PrepLounge Success Stories: Real Candidates Share Their Experiences

Cristian

MPhil in International Development at the University of Oxford

Berlin

Applied for: McKinsey

Got an offer from: McKinsey

Took the offer from: McKinsey

This is how I used PrepLounge: PrepLounge was great in terms of practicing more cases and learning from my peers. I was struggling quite a bit finding other case partners, and didn't have much success when reaching out individually to people via LinkedIn. PrepLounge gave me access to an entire database of candidates who were as eager as me to get better.

My tip for others when preparing for the case interview: First, grasp the basics of the interview: how the case works, what is expected from the personal fit part, and how to create an application strategy and timeline. There are plenty of helpful materials available on PrepLounge. Second, aim to practice with as many other candidates as possible. Here, also, PrepLounge is an excellent tool because it gives you access to a large pool of candidates, at different skill levels, all seeking to improve. And last, reach out to the experts for mentorship, interview readiness assessment, and a final polish of your skills.

Things that did not go as planned during my case interview: Half of my interview rounds contained non-traditional cases that the interviewer created on the spot. That only stands to show that learning frameworks are not a reliable preparation strategy. I was fortunate to have prepared multiple types of cases and to have practiced enough to be able to structure the problem on my own.

Things that went successful during my case interview: I was surprised to see how supportive everybody was during the application process - from HR to the senior consultants that interviewed me and the Partners in the final round. Everybody gave me the feeling that they wanted me to succeed and join them. I only had to show them I had the skills and enthusiasm to be one of them.

My tip for other PrepLounge Members and their case interview: Take all the time that you need to prepare. Don't rush the process. All the consulting firms that you want to apply to are still going to be there in a few months from now. Rather than applying early, without sufficient preparation, and failing, take your time, practice, and get the resources you need to improve.

Ebru

Business and Economics at London School of Economics (LSE)

Berlin

Applied for: McKinsey

Got an offer from: McKinsey

Took the offer from: McKinsey

This is how I used PrepLounge: PrepLounge was crucial for my success in landing an offer with McKinsey. I practiced with case partners and took some coaching sessions.

My tip for others when preparing for the case interview: Start preparing for the interviews with other candidates and coaches rather sooner than later. I started seeing success in my practice when I received direct feedback. This way, you don't need to solve tons of cases. Don't neglect the personal experience and fit interviews, as they are equally important.

Things that did not go as planned during my case interview: I made an error in one of the calculations. It wasn't a dealbreaker, as I could fix it with a hint from the interviewer.

Things that went successful during my case interview: I was impressed by how professional and kind the interviewers have been. I at times forgot that it was an interview, as the cases were so interesting to solve.

My tip for other PrepLounge Members and their case interviews: Relax and show how much you enjoy solving problems during your interviews. Your enthusiasm and energy are as important as your skills.

Paolo

Engineering at Bocconi University / MBA at Columbia Business School

Milan

Applied for: BCG, Bain, AT Kearney, Strategy&, L.E.K, AlixPartners

Got an offer from: BCG, Bain, AT Kearney, Strategy&, L.E.K, AlixPartners

Took the offer from: Bain

This is how I used PrepLounge: I used it extensively during my MBA time to practice with peers and bought 5 plus coaching sessions with coaches. The most helpful part of it was to get the different "nuances" of my performance from very sophisticated and trained interviewers that were already in consulting. This quite raised the bar and allowed me to perfect my craft.

My tip for others when preparing for the case interview: 
0) Start by reading a book on case interviews - it will save you a lot of time and orientate quickly your preparation
1) Devote at least 30% of your overall preparation time to fit interview and practice your stories/answers with coaches and not just peers - your stories should be original, unique, well-thought - this shows the interviewer you made a decent deal of self-reflection before jumping into wanting a consulting career
2) Book at least 3–5 sessions with professional interviewers at the beginning middle and especially the end of the preparation period since this will give you control on how to approach the overall preparation and an "initial baseline" which is way more accurate than the one painted by peers at a different stage of preparation
3) Read a lot of cases including solutions in-between your cases to elevate your business sense of different industries - Also create and maintain a 101 summary and understanding of different industries (e.g. Energy, Materials, FMCG) to boost your confidence in taking cases relating to different industries (SP tear sheets are very helpful)
4) Keep track of your feedbacks in an "almost obsessive" manner and deliberately focus to improve each one of them with a clear strategy (that can be more easily determined via interaction with professional coaches vs. peers)
5) Spend time on LinkedIn contacting / correctly networking with future peers in the office you decided to apply to obtain relevant/unique info to then apply in fit interviews

Things that did not go as planned during my case interview: My ramp-up time in being able to craft a unique, to-the-point, relevant framework for almost every possible type of cases

Things that went successful during my case interview: I truly enjoyed working through cases, which at the beginning I was not sure about. Now, after 5 years in BCG I take this mindset / feeling as being a very good predictor of whether the consulting career is a good choice for you

Arie

MBA at IMD, Lausanne, Switzerland

Chile

Applied for: BCG, McKinsey

Got an offer from: BCG, McKinsey

Took the offer from: McKinsey

This is how I used PrepLounge: I used the published case studies and practiced with peers

My tip for others when preparing for the case interview: Practice makes perfect, there is no such thing as being over prepared.

Things that did not go as planned during my case interview: Round 2 can be quite unpredictable in terms of structure. One of the partners gave me a case in less than 10 minutes and used the rest of the time on fit questions

Things that went successful during my case interview: Most of the time your interviewers actually want you to succeed, use this to your advantage!

My tip for other PrepLounge Members and their case interviews: The interview process can actually be a fun and enjoyable experience if you enjoy working through case studies. Focus on enjoying the process rather than thinking about the outcome, and you’ll see yourself making great progress as you prepare.

Eve

Master’s in International and Sustainable Finance, KU Leuven, Belgium

Taipei, Taiwan

Applied for: McKinsey

Got an offer from: McKinsey

Took the offer from: McKinsey

This is how I used PrepLounge: I subscribed to the premium version and essentially used all the services: Bootcamp articles, mental math practice tools, casing with online partners, video tutorials, and Q&A forums. The most valuable part of PrepLounge for me was the variety of casing partners; they were all from different backgrounds and levels, but equally dedicated. This gave a realistic simulation of the interviewers that you might face in the real thing.

My tip for others when preparing for the case interview: Don’t underestimate the workload! Start early, and try talking to your partners after each casing session. I can’t emphasize enough how much I learned from the people I met on PrepLounge; many generously shared prep techniques, case books, or pro-tips that I never would’ve thought of myself.

Things that did not go as planned during my case interview: Unlike a standard mock casing session, during my interviews, a case seldom finishes before time is up. My advice is a strong start with a solid framework is much more important than rushing to the end; slow and steady wins the race.

Things that went successful during my case interview: I got the impression that interviewers understood how hard we had tried to get that interview, so they usually helped a bit when I got stuck. Their patience was greatly appreciated and often what I needed to solve a question.

My tip for other PrepLounge Members and their case interview: Never break character! The interviewers are trained to not let slip what they think of your performance during the process, so if you’re stressing out because you think they didn’t like something you said, it’s probably unfounded fear. Just relax and try to make a connection.

Got an offer from: McKinsey, BCG, Bain & Company

Got an offer from: Bain & Company, BCG

Got an offer from: Deloitte Consulting

Got an offer from: Strategy&