Hi Anonymous,

typically, there are two types of door openers, when it comes to getting into strategy consulting:

1. Relevant experience in multiple well-known companies in strategy-related positions + excellent grades
2. "Top of class" grades, e.g. among top 5 students throughout your entire academic career

Most applicants who are invited for consulting interviews belong to group 1 - they have excellent grades (as you do) and have gathered practical experience in different firms. When applying for full-time positions, some experience in consulting (or another strategy-related field) is required as long as you have a business background. You should have gathered this experience (or at least the greates part of it) at well-known firms.

Usually, there is a chain of door openers - this means e.g.

• First internship(s) during your Bachelors (does not need to be consulting-related) - part of this should be done at well-known firms (try to use that first internship at some smaller firm to get into, for instance, a well-known bank or corporate)
• First consulting internship - try to get into tier-two consultancies or big four. The big four usually offer a large number of internship positions each year.
• (Ideally) An additional consulting internship at tier-one consultany - you may use this chance to already receive a full-time offer by showing an excellent performance during your internship
• Apply for full-time positions at tier-one consultancies

Each of these steps will make it easier to take the second step, not only because your CV becomes more attractive to tier-one consultancies, but also because you gain valuable experience that will help you to figure out whether consulting really is a job you wish to work for full time.

With regards to group 2: This is very rare - in selected cases, candidates show a super strong academic profile where the requirement for practical experience is dropped.

Hope this helps!

Best

Dorothea