Applying to McKinsey w/ Low GPA

Question

Hi all. I am inquiring because I am currently working on an application for McKinsey, and I am coming in with a 2.7 GPA from a tier 1 school. I had extenuating circumstances that seriously contributed to my subpar grades, and I am explaining them in my cover letter. I was also fortunate enough to receive a referral from a Partner in my top office pick.

I'm basically just trying to gauge my chances at getting an interview. Is there anything else that I can do to raise my chances? If I am invited for an interview, is there a chance I will have to explain my GPA further? If so, are there any tips on navigating speaking about personal circumstances in an interview?

Thank you for your help!

Answer 1

Hi there,

with a Partner (assume it's an equity Partner level?) referral, your chances are very much intact - this is usually a strong catalyst for your application.

Once you get invited to interview stage, your GPA won't matter anymore. The interview process is merit-based. E

Wish you all the best!

Regards, Andi

Answer 2

Hello,

It sounds like you're doing exactly the right thing here. Honestly, a partner referral is going to be much more impactful in terms of your chances of getting an interview than the low GPA. Explaining the extenuating circumstances in your cover letter is exactly the right step too. To answer your questions:

Is there anything else that I can do to raise my chances?

A partner referral is the best way to increase your odds of getting an interview, and you already have that, so that's great! Additional steps would be polishing your CV and cover letter, and preparing for the online test.

If I am invited for an interview, is there a chance I will have to explain my GPA further? If so, are there any tips on navigating speaking about personal circumstances in an interview?

Yes, it's not super likely but you might get asked about it, so I would prepare and rehearse your answer in case it does come up. Without details on what happened it's hard to give any specific recommendations, but my general advice is to be honest, highlight any moments of learning (if applicable), and make it clear why similar circumstances won't impact your job performance (if applicable).

Answer 3

Hi there,

Sounds like you're doing everything you can - a Partner referral is huge!

Just make sure to have as impressive a resume as possible.

Here's some more reading to help:

https://www.preplounge.com/en/articles/how-to-get-a-consulting-internship-tips-and-tricks

Answer 4

Hi there,

A low GPA is definitely not ideal, as GPA is a proxy for ‘intellectual horsepower’ that firms are looking for.

However, if you've managed to get a referral from a Partner, that is already as strong / ideal as a method to get an interview. The rest is now up to the recruiting team to decide on extending you the interview.

In terms of speaking about your personal circumstances in the interview, I would suggest the following:

Be honest and authentic
- For me, I always feel better about telling the truth and it makes the story alot more compeling
- It is less than ideal but if it is really unfortunate circumstances, I think most people can empathize
Make a negative incident or story have a positive outcome, i.e. focus on the positives or lessons learnt
- Everyone has gone through struggles and difficult times, and what's important is your ability to grow and learn from it
- So think hard about what you gained from that experience and channel it to a few positive outcomes/learnings
If possible, also share other ‘compensating’ factors w.r.t your low GPA
- This is more about getting some data or evidence to show that you have what it takes intellectual given ideal/better circumstances
  - E.g. if say your module grades were stellar but only for a short time after the circumstnace was resolved
  - E.g. if you have any other tests/activities you took outside that could attest to your intellectual capabilities

All the best!

Answer 5

Hi there,

1) Is there anything else that I can do to raise my chances?

To maximize your chances you can work on a great CV, a great cover letter (if they ask for that) and a referral. If you already have a partner referral, you can optimize the CV and Cover if not done already.

You can find some tips below:

▶ How to Get a Consulting Interview Invitation

2) If I am invited for an interview, is there a chance I will have to explain my GPA further?

They might ask about it during interviews if you reported it in your CV, if that’s the case you can explain it further. If they don't ask, I would not bring up the point.

3) If so, are there any tips on navigating speaking about personal circumstances in an interview?

Difficult to comment without knowing what happened, I would recommend adding in a separate post your situation for comments on that.

Good luck!

Francesco

Answer 6

Hi there!

Don't worry about it. It's totally fixable.

The whole point is that you don't have to have the GPA on your CV unless you are specifically asked about it.

What I recommend candidates instead is to:

Highligh a course / program / something that you performed specifically good in. For instance, you didn't get a good grade in your degree, but you got a distinction in the ‘Politics of the Middle East’ course. Put that on the CV instead
Talk about other achievements within your academic time that either show leadership, or initiative, or an entrepreneurial spirit, or creativity, or teamwork.
Mention anyhting else that would show that even within a certain part of your academic time you had a distinctive performance relative to the rest of the cohort.

Then, be careful about proactively explaining why you had bad grades in your cover letter. You might actually do more harm this way by attractive unwanted attention to it.

Since you have a referral from a Partner, you have high chances of passing screening. So what I'd recommend is to make sure you have a great CV and CL. Feel free to reach out for some feedback.

Aside from this, make sure ethat you apply broadly. Here is a guide that you can use to design an application strategy:

Free Guide: Build A Winning Application Strategy

Best,

Cristian

Answer 7

The main difference really is the risk at stake. Entrepreneurial Drive is more about having initiative and driving th... (read entire answer)

The main difference really is the risk at stake. Entrepreneurial Drive is more about having initiative and driving things forward, but Courageous Change is about making the hard... (read entire answer)