MBB/T2 Germany Language Requirements

Hi Aaron,

First of all, congratulations on the offer from Mannheim Business School!

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

• First of all, your German language proficiency at a C1/C2 level is impressive and should indeed be good enough for most consulting firms in Germany. MBB/T2 firms in Germany require candidates to communicate effectively with clients and colleagues in German, and your C1/C2 level should allow you to do this, even if there are differences between you and a native speaker.
• As such, considering your preference for the cost/duration of the Mannheim program and your interest in living and working in Germany, I would advise you to go ahead with your plans. Even if you're on the wait-list for US schools, your interest in gaining international experience and your existing language skills position you well for a potential career in Germany.

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

Best,

Hagen

Hi Aaron!

Interesting background. 

In short, yes, German offices make a big deal about your speaking German. Unless you are applying for specialist roles or have some fancy value proposition, German is a must. 

However, C1/C2 is perfectly fine. So I would recommend you go ahead with it and apply. 

What you need to do is to build a smart application strategy early on (especially now since the market is not great). That means:

1. CV

2. Cover letter

3. Referrals

4. Application sequencing / Firms selection.

Sharing a guide below on how to best do this:

• Maximising your chances of getting a consulting job during an economic downturn

Best,
Cristian

My advice is to network with local offices for this question. This is a risky move, and I doubt there are many people here truly qualified to give you a definite answer.

Hello,

I would reach out to people in the offices you would like to apply to to check this. Usually the language requirements are office-specific, but wouldn't change based on what program you're coming from, for instance.

Hi Aaron,

We haven't assessed your language levels so we really don't know. We also don't know exactly what Mannheim's criteria are.

You need to talk to them directly. C1/C2 is extremely high proficiency, so my guess is you would be fine, but I can't say for sure.

Also, please be careful on the “I'm confident I could get into one or both” - no matter the situation we really don't know, especially when it comes to acceptances!

A much simpler way to do this would be to go to a T10 school in the states, get into MBB and transfer for short term projects or for a longer term move. Your career will benefit 20x more from a T10 MBA than an MBA from Mannheim. Yes it is more expensive but the returns on investment are also way way higher.

Hi there,

Q: I speak German at a C1/C2 level but I'm wondering if that would be good enough?

A C2 level is very close to native so that could be enough.

To double-check, you can connect with alumni that are working in MBB and verify with them if they would have any concerns. You can find some tips on networking below:

▶ Networking Tips for Management Consulting

In terms of comparing the MBAs: I would also adjust for the batch size to get a proper comparison between the options if not done already.

Good luck!

Francesco