GPA Worries

Hi there,

Sorry to hear about the rejection - this still shows you have the potential to get an MBB offer with a new attempt though.

In terms of your question:

Q: How big is GPA in this equation? Any advice?

A 3.5 GPA might lead to a rejection in CV screening with some companies if not compensated by other elements. In any case, I would focus on what you can control at this stage.

Given the semester ended and you cannot work on your GPA anymore, I would focus on:

1. Finding a referral. This is probably the highest lever to get invitations with a relatively low GPA
2. Improving the format of your CV in case it can be optimized

You can find some tips on referrals below:

▶ How to Get an MBB Invitation

▶ The Exact Steps to Get a Referral

You can find some tips for the CV below:

▶ How to Craft a Great CV for Consulting

Good luck!

Francesco

Hi there,

Get coaching! 

If you're really this worried, why not take the money you would spend on dinners out or on a new TV and double/triple your chances of getting an offer?

If you got to the final round of BCG, you were close! But, “something” was missing. It's so hard for us to identify our own mistakes. I highly recommend getting a coach to fixing this.

This also includes making sure your future applications are more successful (better resume, better networking approach, etc.)

Elite athletes have trainers (not a single one doesn't). Higher chances of getting into an elite consultancy come from having a trainer.

Here's some reading to help maximize your chances of getting more interviews (article applies to internship *and* full-time): https://www.preplounge.com/en/articles/how-to-get-a-consulting-internship-tips-and-tricks

And here's some reading to help you for your next interview:

https://www.preplounge.com/en/articles/pitfalls-case-interview-preparation

https://www.preplounge.com/en/articles/how-to-shift-your-mindset-to-ace-the-case

https://www.preplounge.com/en/articles/dos-and-donts-in-a-case-interview

Hi there,

The GPA doesn't matter that much if you know how to write your CV and position your experience in the right way. A coach can bring amazing value here. 

Aside from this, try to apply broadly to diversify your risk. You can use the following guide to see how:

• Maximising your chances of getting a consulting job during an economic downturn

Best,
Cristian

Dear candidate,

Dea candidate,

All is good you can still make it with that GPA and arrive fast. You will simply do best with CV cover letter and all the interviewing, network a lot with target firms and present why you are unique. Be ready to ace interviews and let them refer you. Best regards, Pope

Hello,

I'm sorry to hear you didn't get the BCG offer (but making it to final round is super impressive in any case!)! 

GPA will mostly play a part in how likely you are to pass the resume review and get invited to interview. At this stage, GPA is just one of the factors they will be considering, on top of everything else on your resume. So, if you have some good work experience and demonstrate impressive leadership skills, teamwork, and quantitative analysis via your resume, a less-than-perfect GPA will not outweigh all of those things. If you are invited to interview and progress on, GPA will hold even less weight - I highly doubt it had any impact on your outcome with BCG, for instance.

However, at this stage, your GPA at time of application is not something you can change. I know it's easier said than done, but I would try to focus on the things you have control over in your application, and try to make sure they are as good as possible. Spend some time workshopping your resume and cover letter to make sure you portray yourself in the best light. And then go ahead and apply! There are no guarantees of course, however I don't think a 3.53 GPA will necessarily prevent you from getting an interview, if the rest of your application is good (frankly, there's not a huge amount of difference between 3.53 and 3.6, so if you made it to final round with 3.6, it would seem that you had lots of other great things to offer as a candidate!). 

So, don't be too demotivated, focus on improving the things you can control, and apply! Best of luck!