be choosing your undergraduate experience based on a myriad of other factors other than how likely it is to position you well for MBB.

Answer 5

Hi there,

Hard to tell. But you don't have much to lose if you try.

Basically, what could help to bring you into MBB are the following:

1. Additional prestigious education - a degree from a target university is going to make your profile indeed more attractive

2. Additional prestigious or relevant work experience - doing some internships in other firms or working in a boutique firm will certainly count.

Your biggest concern should be passing screening, because that's where your profile is disadvantaged. To maximize your chances, you need to have a really polished application package (CV, cover letter), as well as a good strategy for the entire process. I detailed all of this out in the following article as well:

Maximising your chances of getting a consulting job during an economic downturn

Best,
Cristian