PwC’s Scottish graduate programme inundated with 3000 applications

And as students prepare to head back to universities later this month, the recruitment team has also seen a 15 per cent boost in applications compared to the same period last year.

This follows the firm’s decision to scrap UCAS scores as an entry criteria for its graduate roles.

By attracting students who have not achieved the normally required Higher or A Level grades, the firm is leading the way in driving social mobility and diversity of the professional services industry.

Caroline McLaren, student recruitment at PwC in Scotland, said: “The level of interest in our student roles is really encouraging, particularly as the competition for top talent gets fiercer each year.

“Since we changed our graduate recruitment criteria we’ve seen a marked jump in applications, an early indicator that our efforts to attract students from wider pockets of society is working. This gives young people the confidence that, regardless of their background or route they choose, anyone with the right talent and transferable skills has the opportunity to succeed in our business.

“That said, recruitment standards do remain incredibly high so students must consider their options early and be prepared to demonstrate their capabilities through the recruitment process.”

Across the UK firm, over 41,000 students applied for more than 2,000 student positions - the highest ever number of applications received.

And underlying the firm’s commitment to attracting and recruiting more females into the profession, graduate intake is 47 per cent female this year, up from 41 per cent in 2014.

Despite the deluge of applications, PwC said that it still has a number of graduate positions still available starting this autumn, particularly in the firm’s regional offices.

www.pwc.co.uk/careers/student