Advice on strengthening my profile for MBB Milan - Jan 2027

to be honest, not easy. 
Milan is Bocconi-heavy and GPA-obsessed.

• to fix that GPA, your GMAT needs to be above 680. 700 better

• position yourself as energy expert, not generalist - do so from networking onwards

• for the cv: explicitly state "Worked 40h/week during studies" next to your GPAs - keep Rugby prominent

focus on networking

Hi there,

You’re thinking about this the right way, and your profile is already quite competitive for Milan — the work now is about positioning and de-risking screening.

Here’s how I’d think about each of your questions.

Bachelor GPA
A 3.2 from a non-target isn’t ideal, but it’s not fatal given everything else. What helps most is showing a clear upward trajectory, which you already have with a 3.8 at EDHEC while working full-time. A GMAT Focus can help if you score well — think 85th percentile+, ideally higher. Below that, it doesn’t really move the needle. Used well, it also helps you build speed and accuracy for tests and case math, which is a real bonus.

No consulting experience
This is very common at Associate / BA level in Milan. The key is translating your experience into consulting language: structured problem solving, stakeholder management, trade-offs, and impact. The EDHEC consulting project is a good lever — I’d absolutely steer it toward energy / infrastructure / data centers, ideally with a strategic or analytics angle. What matters is that you can show you’ve worked on ambiguous problems and produced recommendations, not just execution.

Screening levers that matter most in Milan
From experience, the biggest movers are:

• Referrals, especially from the Milan office — these matter a lot
• A clean, impact-driven CV with quantified results (no fluff)
• A strong local story: Italian language, commitment to Milan, understanding of local industries
• Clear progression and responsibility in your role (your PM experience helps here)

Case competitions and side projects can help at the margin, but they’re secondary to the above.

Your instinct is right: once you’re past screening, it’s execution. The work now is about making sure recruiters see a low-risk, high-upside candidate on paper.

If you want, I’m happy to help you pressure-test your CV positioning or map a concrete 12–18 month plan to maximize your odds by Jan 2027 - feel free to reach out!

Best,

Evelina

Hello!

On the lack of formal consulting experience: while it’s not a hard requirement for MBB, I’ve reviewed and screened CVs for ~4 years, and I’ve consistently seen that some form of consulting exposure materially helps at screening, especially in competitive offices like Milan. (believe at Altman, was super competitive office to get offer and this is boutique only)

What works best in practice:

• Short consulting internships or project-based roles (even a few months) signal intent and reduce perceived risk.
• Boutique or specialist consultancies are very effective stepping stones. For example, I joined Altman Solon (they also have a Milan office and focus on TMT, including a lot of data center work), which helped bridge my industry background to strategy consulting. Maybe internship there or somewhere else before MBB
• Impact / pro-bono consulting can also be strong if outcomes are concrete. I did a few months at Impact Consulting, which was my first real consulting project, and I also won Deloitte Strategy Consulting Academy, both were meaningful CV differentiators.

Why this matters:

• It strengthens your “Why consulting?” story with lived experience, not just aspiration.
• It shows you understand the consulting toolkit, pace, and client context, even if at a smaller scale.
• It makes your transition narrative credible: “I’ve tested consulting, I liked it, and now I want to do it at the highest level (MBB) with top-tier clients.”

As a coach, I’m here to help you, we can map concrete steps to add consulting signal to your profile, position your energy background correctly, and structure both your CV and interview story to maximize your chances of success in Milan MBB screening.

Your timeline is perfect, and targeting Milan with deep experience in renewables is a fantastic strategic choice. That 3+ years of relevant project management experience is your biggest asset and already differentiates you significantly from pure academic applicants, especially given the current demand for Energy/Infrastructure expertise.

Regarding the Bachelor GPA, you are likely overthinking it. The high 3.8 MSc GPA from EDHEC, earned while working, essentially neutralizes the lower undergraduate score. Recruiters see the positive trend and the commitment to pursuing advanced education while maintaining performance. The GMAT Focus ROI is low for experienced hires like yourself; it’s primarily used to bridge major gaps or validate academic aptitude for profiles lacking experience. If you decide to take it, you need to be aiming for the 90th percentile and above for it to meaningfully shift a recruiter’s perception. Your time would be much better spent refining your CV narrative.

You don't need formal consulting experience—you need to demonstrate the skills of a consultant. Your Project Manager background is ideal, but the CV needs to be framed around impact: quantified outcomes, complex stakeholder management, defining strategy, and driving measurable P&L improvements. For your EDHEC project, focus on a deliverable that involved structured problem-solving and executive communication. As for screening levers in Milan, the single most powerful factor, above test scores or competition results, is the referral. You must identify Associates and Consultants currently working in the Milan office, particularly those aligned with the Energy vertical, and build those connections starting 9-12 months out. An internal champion who can speak to your fit is often the difference between a review pile and an interview invitation.

All the best!

1 is a non-problem. You have 3 years of experience and a MSc. They don't care about your bachelor grades.

2 Do try and get consulting or consulting-like experience. Anything is better than nothing. If you can choose, pick projects which are as close as possible to the sort of work your target firms do as well

3 Referrals. And make sure you get a professional CV review - super critical (reach out if you need help on this and I'll explain how I run it with my candidate). 

Also, to get you started on the referrals, read these two guides:

Expert Guide: How to Manage for Lifestyle in Consulting

Expert Guide: How To Handle Networking Calls and Get Referrals

I'm working with a couple of other candidates targeting MBBs in Milan so do reach out if you need help as well. 

Best,
Cristian