Do MBB Internship applications go directly to the Offices or are they screened through Campus OCR's. Who decides who gets interviewed the Office or the OCR. Making good leads with Office , but I am not sure I have good impressions with OCR's

Hi there,

I would be happy to share my thoughts on your question:

• First of all, at most top US universities, consulting internship applications are handled jointly by the local office and the campus recruiting (OCR) team - but OCR usually leads the first round of filtering. They check basic criteria like GPA, major, school alignment, and deadlines.
• Moreover, if you already have a strong connection with the office, that can definitely help. Offices can flag strong candidates to override a weak OCR impression, especially if you’re close to recruiters.
• Lastly, I would strongly advise you to make sure your application files are flawless and tailored. In the end, no matter how friendly the office is, they need to justify your interview slot with a strong, complete file.

You can find more on this topic here: How to succeed in the final interview round.

If you would like a more detailed discussion on how to best prepare your application files, for your upcoming pre-interview assessments and/or interviews, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

Both the OCR and the office play a role. OCRs handle initial screening, but strong office connections can still help with interview decisions.

The most important and final screening is done by the actual firm in their office. The campus only screens to see if the applications are relevant and complete. In that sense, if they don't pass the campus screening, they wouldn't make it past the office screening anyway. 

I wouldn't overestimate the importance of good impressions on the campus, but rather the quality of the application. 

Best,
Cristian

Hi there,

Both the office and campus recruiting team usually collaborate on screenin and the balance varies by firm and school. At most target schools, OCR manages the initial screening and logistics, while the office gives input on final interview selections. For non-targets or direct applications, the office tends to have more influence. If you already have good relationships with the office, that can help flag your application internally.

Both participate in the screening process, but the final say is from the target Office