what does Academic way of solving cases mean ?

Hello!

What they are telling you with this is that you followed the conventional ways of problem solving, those that can normally be found in books (Cheng, etc.)

Bear in mind that each interviewer has only one case, and he/she repeats it with every candidate. Hence, what they are looking for is a creative and original solution, not one that they have listened too before. 

For this it is particularly important not to rely on the "traditional" frameworks, or frameworks at all, because it´s too "used". 

Probably here is where you would benefit from casing with a coach. 

Hope it helps!

Cheers,

Clara

Hi,
he's probably talking about following standard frameworks, instead of customizing your structure starting from the question and the client. With my candidates, I strongly work on being case-specific and on using industry-related terms. Improvement feedback are taken seriously in consulting, therefore I suggest to work on these points.

Best,
Antonello

Hello,

It basically means that you were relying too much on standardized frameworks and solutions tha you can find on the books. 
You have to consider that the single interviewer listens to hundreds of brilliant students that have probably used your same material to prepare. Everytime he's looking for something new and "unexpected", something that can make your solution really impactful and unique.
You should leave the books for a while and try to go beyond the standard resolution of a case. To achieve this, it's fundamental to train with other people (candidates or coaches) that can give you new ideas and hints to extend your approach.

Hope it helps,
Luca

Hi,

It's too academic when you:

• Follow the casebook framework (e.g. Viktor Cheng)
• Follow the well-known academic frameworks (e.g. 4P) without rewording them
• Provide too academic approaches and judgments without taking into account the realities of the real business 

Best