Chance me for MBB full time

Hi,

Happy to answer, having been at McKinsey for 7 years, and currently based in Dubai :)

You definitely have an excellent chance. Here's what will work to your advantage:

- Preferred past experiences: MBB loves to hire PE/VC/IBD folks, especially from prestigious American brand names. So you are directionally good.
- Arabic speaker: Definitely a big plus if you are recruiting to Middle East offices. A lot of the client work in the Middle East is with Federal Governments, so speaking Arabic is always great for relationships  
- Excellent academic credentials: Wharton, 3.8 GPA, President of Consulting Club all work fantastically well for your case
- Middle East experience: They really do like it when your CV shows that you have had past association with the region. So your idea to do a boutique VC internship in Dubai is definitely a good one! 

What does not matter - whether you did a consulting summer internship or not. As long as you are strengthening your background (in this case a PE/VC/IBD internship and in Dubai), everything is working to your advantage! Also, do not stress too much about whether the Firms are hiring a lot or not. Irrespective of that, if you want to go into MBB, you should apply anyway. So might as well just focus on the controllable - and deliver as best as you can :)

I always use the following as a helpful guide to think of whether your case is attractive for MBB or not, so let me reshare it here (a bit more relevant for post-MBA roles, but sharing nevertheless). There is an unconscious recruiting bias when it comes to hiring into consulting, but you can see that there is a bit of a pattern as follows:

- Most preferred -> Candidates with prior Investment banking experience, private equity background etc. at large American brand names

- Next most preferred -> Candidates with ex-consulting experience at Tier 1.5-2.0 consulting firms, or roles like CEO's office, strategy work, in-house consulting etc.

- Next most preferred -> Candidates who have had experience in the same geography to which they are applying, with large global well-known brands (e.g., have previously worked in London for five years, if you are applying to London office etc.)

- Next most preferred -> Prior industry experience in sales, operations etc. if you apply specifically to that practice (e.g., Operations practice, Marketing and Sales practice etc.)

Happy to connect one-on-one if you'd like to chat. Hope that helps and good luck!

Hi there,

Overall, your profile is very strong for MBB, OW, and Kearney in Dubai. A top tier school like Wharton, Yale, or Princeton with a 3.8 GPA, economics background, Middle Eastern nationality, and fluent Arabic puts you in a highly competitive bucket for the region. Your internships in Strategy and Transactions and PE in MENA, combined with leadership as consulting club president and founding a community initiative, are all well aligned with what these firms look for.

Not having done summer consulting recruiting does not materially hurt your chances for full time, especially since you have relevant experience and a clear consulting narrative now. Many candidates successfully pivot into full time recruiting once their goals are clearer. Market conditions can affect hiring numbers, but strong regional demand in the Middle East and your language and regional fit should work in your favor, even in a tighter cycle.

A boutique finance or VC role in the UAE will not hurt your profile as long as you can clearly articulate your impact, learning, and why it reinforces your interest in consulting and the region. Being physically based in the UAE and building local exposure is a net positive, even if the brand is less well known. Firms like McKinsey, BCG, Bain, OW, and Kearney all value regional fit highly in Dubai, and your background aligns well across all of them rather than one specific outlier.

Happy to help you on your journey to secure a role - feel free to reach out

Best,
Evelina

Your profile is strong. Here's my take.

On your chances, you're in a good position. Wharton/Yale/Princeton with a 3.8 in Economics is solid. Your EY Strategy experience and PE internship show relevant exposure. Being Middle Eastern with fluent Arabic is a real advantage for Dubai offices. And leading a 60-person consulting club plus founding an initiative that raised 15k shows leadership and impact.

On not doing summer recruiting, it's not ideal but it's not a dealbreaker. Full-time recruiting is competitive but doable. You'll just be applying alongside more candidates. Make sure your application is tight and start networking with the Dubai offices now.

On the market, yes it's tighter than a couple years ago. Firms are hiring fewer people in some offices. But Dubai is still active, especially with all the regional growth happening. Your Arabic fluency and MENA background make you more attractive for that market specifically.

On your upcoming summer internship, a boutique finance or VC role in UAE won't hurt you. It's not MBB or a bulge bracket name, but it's relevant experience in your target geography. What matters is how you frame it. Focus on the analytical work, the impact you made, and what you learned. Being in Dubai also shows commitment to the region.

On which firms, all the ones you mentioned hire for Dubai. MBB are the hardest but you have a shot. OW and Kearney may be slightly easier to break into and both have solid Dubai offices. I'd apply broadly. Don't limit yourself.

A few things to do now:

Start networking with consultants at your target firms. Reach out on LinkedIn. Get coffee chats. This matters a lot for Dubai where the community is smaller.

Prep your story. Why consulting? Why Dubai? Why now? Make it clear and genuine.

Start case prep early. Don't wait until fall. You have time to get sharp.

You have a real shot. Just execute well.

Hey there :)

Short answer first, your profile is very strong for MBB, OW and Kearney Dubai. Target schools, high GPA, relevant internships, clear leadership and Arabic plus regional exposure all put you in a very competitive bucket for Middle East offices. Not doing summer recruiting does not materially hurt you for full time as long as you network now and apply early, this is very common especially for people who explored PE or finance first. The market is tighter than in peak years, but Dubai and the Middle East are still among the most resilient regions and firms continue to hire strong candidates with local fit, so this should not be a dealbreaker at all. A boutique finance or VC internship in the UAE will not hurt you, being in region is actually a plus and the brand name matters far less than how you frame impact, deal exposure and problem solving, especially given your prior EY and PE experience. In terms of fit, McKinsey, BCG and Bain Dubai would all suit you very well, and OW and Kearney are also excellent bets as they value regional exposure and leadership heavily. If you network well and prepare properly for cases, your chances are genuinely very solid. Feel free to reach out if you want to go deeper on firm specific positioning or interview prep.

best,
Alessa :)

This is a fantastic profile, especially when you overlay the regional context. Let’s get straight to how the recruiting machine views candidates like you in the MENA market.

First, your concerns about skipping summer recruiting are largely mitigated by two factors: your school tier and your regional profile. For the Dubai and Riyadh offices, regional fit and commitment are often the single most critical gating factor. Your language fluency and Middle Eastern background give you a huge leg up—it signals you understand the environment and are likely to stay long-term. While applying for full-time without a summer offer is generally harder in the generalist US pipeline, the MENA offices frequently recruit high-potential candidates directly from the elite US schools, regardless of whether they interned. You clear the academic screen with ease.

Regarding the market slowdown and your internship: don't worry about the brand name of your upcoming summer internship. Your priority must be getting relevant work experience in the UAE. Securing any highly analytical role (Finance, VC, Strategy) in Dubai serves a dual purpose: it demonstrates commitment to the region, and it gives you up-to-date talking points about the current business landscape in your interview. It is absolutely better to have relevant regional experience at a boutique than non-regional experience at a big brand.

In terms of strategy, your focus must shift immediately to networking and tailoring your narrative. Leverage your club presidency to build relationships now with alumni at the specific MBB/Tier 2 offices in Dubai. When you apply, the firm’s key question will be, "Why consulting, and why Dubai/MENA specifically?" Your story needs to weave together your elite US education with a deep, nuanced understanding of the MENA economic shift. Given your specific background, McKinsey and BCG often look for candidates with high academic achievement paired with deep local roots; OW/Kearney also have strong regional presence and value the blend of finance and strategy you offer. You are not just a strong candidate; you are a strong, regionally relevant candidate.

All the best!

Hi there,

Your profile remains strong for MBB / OW / Kearney in Dubai (i.e. target school, high GPA, relevant internships, regional exposure, Arabic fluency, and leadership demonstration). Not doing summer recruiting is not a deal breaker. What matters more is having a coherent story for why consulting now.

The market is indeed tighter than a few years ago, but with your background you should still get a chance. Dubai tends to be more resilient than Europe/US.

A boutique finance or VC internship in the UAE will not hurt you. Brand name matters less than relevance, senior exposure, and a clear learning story. Being in-region is actually a plus.

In terms of fit, MBB Middle East, OW, and Kearney all make sense. Strategy&, RB, and EY-Parthenon could also be good backups. Focus less on “perfect firm fit” and more on getting strong referrals and being very sharp on cases.

Overall, your biggest risk isn’t your CV, it’s execution. If you prep well and tell a clean story, you should be competitive.

Basically you have very very high chances of passing screening, esp if you also manage to get a referral. That's because you have all the right credentials. 

What happens afterwards depends on your ability on cases and personal fit. Which is impossible to diagnose from afar. 

If you're looking for a diagnostic, please reach out. 

If you're looking for some help on the application process, this guide offers a strong starting point:

• • Expert Guide: Build A Winning Application Strategy

Best,

Cristian