1st vs 2:1 from "target uni" for consulting

Does a First Class in Economics at a 'target uni' (Oxbridge/LSE) hold much more weight over a 2:1? I'm interested in applying for grad roles in strategy consulting next year and think I'll probably end up on a 2:1 (around 67%). Would that be an issue or is a 2:1 good enough to get an interview at MBB/S&/OW etc? I have 2 society leadership positions, a consulting internship (not a strategy one) this summer and some other finance internships (non-brand name).

Hi there,

For a lot of grad roles, if you'll be applying in your final year you won't actually have received your degree. This means that the company won't know whether you have a 1st, 2:1, etc, although you may need to declare any e.g. 1st or 2nd year results you have as well as your expected degree outcome. What's generally more important is doing well in e.g. online assessments, assessment days, case interviews etc. The application process for consulting roles can be really long and gruelling, and so your preparation for those stages of the application process will likely play a much larger role in whether you receive an offer than whether your expected degree outcome is a 1st or 2:1. From what I've heard, a lot of strategy consulting companies will ask for a just a pass or a 2:1 in offer letters anyway - I've never heard of anyone needing a first from their offer letter. The only time you might is if you declare your expected outcome as a 1st, then the company may ask for your degree classification to be in-line with the expected outcome you put on your application, so beware of shooting yourself in the foot, as saying you're on track for a first could end up possibly backfiring if your offer requires you to maintain that standard (but again, this is pretty unlikely).

MBB in particular have odd online tests and games as well as case interviews - even if you have a first from Oxbridge, if you flop these assessment stages you won't get an offer. So, best to read up on the application process for each firm and really invest time and energy into understanding the different stages (and prepare a list of lots of companies - you have to apply to a lot of companies even if you have a strong profile, as consulting is competitive and rejections are incredibly common).

Hopefully that answers your question. Of course, if you're applying after receiving your degree, a first from a target Uni will look better on your application than a 2:1. But again, there are so many stages of the application process that the difference between a first and 2:1 from a target Uni shouldn't be your main concern - prep well for the tests and interviews and this will likely hold more weight in determining whether you get an offer than whether you've got the first or high 2:1.

Best of luck!

Does a First Class in Economics at a 'target uni' (Oxbridge/LSE) hold much more weight over a 2:1? I'm interested in applying for grad roles in strategy consulting next year and think I'll probably end up on a 2:1 (around 67%). Would that be an issue or is a 2:1 good enough to get an interview at MBB/S&/OW etc? I have 2 society leadership positions, a consulting internship (not a strategy one) this summer and some other finance internships (non-brand name).

Does a First Class in Economics at a 'target uni' (Oxbridge/LSE) hold much more weight over a 2:1? I'm interested in applying for grad roles in strategy consulting next year and think I'll probably end up on a 2:1 (around 67%). Would that be an issue or is a 2:1 good enough to get an interview at MBB/S&/OW etc? I have 2 society leadership positions, a consulting internship (not a strategy one) this summer and some other finance internships (non-brand name).

Does a First Class in Economics at a 'target uni' (Oxbridge/LSE) hold much more weight over a 2:1? I'm interested in applying for grad roles in strategy consulting next year and think I'll probably end up on a 2:1 (around 67%). Would that be an issue or is a 2:1 good enough to get an interview at MBB/S&/OW etc? I have 2 society leadership positions, a consulting internship (not a strategy one) this summer and some other finance internships (non-brand name).