ABOUT CASES

Hi there,

Q: Can I study the cases for 2 to 3 weeks putting in mind that is my first time apply to consulting? 

It depends on:

• The material you use
• Your initial level

Most candidates need 100h+ to be ready for interviews starting from zero. So, 2-3 weeks seems like a stretch as it would mean 5-7 hours per day. It is not impossible, but if you can postpone the interview, you will have more time to absorb the information better.

In terms of how to organize your preparation, I would recommend the following: 

1. Define a calendar for your preparation. Identify how many hours you have before your interview and allocate a time slot for preparation in your calendar for each day, working on the points below. Many candidates need 100+ hours to be ready before the interview starting from zero so you can keep that as a benchmark.
2. Start reading good MBA Consulting Handbooks – you can find several for free online (INSEAD is a good one to start). Read the cases and try to apply your structure to solve them. Whenever you see there is something missing, upgrade your structure with the new insights. Try to read a new case per day – in this way you will absorb better the information with constant learning.
3. After the first 5-10 cases in books/handbooks and basic theory, start to practice live. PrepLounge can be helpful to connect with other candidates for that. There is a relevant part of the interview score that is based on your communication, which you cannot practice at all if you read cases only.
4. Keep track of your mistakes and see which ones you are repeating. If so, try to identify the source of the mistake (feedback from experienced partners would be particularly useful for this). Be sure to focus on both the behavioral part and the case part during the mocks. The case part should also cover market sizing, math and graph analysis.
5. Before the interviews, be sure to prepare your questions for the interviewer  – a great way to show you prepared in advance and to connect with the interviewer for a good final impression. Ideally, try to get information on who they are and study their profile to have good questions to ask.

Good luck!

Francesco

It’s really dependent on how quickly you grasp the basics and how quickly you’re able to tailor it towards the cases you do.

One friend of mine spent the entire summer prepping to get good enough to prep with an actual MBB consultant they found on LinkedIn that was willing to prep with them (they made it into MBB). Another friend of mine spent just 2-3 weeks prepping and made it into Bain. Both had never really played around with cases before so was new to them.

There’s a lot of free resources online and also guides on Wall Street Oasis of people that actually show their schedule and how they prepped for it in a short amount of time.

Lots of YouTube videos as well!

Hi there,

I've seen people succeed with only 1 week's prep (not advised).

I've seen people fail with 6 months prep.

What matters is:

1. YOU
2. Your Prep

As in, how capable are you? Natural aptitude/ability? Quickness? Base skills/knowledge?

And, the resources you use, your method of prep, the coach you choose, etc.

I generally recommend 2-3 months prep with 10 hours/week. But everyone is different.

Is there a world where you can succeed? Absolutely.

Would more time increase your odds? Yes.

Best way to increase your odds with a short timeline? Coaching.

The Most Common Pitfalls in Case Interview Preparation
 

Dos and Don'ts in a Case Interview
 

How to Shift Your Mindset to Ace the Case
 

Candidate-Led Cases: What to Expect With Example Cases

I've made it before with 3 weeks preparation. 

But… I had to fail first. I.e., go through a real interview round to understand what was going on… that was the real accelerator.

Some people can do it in 2-3 weeks. But having 1-2 sessions with a good coach can be a great accelerator in your case.

And yes, you should do it (prepared or not). You have 10 firms you can apply to, and you have to start the process at some point, and going through real-life interviews is a relevant part of the process. Use that as a motivator. And if you fail BCG, you can apply again next year.

Congrats on passing the screening, first of all!

2-3 weeks is short. 

The number of candidates that I've seen passing interviews and getting offers with this amount of preparation is somewhere in the single-digit percentage. 

So you need more time. And you need a plan. 

To get more time, basically you need to postpone the interview. You can be straightforward with them and explain the constraints that you have at the moment which would not allow you to be at your best during the interview. 

I would also be sending out more applications at this point in order to diversify my leads. 

Then, you need to start casing. If it's a possibility for you, getting a coach will help because they can help you develop a practice plan and give you tailored feedback - which will then accelerate your capabitilies. 

Best,
Cristian

Hi there,

Agree with Francesco here.

It is not impossible but tricky if you start from scratch. 

With the right materials and potentially a coach (huge productivity multiplier), you will quickly learn the ropes and get to a good/average performance but it might take some time to create the perfect profile:

• Strengthen your strong areas to create performance spikes (what gets you the offer)
• Strengthen your weaknesses to avoid grave mistakes (what prevents the rejection)

Also, do not forget the fit interview!

Cheers,

Florian

Hi,

There is no magic number. Is it possible? Yes, people have done it before. Will it work for you? It depends.

What's most important is to have a very targeted and focus prep and to get quality feedback. 

All the best!