MBB process question

So guys, longtime lurker here. Currently I'm a student just graduated from university with a STEM degree, and while I do have some offers, I sought to try my hand at management consulting. Met with an MBB partner who shared some background with me, we connected quite well and he offered to pass my resume through for internal referral.

Just wanted to know how effective is the referral process vis a vis the standard process. Also will I be dinged because of a relatively mediocre academic GPA via this process (I have some top research papers to compensate for that)? Otherwise the resume is stellar, even in his opinion. Dinged as in, before I even get an interview.

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