To get in to a MBB is it better to go to a top American non-target school or a top European University.

Question

I am a sophomore in high school trying to plan a basic path for my career. I have been looking at colleges and all of the target schools I have seen are expensive and I preferably do not want to make my parents pay close to 80k for my college tuition yearly. I know their are scholarships but I am not sure I can get them I am not even in the top 25% of my class , my school is a private college preparatory school and way more competitive then any other school in my area. I hope to go from undergraduate to MBB to MBA to hopefully CEO. I am currently considering Bocconi, or St.Gallen if I go to Europe.

Answer 1

Hello there,

Both are useful to join MBB, the difference would be the time you would have to wait (4 years vs 7 years +-) and the total cost. You may get MBA scholarships if your performance as an undergrad is good and if your performance at work is outstanding. In your favor, you have time.

Good luck and don’t forget that there are many other fulfilling careers besides consulting.

Best,

Mari

Answer 2

It will also depend a lot on where you are planning to start a career. A top European school will help you land an offer for MBB in Europe, but a semi-targets in the US will likely help you more from a direct recruiting aspect to land an offer there.

Please reach out if you’d like to chat a bit more on this. Being European-based and having spend significant time in the US, I can provide you more tailored insights to help with this specific situation too most likely.

Answer 3

Generally target is better than non-target. Especially in this climate, it's hard to break in from a complete non-target school.

If you want to join MBB in Europe, I would suggest going to a European target school.

If your aim is to join MBB in the US, a target school in Europe is still not ideal, since you won't have on-campus recruitment funnelling you towards US offices.

Answer 4

Hey, target schools are better for applying to MBB. The non-target route is not impossible, but way harder. Same applies for finance roles.

Answer 5

Hi Cole,

First of all, congratulations on the clarity you already have at this early stage!

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

If you’re aiming for top strategy consulting firms and are concerned about tuition costs in the U.S., I would advise you to apply to a European target school instead of a U.S. non-target school.

If you would like a more detailed discussion on your specific situation, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen