Australian undergraduate student looking for help

Hi,

My perspective may be biased because I am a coach, but I’d at least try one session if budget isn’t a constraint. The first session usually has the highest ROI; a good coach will quickly pinpoint your gaps, give you concrete fixes, and help you structure a clear prep plan. After that, the marginal value drops, so you don’t necessarily need many sessions.

It’s also a good way to test whether coaching actually adds value for you before committing further. This applies to both the chatbot and cases, but even more for cases, where self-assessment is tricky.

If you don’t go for coaching, the next best option is doing a high volume of live cases with partners, not just reading alone. You need the pressure, the interaction, and to get used to verbalizing your thinking.

Hope this helps.
If you want to discuss the pros and cons of a coaching session together, feel free to DM me.

Regards,
Franco

A coach is necessary at least to get a realistic, objective sense of your readiness. 

Whether you then decide you want to work on your own afterwards or get structured help is a different thing. But I would at least get a great coach to take you through a baselining case and assess where you are. 

If you need help, reach out. I've worked with multiple Australian candidates before. 

Best,
Cristian

Hi, you’re already doing a lot of the right things — good GPA, early prep, some interview exposure. That puts you ahead of many.

On your question: a coach is not “mandatory,” but it can make a big difference, especially at your stage.

The reason is simple. After a few months of prep, most candidates hit a plateau:

• they keep practicing
• but don’t really know what exactly is holding them back
• and end up reinforcing the same mistakes

That’s where a coach helps. Not by replacing your prep, but by:

• identifying very quickly what you need to fix (structure, communication, fit, etc.)
• giving targeted feedback instead of generic “do more cases”
• helping you avoid bad habits early

Given you already interviewed at EY-P and didn’t pass, that’s actually a strong signal that you’re close, but missing a few key things. That’s exactly the situation where coaching is most useful.

Also keep in mind: for MBB, small differences matter a lot.
The gap between a rejection and an offer is often not huge — but you need to close it.

That said, you don’t need 20 sessions.
A good approach is:

• a few targeted sessions to diagnose gaps
• then go back to practicing on your own
• maybe a couple more sessions closer to interviews

So think of it as accelerating your prep, not replacing it.

If you want, happy to help you assess where you stand and how to structure the next steps.

Hey,

Echoing what other folks are sharing: 

• You don't really know whether you need a coach until you have spoken with someone with 2+ years of MBB experience. If you have a friend in MBB, just ask them to case you, and they'll be able to tell you! :)
• The ROI for a first session is typically very high, and a good coach will be honest in telling you whether you need more classes or not.  I personally tend to often propose fewer sessions than my coachees would initially want :)

Best,

Tom

PS: For you and for anyone else, feel free to use this discount code (Tommaso50-Coaching-Shz) to get 50% off on your first session with me. It's likely my last available discount code for April since PrepLounge gives us a limited quantity, so it might not last long :)

Hi,

Completely agree with what everyone has said - one session will help significantly.

If you want any advice specific to BCG ANZ and what they will look for in the scholarship process, please let me know and I am happy to help as I have worked there the last two years. I am currently running a promotion here 

Drummond50-Coaching-OML

Hi,

You are actually in a strong position — good GPA, some case prep, and interview experience already. That’s a solid base.

On your question: no, you don’t need a coach to get into MBB in Australia. Many people make it with peer practice.

Where coaching helps is when you’re not sure what exactly is holding you back. In that case, 1–2 targeted sessions (e.g., a diagnostic + one follow-up) can save you a lot of time.

Right now, the key is not doing more cases, but being more focused. After a few months of prep, you should be able to answer:

• what are my main gaps (structuring, communication, fit, etc.)?
• what went wrong in my EY-PS interview?

If that’s unclear, that’s where coaching adds value.

For Australia, the bar is high but timelines are predictable — you have enough time until January to get ready if you’re structured.

If I had to summarize:
you don’t need a coach, but a few targeted sessions can accelerate you
focus on fixing specific weaknesses, not just doing more cases

You are already on track — now it’s about sharpening execution.

Best,

Soheil