For Strategy/Management Consulting: PPE at Warwick or Durham?

Are you dead set on that career?

If so, take a gap year.

Reply 2

HBK89

OP

Well, it's not like it's the only thing I'd ever want to do, but it would be a pretty good option in my opinion... So the chances from Warwick and Durham are very low?

Cheers,
HBK

Reply 3

rboogie

7

if you're set on MBB, you have close to no chance with your options - a gap year sounds good if you - at 18 - know exactly what you want to do.

Reply 4

Who?

1

Go to Durham - but it will be hard.

Reply 5

unknown demon

why not warwick? doesn't it have a good rep with these firms.

Reply 6

homoterror

My intuition is that Durham isn't on the radar, whereas Warwick will give them the impression that you have a brain. Go Warwick, or reapply. However, even at Oxford it's not easy to get into McK/Bain/BCG/Booze, be careful of putting all your eggs in one basket. Consider backup career plans too!

Reply 7

I think maths at warwick might register somewhere on the radar as a faint smudge. The rest are the particle specks around it that could be sandwich crumbs.

MCs take so few, they can afford to be more selective than the banks although the outright candidates are very similar in levels.

Reply 8

shady lane

16

You could have a chance if you speak some random language. McKinsey were recruiting heavily for Greek-speakers at LSE for their Athens office.

Reply 9

Drogue

19

President_Ben

Are you dead set on that career?

If so, take a gap year.

If you're not dead-set, Warwick's really good, and I'd definitely say above Durham. For most careers, it would be fine. For M/B/B, it pretty much has to be Oxbridge. Or you have to be exceptional (student union president, founded own company and did amazingly during uni, etc.).

Reply 10

Cliché

President_Ben

I think maths at warwick might register somewhere on the radar as a faint smudge. The rest are the particle specks around it that could be sandwich crumbs.

MCs take so few, they can afford to be more selective than the banks although the outright candidates are very similar in levels.

Hehe a bit harsh don't you think? Although Warwick is no Oxbridge/LSE it is still a top uni.

Reply 11

HBK89

OP

shady lane

You could have a chance if you speak some random language. McKinsey were recruiting heavily for Greek-speakers at LSE for their Athens office.

Hm, I'd hardly consider German (native) and French as random... So bad luck there.
But thanks for everyone's answers, there seems to be no clear consensus of whether Warwick or Durham is the place to go... Is there anyone here working in the industry who might have some inside information?

Thanks
HBK

Reply 12

Heisman

Hehe a bit harsh don't you think?

No.

Although Warwick is no Oxbridge/LSE it is still a top uni.

Didn't I already explain this and my view on any bickering?

Reply 13

As for the Athens office, does this matter - really? I mean, standards there are lower. Along with pay, prestige etc.

Wanting to work for JP Morgan doesn't mean you should sell yourself short and work in the back office location in Bournemouth.

(no offense to those in the Athens office of McK or Bournemouth office in JPM, but you have to admit, the people in those offices are probably not the superstar employees of their firms)

Reply 14

shady lane

16

Well the OP didn't say he had to be in London. If one really wanted to work in strategy consulting, I'd say having geographic mobility is an advantage. It's the career he wants, not prestige of London vs. a smaller city.

Also I don't think you can compare it to Bournemouth, as Athens is presumably the only McK office in Greece, and Athens is home to plenty of major shipping companies as well.

Reply 15

turbodave

No brainer, Warwick all the way. At all the consulting interviews I went to, ~I maet a few Warwick people but not a single person from Durham. For MBBB they are totally of the radar, and the same applies for LEK, Roland Berger, Marakon......

Reply 16

Linc

I don´t know the situation in London, but my friend who works for MK in Prague had to sign a contract which says he can work all around the world (he spent a few months in San Salvador and some time in Italy). So I think you wouldn´t be stuck to one place... But as I said above, I dont know how it is in London.

Reply 17

Linc

I don´t know the situation in London, but my friend who works for MK in Prague had to sign a contract which says he can work all around the world (he spent a few months in San Salvador and some time in Italy). So I think you wouldn´t be stuck to one place... But as I said above, I dont know how it is in London.

The London office for McK, Bain, BCG are considered very serious ones where they really do want their best employees. Virtually all contracts with all international companies will include a clause that the company has the right to insist on relocating you as appropriate to business needs but they will assist you in relocating if it is for a suitably long period.

Reply 18

HBK89

OP

Thanks a lot everyone.
So a possible 1st from Warwick (difficult enough to get, I know) would be regarded less highly than a 2.1 from Oxford/LSE? Not good...

Does anyone if it's possible to change from 1st year Wwick/Dur into 2nd year Oxford? Or are the courses too different (I got a feeling it's the latter...).

Cheers,
HBK

Reply 19