Quick question, I'm a student and have just had an offer from a big4 consultancy, it states in the letter that it is conditional of a upper second degree. Obviously I'm working very hard to obtain this.My question is what are the chances of being accepted if I drop a few marks short of this? Thanks.

Shirley if you are clever enough to get a job with MBBB then you’re going to cruise a 2:1??

Don't be so certain. These things are very much a lottery, especially in the 'soft' subjects where 'there are no right or wrong answers'. Get a few examiners who disagree with your points of view or don't like your handwriting and you're stuffed. I suspect most of the 'verifying' that goes on amounts to little more than a quick glance to check the marking isn't too far out of kilter.

Dr Rumack, Clary said it was an offer from Big 4, not MBB; very different.

Fair enough.

So can anyone help with the original question? Perhaps an HR person or someone with 1st/2nd hand experience of this?Would be nice to know how it works....Cheers.

Low to Zero. They have so many graduate level applicants they don't need to compromise on their criteria.

I think that it must be pretty small minded if they won't consider any extenuating circumstances or extra curricular activities. will they ever change - is HR out there?

Extenuating circumstances and extracurricular activities are taken into account to get you to the stage where you get an offer.Beyond that, it's silly to keep pushing back the standards. You might as well complain that everything is subjective and nothing and noone is better than anyone else. University grade bands are broad enough to build in a level of forgiveness. If your extenuating circumstances are genuine, your university gives you a second chance anyway, with resits, vivas or replacing the affected grades with your grade average from other subjects.At the end of the day, why take the risk of employing someone who doesn't meet the final criteria when you can employ someone who has proven themselves just as worthy though the assessment process and has cleared the final hurdle. It would be unfair to the person who has done better on their own merit.First rule of a successful career as a graduate - remember that you are not special and do not deserve special treatment. Especially if you join a consulting firm, you are one of many basic, easily replaceable, unit resources.

underdog, I agree with your point but surely in the case of an offer already having been made, with the time and money already invested in the individual, as well as the judgement already made of him/her, firms should think twice?

No reason why they should - consultancies are not charities, and their processes are designed to be cost effective. The outlay of processing one applicant, versus the potential losses of a wrong hire are negligible.You just have to accept that consutlancy, by its very nature, is elitist. That's the whole point of it.

This isn't even about being elitist. It's not even about meritocracy. It's about sticking to the specifications of the contract - basic business sense. The company wants to buy 2:1 quality labour in return for salary payments. They would not be in business for long if they were in the habit of accepting sub-par quality goods and services and still paying full-price for them. If you get a 2:2 then try offering to work for half the salary and without study support. It's a business deal, not an entitlement to a job.