Oliver Wyman & Co. has a particularly intense hiring procedure, says Stein E. Berre, a consultant for the company in New York.

After initial screening and campus interviews, Oliver Wyman invites candidates to visit certain company offices. Then, on a Saturday, five to six people at a time try to solve three case studies in three half-hour sessions. They are informed of the decision the next day.

Many students say they feel the selection process is too competitive.

"It's very overwhelming," says Rachel A. Heit '95. "Added to this, everyone wants to know where you're applying."

The numbers support this impression of competition. Last year, Monitor received more than 6000 undergraduate resumes, about 600 of which were from Harvard graduates. This year, CDI saw close to 600 resumes from OCS. Renaissance expects 200 applications for 10 to 15 spots, which will be filled in the next 12 months.

* What Firms Look For

Company recruiters mention similar sets of characteristics for their ideal consulting candidate: analytic skills, intelligence, a diversity of extracurricular activities, leadership skills, intellectual curiosity, maturity and poise.

Other skills in demand include computer expertise and knowledge of foreign languages.

"Grades are definitely important to get consulting jobs," Hirschfeld says. "Nearly 100 percent of the companies require a transcript."

While most consulting firms do not set specific grade standards, many recruiters say the standards are very high.

"I don't think any of them has had less than a 3.5," Riley says of Renaissance employees. "Most are, in fact, higher."

Consultants say they are especially interested in the applicants' interviews. A popular approach in the interview is to offer a case question or a brain teaser in which the applicant must estimate a quantity or size.

"These questions include 'How many pianos are there in the U.S.?' or 'How big is a certain market?'" Wu said at OCS in a presentation to seniors on Tuesday.

Competition

With such fierce competition for jobs, it's somewhat surprising that many students enter consulting recruitment because they have nowhere else to go.