Do MBB support Capstone projects from outside of their preferred university list?

Hey there :)

It’s definitely not frowned upon to reach out. People do this all the time, and consultants are usually kind if the ask is clear and the workload for them is small. The bigger challenge is that MBB typically only support formal capstone projects with schools they already partner with, because of legal, confidentiality and staffing constraints. So the chance is lower when the university is not on their list, but not impossible if you find an individual sponsor who is personally motivated.

If you reach out, keep it very short, propose a topic that requires no confidential data and no heavy time commitment, and frame it as something that could also be useful for them. Sometimes teams in digital or healthcare are open to this, especially if it is more academic than operational.

best, Alessa :)

That’s an incredibly smart way to think about getting exposure, and focusing your Capstone on AI/Healthcare is absolutely aligned with where these firms are investing.

Here is the candid reality of the Capstone pathway: MBB firms view these projects primarily as highly structured recruiting funnels, not as general research applications. They fund and sponsor Capstones almost exclusively with specific, target universities where they have deep, pre-existing recruiting relationships (and often have alumni sitting on the faculty boards). The structure and budget allocation for these projects are built into the official recruitment agreements, making it extremely difficult—almost impossible—to slot in a non-pipeline university project, regardless of how strong your topic is.

If you reach out cold, it won't be "frowned upon," but understand that you will likely be hitting people up for a favor that involves internal bureaucratic approval and resource allocation they simply don't have earmarked for outside projects. They might offer an informational coffee chat, but sponsoring an official project that requires partner time, data access, and confidentiality agreements is a non-starter outside the official channels.

Your best pivot is to leverage your deep expertise on the AI/Healthcare topic independently. Instead of seeking the Capstone structure, focus on completing a stellar Capstone project, publishing the findings, and then aggressively networking—not by asking for a job, but by genuinely asking for expert feedback on your research from Partners and Principals in the relevant practices. This demonstrates clear intellectual horsepower and allows you to bypass the formal school-based hurdles.

All the best!

Hi there, 

That's a great idea. You can try, but I expect the success rate to be rather low. 

For them to approve these collaborations, they have to go through lots of internal and external checks, which is why they avoid it. 

It doesn't hurt to ask, though. 

Best,
Cristian