"For most people, money is not one of the biggest factors," Cosentino says.

Jason C. Grillo '97, a history concentrator who participated in recruiting this year but did not find a job, says consulting appealed to him for a variety of reasons.

"It seemed like a job where I could use a lot of analytical skills and that featured a lot of travel, which is a plus," he says. "I thought it was a good job for someone that didn't have any business experience."

Grillo also shrugs off the influence of money.

"It was a factor," he says. "I obviously wanted a well-paying job, but it wasn't decisive."

Suzee E. Lee '97, an English concentrator who will be a consultant at Mitchell Madison Group in New York, took a circuitous route to consulting.

She originally wanted to work for a non-profit organization but found few job openings there.

"I think a lot of people, when they're seniors and they don't know what they're going to do later...look at recruiting and see that it's a pretty good option," she says.

For Lee, money was "not at all" a factor.

Not an Unrequited Love

The marriage between recruiting and Harvard is also a strong one because Harvard students provide the companies with the skills they need.

Consulting firms and investment banks look for strong analytical skills, leadership, past work experience and the ability to work on a team, according to Cosentino.

"Harvard students know how to think, they can write well, and they can articulate their thoughts," he says.

Wright-Swadel says he agrees.

"A lot of it is just the quality of the students," he says.

Wright-Swadel also credits his staff with attracting many firms to Harvard.

"The more we communicate, the more they want to come," he says.

For a final reason, Wright-Swadel echoes the tried-and-true logic of President Clinton.

Recent boom-times have enabled companies to hire more employees at higher wages, he says.

In other words, it's the economy, stupid.