Schedule mock interviews on the Meeting Board, join the latest community discussions in our Consulting Q&A and find like-minded Interview Partners to connect and practice with!
Back to overview

GPA Worries

Hello fellow preppers,

I recently received an interview from BCG and made it all the way to final round and didn't receive the offer. I felt as if I got really lucky since my GPA doesn't necessarily translate to MBB grade (3.60 from Boston College, non-target but slowly becoming more recognized by MBB).

My GPA has just dropped to 3.53 from the semester that just ended. I have, however, relevant work and leadership experiences. I'm just afraid that I may not even be offered interviews from McKinsey, Bain, or T2.

How big is GPA in this equation? Any advice?

5
1.2k
14
Be the first to answer!
Nobody has responded to this question yet.
Top answer
on May 19, 2023
#1 Coach for Sessions (4.500+) | 1.500+ 5-Star Reviews | Proven Success: ➡ interviewoffers.com | Ex BCG | 10Y+ Coaching

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

Ian
Coach
edited on May 18, 2023
Top US BCG / MBB Coach - 5,000 sessions |Tech, Platinion, Big 4 | 9/9 personal interviews passed | 95% candidate success

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

on May 24, 2023
#1 rated McKinsey Coach
Deleted
Coach
on May 19, 2023
Senior Partner and CEO, helping you reach to MBB and beyond, case and interview marathons, career progression

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

Deleted user
on May 19, 2023

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!

8
Similar Questions
Consulting
Invited for internship but rejected for fulltime
on May 09, 2024
Global
8
2.3k
Top answer by
Hagen
Coach
#1 recommended coach | >95% success rate | 8+ years consulting, 8+ years coaching and 7+ years interviewing experience
56
8 Answers
2.3k Views
+5
Consulting
BCG Knowledge DIRECTOR SALARY
on May 31, 2024
Global
6
3.4k
Top answer by
Florian
Coach
1400 5-star reviews across platforms | 600+ offers | Highest-rated case book on Amazon | Uni lecturer in US, Asia, EU
80
6 Answers
3.4k Views
+3
Consulting
When can I expect to hear back from BCG Final/Decision Round for North America Intern
on Jun 27, 2024
Global
6
5.6k
Top answer by
Hagen
Coach
#1 recommended coach | >95% success rate | 8+ years consulting, 8+ years coaching and 7+ years interviewing experience
250
6 Answers
5.6k Views
+3
How likely are you to recommend us to a friend or fellow student?
0 = Not likely
10 = Very likely
Thanks for your feedback! Your opinion helps us make PrepLounge even better.