Why am I getting interviewed?

I have an interview tomorrow with a top global strategy consulting firm not MBB but just below them, all of the employees I have researched have their degrees from Harvard, Princeton, Yale, MIT, Oxford, etc. I am in a top 20 business school with a double major and a modest 3.2 GPA. They contacted ME. Many of my classmates have much better GPA's etc. yet were declined. And on their website it says you have to have at least a 3.4 to be considered. They have my cover letter, resume, and transcripts so they are well aware of my 3.2. Why are they interviewing me? Is this normal for companies to state that as a requirement yet still interview below it?

13 Comments
 

cough**Accenture***cough

Better to be lucky than good is the most likely reason. but honestly, someone might have really liked your cover letter or they saw some experience on your resume that made them feel a connection.

and ha...I am officially an 800 lb gorilla.

"Greed, in all of its forms; greed for life, for money, for love, for knowledge has marked the upward surge of mankind. And greed, you mark my words, will not only save Teldar Paper, but that other malfunctioning corporation called the USA."
 

haha I feel my resume is pretty good compared to most but I haven't even had a "traditional" internship in my academic career. Not Accenture lol and my majors are Economic Consulting and Entrepreneurship. They didn't blanket EC like I thought because most of my peers within my EC classes were denied (but have above a 3.5). Specifically a 3.6 GPA student doubling in EC and Finance. Hmmm....I actually like going in to this interview knowing I am towards the bottom...less pressure

 

^^^ Excellent post Don. Of course, it's healthy to have a small dose of... humility with your confidence, but now that you've got the interview, MIT, Harvard, Stanford, Nobel Prize, etc mean absolutely nothing. It all comes down to the interview, and you've got something that can blow those kids from the target schools out of the water. That's why they're interviewing you.

Basically, the key is to focus on your competencies and practice, practice, practice.

 
Best Response

yeah, plus you have WSO on your side - the other candidates are screwed.

also, no pressure to buy it, but we are now offering mock interviews and career coaching services through WSO with solid Wall Street mentors.

you can e-mail WallStreetOasis.com>[email protected] for more info or check them out here: //www.wallstreetoasis.com/wall-street-mentors-mock-interview

and here: //www.wallstreetoasis.com/wall-street-mentors-and-career-coaching

Official announcement of these services is tomorrow over newsletter and a post to the home page...we are offering a very solid deal to 10 of our first clients...which you'll hear about in less than 24hrs.

Either way, good luck and let us know what happens, Patrick

 

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