mediocre undergrad but BALLIN connection & grades?

Hey y'all,

Graduated from a super non-target, a large state school ranked in the top 150 lol that albeit has a pretty decently renowed business program (though I did not major in business). I have a sweet in with a higher up at MBB, think in-law status. I do have top grades, nearly a 4.0, and extensive leadership experience, and am willing to work my butt off to slay the case interviews and such. What are my chances in light of my alma mater being nowhere near "elite"? & is it generally better to have sky high grades or to have graduated from a top school, i.e. would a top student from say a lower tier UC have an advantage over a sub 3.5 from a top 15, all else being equal?

 
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Connections will help you secure an interview (would may have been difficult if you are at a non-target), but after that - it is up to you to do well on the cases. And high grades mean very little, even at a target. It just means that your application doesn't get thrown immediately in the trash. You have a good opportunity - best of luck!

 

Thank you so much, I greatly appreciate your advice and warm wishes. I am aware that recruiting typically takes place in the fall...am I at a disadvantage trying to secure something right now? And would you recommend going for an internship or a full time position, since I have already graduated?

 

As someone has already said, it is definitely harder since you have already graduated. One post that I have read on this forum is that since you will be applying for full time positions, there needs to be a position available for you to take. Especially since your connection isn't a partner, it will be hard to justify hiring a non-target when there are no positions actively trying to be filled.

I would recommend spending the next 6 months practicing interviews and case prep and wait for the fall recruiting season. Once August arrives, start aggressively applying and leveraging your connections since everyone is hiring at that time. You will also have had plenty of time to prepare and ace the case interview. As someone else in this thread already said, you don't want to waste this one chance prematurely and have to wait 2 years to apply again.

Good luck!

 

A senior level referral will likely get you the interview, but make sure you are well-prepared for that. This involves cases, behaviorals, and having a strong grasp of the firm. Also make sure you don't use up the referral too soon or before you're very well prepared. Most firms make you wait 1-2 years before you apply again if you're not succesful.

Assuming you are currently working somewhere since you say you graduated. Make sure you have a good answer as well to why you're in that space and why you want to leave it.

In terms of timing, from my understanding it's quite variable once you're a college graduate. If you're a recent graduate you'd likely come in at the entry level, so the timing may cause issues if it's after on campus recruiting, but perhaps not. Not sure about that, sorry!

Best of luck!

 

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