How to get started with recruiting & GPA woes

I’m a rising freshman (sophomore next year) at I guess a semi-target & top STEM school studying Data Science. I’ve had a rough freshman year adjusting to college rigor and am ending my year with a 3.3 GPA. While I can get it up over time idk if i can get a 3.8+ ever which i’ve heard u need for things like MBB.

I’ve always dreamt of working in strat/management consulting but I have no idea where to start, and am I cut out based on this GPA? And what should I start doing to get in? I’ve looked around and seen advice on joining consulting orgs on campus, but but is there anything I can do this summer?

Additionally I have a Data Analytics internship this summer and in 1-2 business clubs but nothing in terms of actual consulting experience or projects yet.

3 Comments
 
Most Helpful

update in case anyone looks at this post (which was made in summer 2023):

1. I joined organizations, and even started my own consulting group with a few friends - managed to get big clients through cold emails

2. I applied to 100s of internships, got a couple F500 offers for analytics for summer 2024

3. Pivoted to consulting & corp strat recruiting using analytics background as leverage (have a few offers for summer 2025)

4. I realized the importance of networking (apollo.io, linkedin, campus events) and thankfully with a strong resume + target school was able to get solid referrals

5. I got my gpa up from a 3.3 to around a 3.6 which helped me pass that bar

 

Molestiae eos dolorem voluptas explicabo voluptatem distinctio corporis. Nostrum eum delectus aut ea. Sit voluptate et sit praesentium ut et animi. Ullam laborum rerum nesciunt deleniti aspernatur neque repellendus optio. Ut quo voluptatibus facere dolor iusto officia aut qui.

Voluptates itaque perspiciatis ad voluptatem ut quidem. Ut vero adipisci et exercitationem numquam hic. Et repellat laboriosam soluta non tempora. Qui sint veritatis deleniti ut pariatur magni.

Career Advancement Opportunities

June 2026 Consulting

  • Boston Consulting Group 99.5%
  • Bain & Company 99.0%
  • McKinsey and Co 98.5%
  • Oliver Wyman 98.0%
  • LEK Consulting 97.5%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

June 2026 Consulting

  • Cornerstone Research 99.5%
  • Bain & Company 99.0%
  • Boston Consulting Group 98.5%
  • McKinsey and Co 98.0%
  • Oliver Wyman 97.5%

Professional Growth Opportunities

June 2026 Consulting

  • Bain & Company 99.5%
  • Boston Consulting Group 99.0%
  • McKinsey and Co 98.5%
  • Oliver Wyman 98.0%
  • LEK Consulting 97.5%

Total Avg Compensation

June 2026 Consulting

  • Partner (4) $361
  • Principal (30) $294
  • Director/MD (58) $274
  • Vice President (53) $247
  • Engagement Manager (111) $232
  • Manager (167) $172
  • 2nd Year Associate (185) $142
  • 3rd+ Year Associate (115) $135
  • Senior Consultant (354) $132
  • Consultant (635) $122
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (162) $121
  • 1st Year Associate (575) $121
  • NA (16) $114
  • Engineer (6) $114
  • 2nd Year Analyst (390) $104
  • Associate Consultant (175) $100
  • 1st Year Analyst (1152) $90
  • Intern/Summer Associate (205) $83
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (626) $67
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”