I have not read the whole thread, but a Caucasian White Male at a Top 25 is going up against diversity recruitment targets at these companies, so he would be at a disadvantage no matter what school he goes to. Are you sure that the kids landing the big jobs from Penn State for example aren’t connected and strings weren’t pulled for them? Regardless, I would advise your DS to adjust the companies / jobs he is targeting… aim for mid tier or niche consulting for example….or aim for locations outside of the key offices. And, if you have any contacts or family connections at all, now is the time to pull them. Lastly, The recruitment cycle for consulting and finance internships for summer 2024 are pretty much over, they hire 12-18 months in advance, so if he doesn’t have anything lined up for next summer, he needs to go back to the drawing board and come up with a plan B |
Serious learning is generally necessary but not sufficient. You get hired because of who you know. But who you know doesn't matter if you aren't at par. You aren't a contender for the top consulting jobs at all if you aren't at least at par with the folks who successfully hold those positions. |
A bit disappointed. I thought this was going to give advice on finding internships. There are all sorts of students looking! |
OP, I agree with the others - you’ve drank the top school kool aid.
The thing is, it’s not top schools vs lower ranked schools now, it’s a global competition. I went to the UMich and head a department at a large professional services firm in NY. My peers, the heads of the other departments, come from a variety of schools - Yale, Arizona State, Williams, Boulder, Rutgers, etc. Recently, a position to become the Head for the Americas opened up and a bunch of us went for the job. Do you know who got it??? A guy from India who came from a no name Indian university, not even from the top Indian engineering schools which are well known. Imagine how we felt. As others have said, it’s about grit and determination. Connections help especially for the first job. But the most important thing is the value you bring. |
Multiple interviews and expecting the intern to work part-time during the school year, not just summer, are “things” now. It’s funny how many expect the intern to be experienced when…they’re trying to get an internship. |
This. The majority don’t get the top internships, it is the highly able and motivated ones who do and you can find people like that even at schools which accept 60 percent of applicants. It is about the individual. |
+1 |
Actually, if you read the whole thread, you will find plenty of good advice. |
I work for a F200 and we hire young white college grads, male and female, all the time. White males are still our biggest recent hire demographics. We have plenty of other ethnicities too and while it may be true a group will say for this role we need more female representation or URMs, we still hire plenty of white males overall. I would not agree with the idea that doors are slamming in the face for white males. The demand for highly capable graduates who can perform well is very high and any graduate who can figure out how to make themselves highly capable will have options. |
I work at three different IB companies and based on my limited experience, almost all of the internship positions go to either: 1- college athletes with connections; 2- family connections. YMMV. |
^^this is the correct answer…DCUM is in denial
end thread |
There were always smart, motivated kids everywhere. |
Yes, same, only state flagships now. No more Ivies for us. I've heard the same from other places. |
Agreed, but there are more now at lower-ranked schools with merit aid because their families cannot pay for elite schools. |
Yes, but IB is not the be-all and end-all at some of the firms mentioned by OP. Commercial banking can be very interesting, especially when you get to bigger deals like middle market and beyond, syndicated finance, etc. |