Some 3,055 undergrads and MBA's at top-tier schools were recently surveyed to learn which companies actively recruited them, how they view prospective employers, how they determine which to include on their short list, and which recruiting tactics were most effective. In the survey by Wetfeet, the students identiifed more than 1,100 employers and, of those, rated the following 10 as being the most effective recruiters:

1. McKinsey & Co.
2. The Boston Consulting Group
3. Bain & Co.
4. Deloitte & Touche
5. Lehman Brothers
6. Goldman Sachs
7. Target
8. Microsoft
9. JP Morgan Chase
10. Booz Allen Hamilton

Target, Microsoft and Deloitte & Touche joined the list. The dropping out were Citigroup, Johnson & Johnson and Kraft.

What was the difference between the best recruiters and the worst? According to the students, the best had great campus information sessions, sent a large number of impressive representatives to campus, treated candidates with respect, and had a strong word-of-mouth reputation. Note that job offers, salaries and employer prestige did not make that list. While important, even more important were the personal interactions the candidates had during the recruiting experience.

Other interesting tidbits were:

• The average number of job offers received by undergraduates and MBAs increased for the fourth straight year, while the number of companies to which students applied has decreased.
  
• Compensation expectations and offers received continue to increase. Some 71 percent of students said that they have increased their expectations from a year ago.
  
• Students are more confident. About 86 percent said that they were confident they would find a job they wanted.