Considering a Major Switch to Break into Consulting

Hey everyone,

I’m currently a Mechatronics Engineering student at a well-regarded private university in Egypt (GUC), heading into my third year. Over time, I’ve realized that my true interests lie more in business, strategy, and problem-solving — and I’ve become increasingly drawn to consulting as a career path, especially MBB or regional firms in the GCC.

The challenge is: my GPA in engineering isn’t competitive (around a D), and I’m wondering whether it would be smarter to switch now to a Management track — possibly pursuing a double major in two of the following: • Strategic Management • International Business • Economics • Finance

I’ve reached out to alumni from my school who’ve made it into consulting, and opinions are split — some highlight the demand of engineers, while others emphasize that i need to do extracurriculars and a-lot of work on myself regardless of major and lots of internships , which in my case when continuing engineering is hard to do as time isn’t that much. I’d love your input on: • Would switching to Management (with a stronger GPA) improve my profile, or does staying in Engineering and compensating with experience still hold more weight long-term? • Outside of MBB, what roles/paths do graduates with strategic + international business profiles typically pursue in the Middle East (especially UAE/KSA)? • If I do switch, what are the highest-ROI things to work on alongside university to stand out — skills, internships, side projects, competitions?

Would love to hear from anyone who’s been through something similar or has insight on what’s valued in consulting recruitment — especially in non-Western contexts.