Resume / Cover Letter Screening?

It's totally understandable to feel that anxiety about your application materials, especially when you know how high the stakes are for MBB and you're navigating a tight budget. Many top candidates find themselves in this exact spot.

Here's the reality: getting truly quality feedback on your CV and cover letter without existing connections or a paid service can be challenging. Consultants are incredibly busy, and a cold outreach asking for a full review often gets lost or feels a bit transactional. However, that doesn't mean it's impossible, but it requires a strategic approach.

Your absolute best bet, and often overlooked, is your university's career services. They frequently have dedicated consulting advisors, or they can connect you with alumni who work at MBB and are explicitly there to help students. These professionals often have direct insight into what the firms look for and are usually paid by the university, making their time "free" to you. Second, if you do reach out to consultants directly, shift your approach: start by asking for a 15-minute informational interview to learn about their experience and career path, not to review your resume. If that conversation goes well and you build a bit of rapport, you can then politely ask if they'd be open to a quick look at your materials at a later point. The key is to build the relationship first.

Focus on leveraging the resources already available to you through your institution, and when networking, prioritize building genuine connections before asking for a favor. It might take a bit more legwork, but it's the most realistic path to getting that insider feedback without opening your wallet.

All the best with your applications!

Hi there,

You can definitely get quality feedback on your CV and cover letter, and it can make a real difference in getting past the initial screening. Having an experienced eye look at your materials helps ensure your achievements are clearly structured, quantified, and presented in a way that resonates with MBB recruiters. Even strong grades and solid experience benefit from a strategic framing of impact and results.

A focused session can help you identify any gaps, highlight what stands out, and make sure your CV and cover letter show your story in the most compelling way. You’ll also get guidance on tailoring them to the specific MBB offices or roles you’re targeting. It’s less about rewriting your CV and more about optimizing the framing, flow, and language so you maximize your chances in the first screening stage.

If you want, I can work with you to refine your materials and give actionable feedback that will make your application stronger and more competitive.

Best,
Evelina

Part of your MBB prep should be serious networking (as you of course know). Ideally you will apply in any case through a (networked) connection of yours (vs. online portal or email to HR), perhaps alumni from your Master's program. Fairly common for a good contact to anonymously pitch your profile to HR to get their reaction. Don't forget - all these firms typically offer some sort of cash bonus if you get hired and stay on for a certain period.

Besides the application itself, these contacts will help you refine your Behavioral / Fit questions and provide you all the inside scoop on the potential interviewers / office's current project focus and other invaluable things (culture, corporate events, etc.) to signal your interviewers you have done your homework.

Hi there,

Post your CV and cover letter here and we can give you some quick feedback.

Also... your school almost certainly has a career services department. Use it. Most students walk right past it. They usually have ex MBB advisors, direct firm contacts, and free resume reviews.

If you want something more structured on a budget, I built an applications course that covers resumes, cover letters, and networking end to end: check it out here. It's a fraction of what 1:1 coaching costs.

Good luck!

Hi there,

The only free way to get quality feedback would be to try to get connected to some real consultants through your network of friends and family as a favor.

Hi there :) It's completely normal to be on a tight budget as a student, but you can definitely get great feedback for free, however, connections are crucial. I would suggest the following: 

1. Reach out to alumni: It’s totally fine to message consultants on LinkedIn. Don’t send your CV right away - ask for a quick 15-minute chat first. If they don't have time to review your materials, just ask if they’d be willing to share their own successful CV with you as an example.
2. Use consulting clubs & peers: Talk to senior students in your university's consulting clubs. Many of them already have their MBB offers and know exactly what recruiters want to see right now.

Good luck with preparing, always here to support! :)

Getting good free feedback is harder than most people think but not impossible.

Reach out directly to consultants at your target firms. Keep the message short and specific. Ask if they would spend 15 minutes giving you a quick reaction on your materials. Most will not respond but enough will. One good conversation beats ten classmate reviews.

This is not awkward if you do it right. Ask for advice, not a favor. A specific thoughtful message gets answered.

A few other options that cost nothing:

• Forums like this one often have people willing to do CV swaps or give informal feedback
• University career services are underused. Your career office can often facilitate alumni introductions
• Consulting clubs usually have recent grads who will look at your materials

On your materials: the most common mistakes are impact not being quantified, bullets reading like job descriptions instead of achievements, and generic cover letters. Read every bullet and ask yourself, so what. If you cannot answer that, rewrite it.