Of course, the competition also fosters some camaraderie, albeit tense.

“People grill each other and ask questions when they’re in the room waiting to go in,” says Tullo, who has been wearing a suit and high black heels all week.

Judy Murray, director of recruiting at OCS, strongly urges seniors to research the market they are interested in to be prepared for these difficult questions, but also warns seniors that looking the part is very important.

“You don’t want to be too flashy,” Murray said to the full auditorium at last Wednesday’s event. “Err on the side of the conservative.”

Many students must cast aside their standard sweats and t-shirts in favor of pumps and ties.

“It is a bit of a culture shock,” says a jeans-clad James R. Pautz ’06, who hopes to get recruited by Teach for America. “I’m thinking about buying a suit.”

Aspiring recruits are expected to dress up for the many information sessions in addition to their interviews.

“I’ve only seen a few people who weren’t really dressed up at the info sessions, and they really stood out,” Tullo says.

There are 23 information sessions on the OCS recruiting schedule for this week alone, include workshops on resumes and interviews tailored to different careers.

“I think it’s a huge time commitment,” Tullo says.

Perhaps it is the size of the commitment that led Murray to advise the overflowing Science Center classroom, “You really have to ask the question, ‘Is this what I want to be doing?’”

Tullo says most people she knows who did recruiting ended up landing a job.

“I think the recruiting process has its advantages and disadvantages,” Patel says. “It’s really easy, it’s a passive process. It’s all set up for you but because of that it’s all obviously competitive.”

Murray says that, for students, going through the recruitment process and taking a job in consulting or banking is only “the first step in their career exploration process,” and that many students use the opportunity to try out a career before graduate school.

Murray credits the slight increase in attendance at the orientation meetings to the healthy economy, and says that the competition among seniors extends beyond the recruiting sphere.