/9918578/Banner

/9918578/Banner_2

/9918578/Mid

section

articleId

product

orgType

parrefer

accountID

Consulting

Banking

Accounting

Fintech

Internships

Rankings

Internship Rankings

Intern Resource Center

Explore Internships

Vault Law Home

Practice Area Resource Centers

Regional Resource Centers

Summer Program Resource Center

Vault Law Culture & Inclusion Survey

Vault Law

Guides

Events

Financial Services

Technology

Grad School

Work Relationships

Productivity

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Social Impact

Remote Work

Negotiating

Changing Jobs

Workplace Issues

Blog

Resume Samples

Cover Letter Samples

Interview Tips & Questions

A Day in the Life

International

Career Readiness

Explore Professions

Research Industries

Search Companies

Career Advice

Employers

Schools

A lot of readers ask how to break into consulting with a liberal arts degree or a degree from a college other than the Ivies. My alma mater, Mount Holyoke College, is both a liberal arts college and outside of the Ivy League. I learned so much about life during college that I hold no regrets about where I chose to attend school. I encourage you not to regret your choice either and to extrapolate all you can - both during and after - school from your college.&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;College Life&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;i&gt;Know Your Strengths&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br&gt;By the time I graduated, I knew I was well prepared to conquer the business world, even though I never took a class on finance or organizational development or economics. My confidence came from knowing I developed solid writing and speaking skills, critical thinking, research abilities, and application know-how. &lt;p&gt;I knew learning Japanese language and culture would be important; today, I am living in Tokyo and working on a global project. I knew Shakespeare and Milton would be useful in my life - I often quote from their great works to bring my points across to clients. I knew my research papers meant more than the basic thesis.  From my first job, I was able to look at a problem broadly, extrapolate significance from simplicity or complexity, and offer and apply practical solutions for my clients. &lt;p&gt;Think about how your math major or South American studies minor can benefit you in the larger world. Think about how writing a thesis on the history of child slavery or an anthropological study on Samoan fisherman can contribute to your attractiveness as a well-rounded candidate. The consulting industry values diverse approaches and solutions, so market yourself and your distinguishing skills.&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Recognize your Choices&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br&gt;Of course I struggled after graduation, but many of my difficulties resulted from the lessons I chose not to learn in school, not where I went to school. Although the school offered opportunities to learn these lessons, I chose not to take advantage of these resources. For example, Mount Holyoke, part of a five college consortium, allows students to cross-register at these other institutions for full credit. Had I taken more classes at the co-ed campuses, I might have better understood my male counterparts right from the start. Or had I done more internships, I might have had felt more comfortable with office politics. I struggled in these areas because I chose not to deal with them in school. Try to anticipate the struggles that may await you and learn to cope with them in your safe, school environment.~The experience, insight, and preparation I gained from my small liberal arts college continues to be valuable to me today. In fact, despite the expensive tuition, I learned more than can be reflected in the expensive tuition. Know what you want to gain from school and take it. Recognize what your school lacks and work with the administration to compensate for it. Use your time in school wisely and ensure yourself an experience you will not regret.&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Post College Life&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;i&gt;Start with Your School&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br&gt;Generally speaking, colleges count on alumnae for monetary gifts and for the powerful recruiting its alumnae contribute - after all, the college can validly claim that the alumnaes&#39; success resulted partially from their alma mater. So colleges offer their students and alumnae a number of services for career development and advancement. Take advantage of it, regardless of your situation - looking for that first job or internship, transitioning between careers, job searching within the same field, or returning to the work force after a significant break. &lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Networking&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br&gt;In many ways, Mount Holyoke offers me more as an alumna than it did as a student. The women who graduated from Mount Holyoke represent a highly successful and driven population who continue to support each other, regardless of whether or not we know each other. Graduating from Mount Holyoke is like graduating from a big sorority, in that sense. For me, my alumnae network becomes increasingly important, as I understand better each year the power the network offers. This is why I constantly urge readers to network. Through networking, you can enhance your career and career goals:&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;Learn about available jobs&lt;li&gt;Get the inside scoop about careers&lt;li&gt;Create joint ventures&lt;li&gt;Find resources for your projects&lt;li&gt;Meet people you would not meet by yourself&lt;li&gt;Find mentors&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;~If you belong to a fraternity or sorority, start there. Many schools offer alumnae clubs, and some have alumnae offices as part of the college administration. Or try going through your school&#39;s endowment chairs, who undoubtedly know how to reach fellow alumnae. Look through your company directories - many organizations list your colleagues&#39; educational backgrounds. Also, find your alumnae on the Internet - conduct a general search or go through networking web sites (Vault has one, but there are dozens of others dedicated just to connecting you with alumnae).&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Give Back to your School and Be Proud&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br&gt;If your school lacks resources - a career development director, a strong alumnae network in your city, student internships, whatever it might be, volunteer. Help find a career development director or volunteer to serve part time. Create an alumnae club in your city or volunteer to represent your industry for students and alumnae seeking informational interviews. Offer an internship on behalf of your company. Even after you graduate, you will benefit in proportion to the effort you invest.&lt;p&gt;You selected your school for various reasons - affordability, legacy, alumnae force, name, expertise in a field, etc. Regardless of why you chose your school, remember you got out of it what you wanted and can continue to gain value from it. I consider myself a successful businesswoman, despite my non-Ivy liberal arts degree, and I am proud to have graduated from Mount Holyoke. I encourage you also be proud of your school. The more pride you espouse, the more you encourage others to be proud of your school too. And the more pride the alumnae have for their schools, the greater the power of the degree you earned.

Vault Consulting Editors

Article

McKinsey and OpenAI’s Alliance: What It Means for Consulting Careers in 2026

How to Discuss AI Experience in Consulting Interviews

Announcing Vault's 2026 Consulting Rankings for North America, EMEA, and APAC!

How Consulting Firms Expect Candidates to Think About AI in Interviews

The Library