Beyond the Frameworks: Inside Foster MBA Consulting Internships
Dive into the real-world consulting experiences of Foster School of Business Full-Time MBAs, Ellen, Riteeka, Wendy, Menyon, and Piyush as they tackle challenges, solve complex problems, and navigate the dynamic world of consulting
Written by: Chirag Chinmay, contributing writer, Foster School of Business
This summer, Foster School of Business MBA students from the Class of 2025 stepped into the fast-paced world of consulting, taking on impactful roles at top firms like Deloitte, PwC, EY, ZS, and Accenture. We caught up with a few of them to uncover what their internships were really like — from tackling complex client challenges to gaining firsthand experience in strategy, operations, and problem-solving.
Meet Ellen Schneider, a Summer Strategy Consultant Intern at Accenture in Chicago, IL. Before starting her MBA, Ellen spent several years teaching English abroad, leveraging her passion for education and cross-cultural communication. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts and an English as a Second Language teaching certificate. This summer, she transitioned from the classroom to the corporate world, applying her analytical and problem-solving skills to complex business challenges in Accenture’s strategy practice.
Meet Riteeka Sapru, a Business Technology Consultant Intern at ZS Associates, where she spent the summer working on a high-impact project for a client in the pharma sector. Before pursuing her MBA at Foster, Riteeka built a seven-year career in the tech industry, starting as a Software Engineer before transitioning into product strategy and digital transformation. With a background in computer science, she has led large-scale projects in fintech and e-commerce, specializing in cloud-based architecture and blockchain solutions. This summer, she leveraged her technical expertise and strategic mindset to drive innovation in the life sciences industry.
Meet Wendy Zhang, a Summer Associate in Deloitte Consulting’s M&A practice. Before pursuing her MBA at Foster, she worked at EY China in financial advisory, specializing in infrastructure transaction services. Her academic journey took her from the University of Michigan, where she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and Psychology, to Columbia University, where she completed a Master’s in Financial Mathematics. This summer, she applied her deep financial expertise and problem-solving skills to high-stakes mergers and acquisitions.
Meet Menyon Byrd, a Workforce Transformation MBA Intern at PwC. With a deep passion for people and organizational strategy, Menyon spent the summer helping clients navigate complex workforce challenges. Before pursuing an MBA at Foster, she built an eight-year career in human resources, starting in talent acquisition, immigration processes, and onboarding before transitioning into her strategic role at PwC, focused on employee engagement, DE&I, and leadership development. Menyon holds both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in human resources.
Meet Piyush Narang, who spent his summer with ZS as a Summer Consultant. Before pursuing his MBA at Foster, Piyush built a seven-year career at Oracle Life Sciences as a Technical Product Lead, specializing in clinical trials management systems. With a background in Electronics and Communications Engineering from Thapar University, Piyush has a strong foundation in technology and product strategy.
Continue reading about their internship search process, available resources for MBAs, internship experiences, recruiting tips and Foster’s role in shaping their skills.
Which industries did you target? And how was the internship search process?
Riteeka: I initially set my sights on the technology sector, focusing on Product Management roles to build upon my experience in tech product strategy. However, as I explored different opportunities, I discovered that technology consulting offered the perfect balance between strategic problem-solving and technical execution. The internship search was both challenging and rewarding, requiring deep introspection to identify roles that truly aligned with my skills and aspirations. Managing coursework, networking, and interview preparation was demanding, but connecting with alumni and second-year MBAs provided invaluable insights that helped me refine my approach and effectively highlight my technical and strategic expertise.
Menyon: Before starting my MBA, my goal was to land a Human Capital Consulting internship at a Big Four firm. As a Consortium, Forté, and MLT Fellow, I had the unique opportunity to recruit early and attend exclusive conferences, allowing me to explore potential roles before the program even began. Through this process, I successfully secured offers in both the CPG and Financial Services industries.
Being part of these fellowship programs made my internship search much more seamless. They not only connected me with potential employers ahead of time but also provided invaluable preparation for recruitment and career development. The skills I gained — especially in job preparation and navigating the recruitment process — continue to benefit me even now.
Wendy: With a background in finance, I set my sights on pivoting into consulting with a focus on strategy. Consulting appealed to me because it allowed me to leverage my financial expertise while also pushing myself to grow in new ways. I was drawn to the opportunity to work on diverse projects across various industries rather than being confined to a single domain.
Throughout the recruiting process, I kept an open mind and prioritized firms with strong strategy practices. Fortunately, the timing worked in my favor — Deloitte reached out for early interviews. Their cross-consulting group model, which enables MBA graduates to explore different practices in their first few years, aligned perfectly with my interests, making my decision an easy one.
Which MBA Career Management events, programs, or services did you find most helpful?
Piyush: The support I received from my career coaches, Stacey Duhon and Elaine Newtson, was invaluable — especially in preparing for behavioral interviews. Storytelling and answering behavioral questions didn’t come naturally to me, so it took time and effort to refine my approach. Their guidance helped me build confidence and improve my responses.
Additionally, the Foster Consulting Society played a crucial role in my preparation. They organized sessions on consulting casing, frameworks, and mock interviews, which were incredibly helpful in building my consulting skills. MBA Career Management also organized sessions with Peter K, which provided great insights and further honed my approach.
Ellen: The one-on-one behavioral prep with Career Management coaches was incredibly helpful in refining my interview skills. Career Management also organized multiple coffee chats and company events with top consulting firms, which allowed me to build valuable connections and ultimately played a key role in securing my internship. Additionally, I attended Fall Formals, the consulting club’s annual event, where I had the opportunity to network with consultants from a wide range of companies. It was a fantastic chance to connect with and learn from professionals in the field.
How was your overall internship structured, and what were the major deliverables?
Ellen: Before my internship began, I had the opportunity to rank my project preferences, with sustainability as my top choice. My first week was dedicated to orientation, where I met other interns and gained insights into the key skills needed for my role. By the end of that week, I was connected with my project team and assigned to a sustainability project within the oil and gas industry.
Throughout the summer, I worked closely with a small team, focusing primarily on research and data analysis. My team lead assigned various deliverables, which played a significant role in my evaluation. In addition to my main project, all interns participated in a case competition. We were divided into teams for the first round, with four teams advancing to the final round. During my final week, I presented a summary of my work to the other interns and recruiters, wrapping up an insightful and hands-on internship experience.
Riteeka: My internship focused on a post-acquisition, pre-product launch data integration project for a pharmaceutical client. I collaborated closely with cross-functional teams, including business stakeholders, offshore data engineers, and project managers, to streamline critical data integration processes for product launch readiness.
My key deliverables included:
- Data Integration Strategy: Designed and implemented data pipelines to consolidate sales and marketing data from multiple sources, enabling more informed, data-driven business decisions.
- KPI Framework Development: Developed key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure post-launch success, ensuring alignment with client’s strategic objectives.
- Advanced Reporting Dashboards: Created dashboards that unified sales, marketing, and operational data to support strategic decision-making.
- Business Development Support: Assisted in gathering business requirements for future project phases and identified opportunities for process optimization.
This hands-on experience allowed me to apply my technical and strategic expertise to a high-impact project, contributing to the client’s broader business goals.
Wendy: My internship kicked off with an onboarding week in Chicago, where I joined Summer Associates from across the country, and wrapped up with a celebration in Scottsdale. Over the summer, I was staffed on an M&A project in the semiconductor industry, specifically during the sign-to-close phase. Our team focused on cost synergy work, giving me the opportunity to interact with C-suite executives from both companies and gain firsthand insight into how major strategic decisions are made.
My key deliverables included developing financial models to support executive functional discussions, creating and consolidating synergy model templates to streamline the evaluation process, and analyzing synergy targets to ensure alignment with the acquirer’s public commitments. The experience was fast-paced and intense, but it gave me a real taste of high-stakes consulting and reinforced my interest in strategy-driven problem-solving.
Menyon: During my internship, I was part of the Workforce Transformation team, focusing on HR transformation and the talent, change, and behavior sectors. I worked on two projects, reporting daily to an associate consultant and meeting with a senior manager or director on a weekly or biweekly basis.
For my first project, I helped a client develop a communication strategy and employee engagement programs to support the implementation of an SAP/ERP system. My second project was within the HR transformation space, where I contributed to the development and finalization of organizational design strategies. This involved realigning the HR structure, particularly Human Resources Business Partners, as the client transitioned to Oracle Cloud HCM.
Both projects provided valuable hands-on experience and allowed me to further develop my skills in change management, organizational design, and operational efficiency.
Piyush: The internship at ZS was well-structured, with clear expectations set from the outset. It was an 11-week program, and from the beginning, we knew that our final analysis would need to be presented to the leadership team by the 10th week. This provided a clear sense of direction and allowed me to manage my time effectively.
The project staffing process followed a typical consulting firm model. After accepting the offer, my resume was shared with multiple project managers, who then selected candidates based on their experience and fit for their projects. I was paired with a project manager working in patient services and patient engagement — areas that closely aligned with my previous work at Oracle, making it a great fit. I worked on two major projects during my internship — one internal to ZS and one client-facing. Internally, I contributed to the development of a patient CRM by shaping the go-to-market (GTM) strategy and conducting a pricing analysis. On the client side, I helped a healthcare provider develop strategies to improve patient adherence to treatment and engagement with healthcare professionals (HCPs).
Both projects were intellectually stimulating, requiring me to leverage my technical background while applying new consulting skills. In my final week, I presented my analysis and recommendations to the leadership team in a 30-minute presentation, synthesizing everything I had learned and contributing to the team’s strategic decision-making.
Please tell us about some of the challenges you faced and how you overcame them.
Wendy: The learning curve at the start of my internship was steep. The M&A project was already in motion when I joined, and I had to quickly get up to speed — not just on the numbers, but also on the strategic rationale behind key decisions. Fortunately, my team was incredibly supportive throughout this process.
One of the biggest skills I developed was the ability to adapt to constant change while effectively communicating complex findings. Some days, I was deep in Excel models, calculating synergies and analyzing data. Other days, I had to distill those insights into concise takeaways for executive presentations. Learning to shift between detailed analysis and high-level strategic discussions was a key area of growth for me. The frameworks from my Fall quarter Strategy class, taught by David Tan, were particularly helpful in structuring my thinking, especially when evaluating synergies and their strategic alignment with the company’s objectives.
Riteeka: One of my biggest challenges was managing diverse stakeholder priorities across the client and internal teams. As the main liaison between the offshore development team and the client, I had to bridge communication gaps, align technical feasibility with business needs, and juggle competing deadlines. This was my first experience with direct client interactions, requiring me to quickly build trust, navigate complex discussions, and influence decisions without formal authority. Additionally, transitioning into the pharma sector came with a steep learning curve. To overcome these challenges, I prioritized proactive stakeholder management, established clear communication channels, and ensured alignment through regular check-ins.
How would you describe the culture of the organization? Did you have good mentors? And did you meet colleagues or other MBA students from peer schools you plan to stay in touch with post-internship?
Menyon: PwC had an incredibly welcoming culture, making it easy to find my community and build meaningful connections. One woman in the Chicago office, also part of Workforce Transformation, stood out — she provided unwavering support, made me feel truly seen, and connected me with other Black women in the practice. Her mentorship was invaluable during my time there.
While I met many MBA students and peers, my MBA bestie, Joanna Kabuye from Foster, was my anchor throughout the summer. We navigated the experience together, leaning on each other every step of the way.
One of the highlights of my internship was PwC’s Promotion Day. The Chicago office celebrated at Millennium Park, and I was amazed by the sheer number of employees and the relaxed, down-to-earth atmosphere. It was a refreshing reminder of how consulting culture is evolving. Beyond work, spending the summer in Chicago was unforgettable — I fell in love with the city, and the experience solidified my decision to move there after graduation.
Ellen: At Accenture Strategy, I found a culture of openness and support, with colleagues who were always willing to share advice and insights. I was paired with both a “buddy” and a “pod leader,” and their candid guidance was invaluable throughout the summer. My team leaders were also incredibly supportive, always available to answer questions and discuss my long-term career goals.
Accenture’s internship structure provided ample opportunities to connect with other MBA students from top MBA schools, helping me build a strong network. Since I’ll be returning full-time, I’m excited to already have a solid foundation within the firm. Some of the most memorable moments of my internship came from my conversations with my buddy, who, just a few years ahead of me at Accenture, offered great perspective on navigating the firm and growing in my career.
Piyush: ZS had the fast-paced environment I expected in consulting, but what stood out was how supportive everyone was. Despite their busy schedules, colleagues shared insights and resources that helped me learn quickly. ZS also assigned mentors, who provided invaluable guidance throughout the internship.
While I didn’t get to meet my fellow interns in person since I was the only consultant intern in my location, I had meaningful interactions with many of them. Throughout the internship, I stayed in constant touch with Riteeka, who was based in Seattle. We regularly exchanged thoughts on challenges we faced, helping each other navigate difficult situations.
Midway through, I struggled with limited feedback as my Associate Partner (AP) was often traveling. After successfully delivering a key project, a manager praised my rapid learning, which was a huge confidence boost. Later that evening, my AP called and expressed his interest in having me continue working with him after the MBA. That moment truly validated my efforts and reassured me that I was on the right path — something I’ll always be grateful for.
What are your plans for the second year of MBA? Anything you’re looking forward to?
Riteeka: In my second year, I plan to leverage my tech industry experience to further develop a well-rounded product management skillset. While my technical background in software engineering provides a strong foundation, I’m excited to dive into areas like product marketing, pricing strategy, and data analytics to become a more effective product leader. As VP of Operations for the Women in Business Club, I’m eager to lead initiatives that promote leadership, networking, and personal growth among women at Foster. This role holds special meaning as it allows me to contribute to a community that has been pivotal in my MBA journey, fostering a space where women support and empower each other. I’m also looking forward to engaging more with Seattle’s vibrant tech ecosystem and building relationships to ensure a smooth transition into a full-time role post-MBA.
Ellen: In my second year, I am working closely with the Foster Consulting Society, helping the first-year MBA cohort prepare for case interviews. For the next two quarters, I’ll be taking a mix of classes that will equip me with the skills and knowledge I need for my future career.
Menyon: In my second year, I plan to fully commit to my roles as a Consortium Liaison and a Fritzky Leadership Fellow, continuing to help strengthen our community. I’m also focusing on my entrepreneurial pursuits and building connections within the Seattle community and beyond. Additionally, I’ll keep networking with peers and alumni and leverage all available resources before graduation.
With just six months left, I’m determined to make the most of this experience since it’s my final degree. I want to cherish and nurture the friendships and relationships I’ve built and ensure these last six months are the best yet!
What advice do you have for first-year students regarding summer internships?
Wendy: My biggest piece of advice is to talk to as many people as possible within your organization. In a big firm like Deloitte, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed at first, but each conversation makes the organization feel a bit smaller and more navigable. During my internship, I met with people from different practices to learn about their work and career paths. These conversations helped me figure out what interested me the most. Moreover, don’t just ask standard questions — show real interest in people’s work and experiences. People share more when they can tell you’re genuinely curious about their area of expertise.
Piyush: If I could offer one piece of advice, it would be to be kind to yourself throughout the process. The internship search can feel overwhelming at times. Remember, many factors are beyond your control, so stay patient. Consider multiple options, it gives you more flexibility and leverage for making decisions. When things get tough, lean on your classmates and career management; sometimes, just talking to someone can provide the encouragement and clarity you need to keep going.
Once you land the internship, the real work begins. Expectations can be high, and the fast-paced nature of a three-month internship can feel like a constant race to catch up. Focus on getting the basics right, learning as much as possible, and making steady progress. It’s normal to feel uncertain at times. One of my biggest takeaways was the importance of reaching out to teammates and seeking help when needed. Initially, this felt daunting, but stepping out of my comfort zone and connecting with others for guidance made all the difference. Stay persistent, keep learning, and trust that something great will come out of it.
Learn more about University of Washington Foster School of Business MBA programs here.
