A-Level grades not great and non-target university

Without a doubt it’s harder, but not impossible. I was at a non-target school, two years post graduate and applied off cycle - it’s possible.

The firms are looking for people who excel in what they do - you need to be able to  demonstrate this. You need a killer resume which clearly lays out, with statistics, what you’ve done which is extraordinary. Things like:

• What degree classification are you expecting to graduate with? Are you top of your class? How have you demonstrated the qualities that they’re looking for in your course? Things like leadership, entrepreneurialism, analytic capabilities
• They’ll want to be assured of your academic capabilities. Have you sat any other standardized tests (GMAT, GRE etc) If so and you’ve done well (top 5th percentile) then add this in
• What have you done outside of your studies? Have you led a club? Started a club or endeavor of some sort?
• What work experience do you have? Have you gone above and beyond what is expected of you at work?

It’s worth going to the open events that the firms host and get to know the recruiting team. Be curious when you go - it drove me mad as a recruiter when people came up just to try to get me to know them but weren’t curious about the company. Go armed with a list of things that you want to know about - and find out the answers! You can explain your situation to the recruiting team and they’ll remember you when they see the application.

Good luck! And let me know if I can help more at all.

Hello,

While a target school background and good grades offer some advantages when applying, it's not impossible to get into consulting without either of those. Besides doing well in your PhD, I would focus on your work experience and extracurriculars; and networking is going to be crucial for you to get your foot in the door, so I recommend starting that sooner rather than later.

Hi, I confirm it's hard, but you can get invitations well-presenting in your cv international and working experience + an internal referral.

Best,
Antonello  

Hi there, 

As a fresh grad -  unless you have an impressive extra-curriculum activity or any other wow achievement - it will be hard to get noticed from a non-targeted school. I would recommend not to give up, but also to apply to smaller boutique and 2nd tier consulting to gain a few years experience, that can offset the school and then you will have greater chances. 

Lucie

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Hey there,

Both elements you mention do matter. However, they are just two items that are important.

Generally, you can balance it with two things:

1. Other strong achievements on your resume:

• Academia
• Work experience
• Time spent abroad
• Extracurriculars

2. Networking and referrals

Try to get some strong referrals from more senior consultants and leaders in the firms you want to work for. 

Cheers,

Florian

Hi there,

The short answer is that it's not good.

You have to remember though that everything goes hand-in-hand. There's no 1 key feature. So, your school, your grades, your major, your consulting-related experience, your work experience, your resume strength (how it looks), your networking, all play a role here…

To optimize your odds you need to:

1) Get side consulting experience (there are so many programs out there where you can spend 5-10 hours/week and add consulting experience to your resume. Check out ImpactConsulting for example)

2) Network extensively

3) Apply to a lot of consulting firms. I'm talking 30+ (I applied to 35…and that was coming out of a target MBA)

4) Get your resume professionally reviewed to help it stand out as much as possible