In person Interview

This is a great question, and it is good that you are thinking about it upfront. In-person final rounds are not harder than virtual ones, but they are judged differently.

A few points that matter in practice.

First, the interview starts before the interview.
From the moment you enter the office, you are being assessed informally. How you greet people, how you handle small talk with reception, how relaxed and present you are while waiting - all of this contributes to the partner’s first impression. Be professional, calm, and genuinely pleasant. Do not treat these moments as “dead time.”

Presence matters more than perfection.
In person, partners pay more attention to how you think and communicate than to textbook structure. Sit comfortably, maintain eye contact without staring, and slow yourself down when speaking. Silence is fine. Taking a moment to think actually reads as seniority, not weakness.

Make it a conversation, not a performance.
Strong candidates adapt their tone naturally. You can be structured and still human. React to what the partner says, acknowledge their comments, and build on them. Over-rehearsed answers stand out much more in person than online.

Be extra clean on synthesis and judgment.
Final rounds are rarely about cracking the case. Partners are asking themselves: “Would I put this person in front of my client?” Clear prioritization, simple conclusions, and practical judgment matter more than clever insights.

Logistics still matter.
Arrive early. Bring a couple of CV copies. Dress slightly more formally than you think you need to. These are small signals, but final rounds are often decided on small signals.

If you do one thing differently versus virtual interviews: slow down and be fully present. In-person interviews reward calm confidence and maturity far more than speed or complexity.

Good luck - if you made it to a partner round, you are already very close.

Hi there,

In person interviews are similar in content to virtual ones, but presence and interpersonal dynamics matter more. Pay attention to body language, eye contact, and overall professionalism, and be slightly more conversational while staying structured. Bring printed copies of your CV, arrive early, and be mindful of small things like posture, active listening, and how you engage in informal moments before or after the interview.

Partners often focus on judgment, maturity, and whether they would enjoy working with you, so be polished, confident, and authentic. Treat it as a professional conversation rather than a performance.

Happy to help you prep if useful, feel free to reach out.

Best,
Evelina

Hi there,

There are no differences in the way the interview is structured/conducted/valuated

Interviewers are well trained to ensure no bias

My advice is to arrive on time, dress professionally (e.g., suit) and ensure you introduce yourself with a handshake 

Congratulations on making it to the final round; that is a huge accomplishment, especially at the T2 level where the bar for fit is extremely high. The shift to in-person for the Partner round fundamentally changes the dynamic—it is less of a pure casing exercise and more of a test of Executive Presence (EP).

When you are remote, the Partner sees a small square on a screen. In person, they are checking if they could confidently introduce you to a C-suite client tomorrow. Pay close attention to your non-verbal communication: how you enter the room, your handshake (firm and brief), your posture throughout the case, and your ability to maintain natural eye contact while thinking. You must appear comfortable and controlled, not just smart.

Logistically, manage the physical artifacts carefully. Use your materials (notepad, calculator) cleanly and deliberately. When presenting findings or a summary, ensure your body language remains open. Most importantly, use the small talk (the 5 minutes before and after the case) to establish rapport. This is where you transition from being a candidate being tested to a colleague they might want to work alongside. The Partner is assessing the "airport test"—are you someone they would enjoy being stuck in a terminal with?

Your case mechanics should be perfect by now. Focus your energy on projecting maturity, intellectual curiosity, and conversational ease.

All the best!

hey there :)

for in-person the main differences are energy, presence and body language. small details like firm handshake, eye contact, posture, and natural engagement matter more than online. also be ready for slightly more conversational moments, showing curiosity and interpersonal skills. just be confident, clear, and professional, and it will come across naturally. if you want, we can do a quick prep session to run through these points.

best,
Alessa :)

Congrats on the final round! A few thoughts:

In live interviews you’re more likely to see the following:

• more interruptions and pushback
• faster jumps between structure, analysis, and synthesis
• less tolerance for rambling or over-structuring

A few things that matter more in person than online:

• Presence: posture, eye contact, calm pacing, your overall energy and how you enter the room
• Communication under pressure: think out loud clearly, react well to challenges, and stay composed
• Engagement: treat it as a collaborative problem-solving discussion, not a performance (e.g., if helpful, show the interviewer the case structure you have written on paper - so much easier in person than online)
• Basics: arrive early, dress slightly more formal than online, bring a notebook/pen, keep notes clean

In short: same bar on problem-solving, higher bar on presence and communication. 

Good luck - if you’ve made it this far, you’re clearly close :)

Congrats on making it to the final round. In-person interviews feel different from virtual ones, but the core is the same. Here's what to keep in mind.

What feels different in person:

You can't hide. On video calls, you're a small box on a screen. In person, they see everything. Your posture, your energy, how you carry yourself. First impressions happen fast.

The conversation flows differently. There's more natural back and forth. Pauses feel shorter. Eye contact matters more. It's easier to build rapport, but also easier to seem nervous or distracted.

You're in their space. The office environment tells you something about the firm. Pay attention. Be polite to everyone you meet, from reception to the partner. People notice.

Little things that make a difference:

Arrive early. 10-15 minutes before is ideal. Gives you time to settle and not feel rushed.

Dress appropriately. Business formal unless told otherwise. Better to be slightly overdressed than underdressed.

Firm handshake, good eye contact. Sounds basic but many people forget when they're nervous.

Bring copies of your resume. You probably won't need them, but it shows you're prepared.

Put your phone away completely. Not on silent on the table. Away.

Sit up straight but don't be stiff. You want to look engaged, not tense.

When doing the case, it's okay to write and think. But look up when you're speaking. Don't bury your head in your notes the whole time.

How to handle the conversation:

Listen more carefully than you would on video. In person, interrupting feels worse. Let them finish before you respond.

Match their energy. If they're relaxed and conversational, don't be overly formal. If they're more serious, adjust accordingly.

Ask good questions at the end. You're also evaluating them. Show genuine curiosity about the team, the work, and what they enjoy.

One thing to remember:

Be yourself. At the partner round, they've already decided you can do the work. Now they want to know if they'd enjoy working with you. Relax, have a real conversation, and let your personality come through.

Good luck.

Content-wise, there's no difference. 

Form becomes more important. 

Make sure you are dressed appropriately. Be more aware of your body language. Smile, it helps. And if you tend to draw clear and neat structures, use it as an opportunity to show the interviewer the structure you developed for your answers (same way you would present it to a client). 

Otherwise, just try and enjoy the experience. Approach it with curiosity and as a learning opportunity. 

Best
Cristian

Hi there,

The performance expectations are the same, so the only difference is more on the softer side of the interview, which is how you can build rapport and how you carry yourself in-person rather than virtually. Some people may feel more comfortable and confident behind a screen but less so in-person. If this doesn't apply to you, then there should be limited differences.

Hi,

I dont think anything that matters (i.e. your thinking and problem solving abilities) really changes between online/offline.

It's mostly the small things

• e.g. you can get away with wearing a blazer & tie but with shorts on zoom, but not so much in real life
• e.g. some people are used to typing / relying on other digital devices in zoom interviews, and struggle when they can't do this in real life

I wouldn't worry too much about it. 

All the best!