Hi there, 

There are pros and cons to each, but ultimately I'd rather apply early next year. 

Now it's end of year and most offices have filled their target quota. Interviewing for new roles is not their focus. On the other hand, at the start of the year I expect to be a higher number of applicants, so passing the screening might be more difficult. 

Best,

Cristian

Given we are close to the year-end shutdown that most firms have, it makes sense to wait until beginning of next year to send out your applications. You can use the meantime to try to network with people to hopefully supplement your application with a referral.

Also, the new year will have a new recruiting budget for companies and updated hiring targets.

Good luck 

I suggest waiting if you are a “senior” or if your CV has some clear weakness (e.g., not top grades, not top university, no previous experience useful for MBB).

1. Most consulting firms have yearly and quarterly hiring goals. 
It is quite likely that in December they have filled their hiring budget, so in any case, you would move to next year. 

2. In most offices there is a significant slowdown in hiring, so waiting some months for better clarity is probably better.

3. If you are a junior, I suggest applying in February-March. If you are a senior (manager or more) I would wait 6 months. 

4. Waiting can however bring another problem: MBB are piling up CVs and they will have more opportunities to choose the right candidate. So, the more you wait, the more competition you are facing. 

5. To increase your chances to be interviewed, I would try to get a referral from a partner. 

Hi there,

I would apply next year.

Additionally, make sure you are networking. Ultimately you want to have made a good connection with the office (and even have a referral) when applying.