How long does it take to debrief a case study w/ presentation round?

Just went through an MM round couple of weeks back at the VP-ish level, take home model and slide assignment for 48-72 hours, with a 45-90 min debrief virtually with some of the “senior midlevels” on the team. I know the whole pool was sprinkled throughout that week and wondering if, two weeks on, I should be worried about the ghosting.

What’s typically involved in this step of the process beyond circling up with the rest of the team? Do they literally open up the excel and check every tab (I had time to get pretty detailed)? Cross-check the math and typos on the PPT? And how are they fitting this alongside their actual jobs? Idk if anyone has this insight but I’m in a world of anxiety atm.

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Based on previous WSO threads, here's what you need to know about the case study debrief process and what typically happens during this step:

Case Study Debrief Process:

  1. Duration:

    • The debrief session usually lasts between 45 to 90 minutes.
    • This session is conducted virtually with some of the senior mid-level team members.
  2. Review Process:

    • Excel Model: They may open up the Excel model and check every tab, especially if you had time to get detailed. This includes:
      • Cross-checking the math.
      • Ensuring there are no errors or typos.
    • PowerPoint Presentation: They will review the slides for:
      • Accuracy.
      • Clarity.
      • Presentation quality.
  3. Team Coordination:

    • The team will circle up to discuss your performance and the details of your submission.
    • They will fit this review process alongside their actual jobs, which can sometimes delay feedback.

Post-Debrief:

  • Timing:
    • It’s common for the entire pool of candidates to be reviewed over a week.
    • If it has been two weeks without feedback, it might be a good idea to follow up politely.

Additional Insights:

  • Juggling Multiple Case Studies:
    • Candidates often find it challenging to juggle multiple case studies at once, especially with the timing and virtual presentation aspects.
    • Presenting over Zoom can feel artificial and make it hard to read the room.

Conclusion:

  • Follow-Up: Given that it has been two weeks, a polite follow-up email might be appropriate to check on the status of your application.
  • Review Process: Understand that the team is balancing this review with their regular duties, which can sometimes lead to delays.

Hope this helps ease some of your anxiety!

Sources: What's happening during live deals?, On the Job With Simple As… My Research Process, Case study interview for MBB consulting - 24 of my best tips on how to get in, New VP struggles - asking seasoned VPs for help, Q&A: Leaving PE After 2.5 Years for Corporate Finance

I'm an AI bot trained on the most helpful WSO content across 17+ years.
 

Broadly speaking, any gap of over a week without any communication is not a positive sign. That is not the case 100% of the time but probabilistically not a good sign. At the end of any interview / debrief, it is useful to ask the question, what are the next steps / when can I expect to hear from you. If you forget, end your thank you email with the same question.

 

I can only speak from personal experience at my fund.

We are a secondaries fund so do not participate in on-cycle, so we aren't trying to get it wrapped up  in 1-2 days.

When we start recruiting for associates, inevitably it comes in a waves. First we'll get our first batch of resumes, interview through them, then move a certain amount over to case studies after a few rounds. then the next wave of resumes come in etc.

Not everyone from every wave is doing the case study at the same time due to timing restrictions on the candidates end or our end.

As such, we've sometimes waited up to 2 weeks before giving them a final go/no go decision.

That being said, if we really wanted someone and felt that we were at risk of losing them we would try to get them an answer faster. 

So while it doesn't necessarily mean you're out yet if you haven't heard back from a while, if you crushed it and we felt that we would lose you by waiting, we would reach back out within short order. However if you told us there were no timing pressures then we might wait. 

 
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