Originally Posted by HowlerKarma
I'm still wondering if "consulting" is shorthand for:

"I don't have a (airquotes) 'job,' but people will SURELY want to pay me money for my opinions anyway."

Which might well explain why so few of the graduates seem to think that they'll be doing "consulting" long term, and so many think that it's a short-term answer.
You appear to unfamiliar with how management consulting firms such as McKinsey and Bain work. They hire graduating seniors from elite schools and have an up-or-out system where most consultants are asked to leave after after a few years. Since the elite consulting firms are prestigious, having their names on your resume help you get into business school and to find other jobs.