Hey,I am a Mechanical Engineering student at the University of Warwick (Ivy League in the UK) and I am completing a Masters in engineering (MEng).My CV is decent. I am currently interning at a management consulting firm (provides Compensation consulting services) and have some decent extra-curriculars (e.g. instruments sports etc.).My problem is, I only got BBB at A-Level (300 UCAS points). Luckily I was still accepted into a top university but now these A-Levels are causing me problems.What do you suggest I do. Should I still apply to the top Consulting firms hoping that they notice all my other skills and my strong degree or should I not even bother and just try to apply to smaller Consulting firms.I also have an assessment centre coming up for EY in audit. I realise audit isn't an amazing career path, I applied because it is the only programme which requires 300UCAS points. Would this internshp if I get it be potentially helpful for applying for grad schemes or will my low UCAS points simply mean that my CVs are automatically discarded.Basically my main question is will my application be discarded automatically because of my A-Levels or is there still a shot for me when applying.Thanks a lot,Luigi.

I was in a similar position to you - 3 B's, consulting firms wanted at least ABB (regardless of the degree) and so they wouldn't look at my application for the grad scheme.So, after 2 years somewhere else, I applied as an experienced hire and didn't put my A level grades on my CV. I got in.

Hey thanks for the reply.Did you not even bother applying because of their requirements? Some of them don't specify A-Levels so I'll definitely still try apply to those and put in a lot of effort into my cover letters but dunno if there's any point applying to places like McKinsey & Boston anymore.Also your 2 years work, was that in a consulting firm or something like accounting? Would a couple years in accounting be good for an experienced hire?P.S. what kind of consulting firm did you end up in?

I can confirm it is not worth you applying to McKinsey etc.Don't bother with Deloitte etc either as they will automatically filter your application into the bin.

[quote]I can confirm it is not worth you applying to McKinsey etc.Don't bother with Deloitte etc either as they will automatically filter your application into the bin.[/quote]Yeah, already been rejected by Deloitte.So any Consulting firm which provides a grade requirement on their page I shouldn't bother applying to I guess? If it doesn't mention a grade requirement should I apply (E.G Bain & Company)?If getting to these top places is impossible in my situation then what kind of companies should I apply to then? I'm guessing I'd have no hope for places like Oliver Wyman too?

[quote]Hey thanks for the reply.Did you not even bother applying because of their requirements? Some of them don't specify A-Levels so I'll definitely still try apply to those and put in a lot of effort into my cover letters but dunno if there's any point applying to places like McKinsey & Boston anymore.Also your 2 years work, was that in a consulting firm or something like accounting? Would a couple years in accounting be good for an experienced hire?P.S. what kind of consulting firm did you end up in? [/quote]I didn't bother applying - but halfway through, a friend at Accenture put me in touch with their recruiter and she told be that they would not consider my application at all.It was in an industry FS job. I'm sure a couple years in accounting (+ an accounting qualification) would do you well. I'm now at 1 of the Big 4

I wouldn't bother with MBB / OW etc. Frankly they're so oversubscribed they'll be looking at each CV for a reason to bin it, and your A-level grades will provide that. The auto filters will also cut you out for Management Consulting schemes at big 4, Capgemini, Accenture etc unfortunately.I spent two years in audit for similar reasons (my academics aren't great - 300 UCAS and a 2.1 from a mid table uni). Audit is pretty soul destroying, but you do have some good opportunities in big 4 (particularly in London) to build your CV. I'm moving on to a graduate management consulting scheme in September based on that experience (which got me around the academic requirements). So it is possible, albeit perhaps not the quickest route.

[quote]I wouldn't bother with MBB / OW etc. Frankly they're so oversubscribed they'll be looking at each CV for a reason to bin it, and your A-level grades will provide that. The auto filters will also cut you out for Management Consulting schemes at big 4, Capgemini, Accenture etc unfortunately.I spent two years in audit for similar reasons (my academics aren't great - 300 UCAS and a 2.1 from a mid table uni). Audit is pretty soul destroying, but you do have some good opportunities in big 4 (particularly in London) to build your CV. I'm moving on to a graduate management consulting scheme in September based on that experience (which got me around the academic requirements). So it is possible, albeit perhaps not the quickest route.[/quote]Hey thanks for the reply pal!I know that with my A-Levels I should have a bit of a 'take what I can' mentality but I am kind of adamant on getting into Consulting one way or another. If it takes a couple years (which definitely isn't ideal) then I'll do it if it's necessary.Does this mean that you left the audit programme before you completed your ACA qualifications (they're all 3 year grad schemes aren't they)?When you applied to consulting firms after you'd worked in audit for a bit, did you mention your A-Levels in the application/CV or did you just mention all the experiences you had. Also was it an internal move or did you apply to consulting firms constantly while you were on the programme.Thanks for the replies guys, any advice or opinions are invaluable!

[quote]Hey thanks for the reply pal!I know that with my A-Levels I should have a bit of a 'take what I can' mentality but I am kind of adamant on getting into Consulting one way or another. If it takes a couple years (which definitely isn't ideal) then I'll do it if it's necessary.Does this mean that you left the audit programme before you completed your ACA qualifications (they're all 3 year grad schemes aren't they)?When you applied to consulting firms after you'd worked in audit for a bit, did you mention your A-Levels in the application/CV or did you just mention all the experiences you had. Also was it an internal move or did you apply to consulting firms constantly while you were on the programme.Thanks for the replies guys, any advice or opinions are invaluable![/quote]Yes 1 year early - like yourself I was pretty adamant about what I wanted to do and didn't see myself taking accounting roles in the future. On the one hand it's a shame (the ACA has value), but once the opportunity was there I wasn't going to pass it up. Doesn't hurt that the year 1 MC salary was bigger than the year 3 accounting salary was going to be either.It wasn't an internal move, I started applying to consulting firms after approx 1 year on the audit scheme (aka had enough experience for it to be worthwhile). I made good use of my time there though - don't sit back and expect your circumstances to change on their own. I made sure I was getting top ratings and got involved in developments in the department that gave more relevant experience to consulting than I was getting on the audit side. Internal moves are possible from audit to consulting, but they're few and far between and won't happen before qualification. They're just not very related fields, so don't rely on it.I was going for grad schemes and therefore I was putting down my A-levels, but sprucing it up with lots of work experience detail. If I hadn't found anything and ended up applying post-qualification I would likely have tried experienced hire routes. That said, it seems relatively common to find plenty of the people on a MC grad scheme will have 1-3 years experience anyway. My one big tip would be to make sure you fill in the exceptional circumstances box on every application form. Don't lie obviously because that will likely get checked, but say something like: "I had a bad performance in X exam which led to a lower than predicted result. However since that exam sitting in 200X I have achieved a strong degree results from Y and undertaken Z work experience." The reason for doing that is it stops your application getting auto-filtered and means someone will have to read it. However they may only read that one circumstances box, so use it as an opportunity to sell yourself!Bear in mind though that my route wasn't exactly orthodox, so you may well find a better way to make it happen. Audit in particular is dull to start with and worse still if you don't even want the qualification - so be prepared.

[quote][quote]Hey thanks for the reply pal!I know that with my A-Levels I should have a bit of a 'take what I can' mentality but I am kind of adamant on getting into Consulting one way or another. If it takes a couple years (which definitely isn't ideal) then I'll do it if it's necessary.Does this mean that you left the audit programme before you completed your ACA qualifications (they're all 3 year grad schemes aren't they)?When you applied to consulting firms after you'd worked in audit for a bit, did you mention your A-Levels in the application/CV or did you just mention all the experiences you had. Also was it an internal move or did you apply to consulting firms constantly while you were on the programme.Thanks for the replies guys, any advice or opinions are invaluable![/quote]Yes 1 year early - like yourself I was pretty adamant about what I wanted to do and didn't see myself taking accounting roles in the future. On the one hand it's a shame (the ACA has value), but once the opportunity was there I wasn't going to pass it up. Doesn't hurt that the year 1 MC salary was bigger than the year 3 accounting salary was going to be either.It wasn't an internal move, I started applying to consulting firms after approx 1 year on the audit scheme (aka had enough experience for it to be worthwhile). I made good use of my time there though - don't sit back and expect your circumstances to change on their own. I made sure I was getting top ratings and got involved in developments in the department that gave more relevant experience to consulting than I was getting on the audit side. Internal moves are possible from audit to consulting, but they're few and far between and won't happen before qualification. They're just not very related fields, so don't rely on it.I was going for grad schemes and therefore I was putting down my A-levels, but sprucing it up with lots of work experience detail. If I hadn't found anything and ended up applying post-qualification I would likely have tried experienced hire routes. That said, it seems relatively common to find plenty of the people on a MC grad scheme will have 1-3 years experience anyway. My one big tip would be to make sure you fill in the exceptional circumstances box on every application form. Don't lie obviously because that will likely get checked, but say something like: "I had a bad performance in X exam which led to a lower than predicted result. However since that exam sitting in 200X I have achieved a strong degree results from Y and undertaken Z work experience." The reason for doing that is it stops your application getting auto-filtered and means someone will have to read it. However they may only read that one circumstances box, so use it as an opportunity to sell yourself!Bear in mind though that my route wasn't exactly orthodox, so you may well find a better way to make it happen. Audit in particular is dull to start with and worse still if you don't even want the qualification - so be prepared.[/quote]Thank you so much for all this advice!!I was thinking about this exceptional circumstances box and I'll be sure to take advantage of it for companies who have higher UCAS requirements. Hopefully I won't have to take a path through audit which as you say is soul-destroying but I take great inspiration in the fact that you managed to turn it around into a good experience to put in your CV. So consultants actually value the experience you get as an audit (which I didn't expect)!!Could I ask what firm you're at (or what sort of consulting firm). don't have to answer you've already helped me more than enough!!

I was in a very similar situation to you when I graduated from Exeter Uni over 10 years ago. Despite my degree result, I was unable to get an interview with the majority of firms due to my A-Level results - the only blip on my CV in terms of academic achievements. I really wish I'd knuckled down when I was 18. Anyway, after dozens of knock backs - I decided to do something else. I managed to find the details of one of the recruiters, candidly explained to him the reasons for my low A-Level results and what I'd done during my degree to prove it was a blip rather than a reflection of my ability. This was for BAE Systems. I got into the assessment centre, got the job, and never looked back. I now work for Accenture, when I applied for this position, I merely stated on my CV "3 A-Levels - Chemistry, Mathematics and Biology". No mention of grades. So, my advice is - go for the smaller consultancies and if you must go for one of the big 4 or Accenture type companies, do so as an experienced hire.

[quote]I was in a very similar situation to you when I graduated from Exeter Uni over 10 years ago. Despite my degree result, I was unable to get an interview with the majority of firms due to my A-Level results - the only blip on my CV in terms of academic achievements. I really wish I'd knuckled down when I was 18. Anyway, after dozens of knock backs - I decided to do something else. I managed to find the details of one of the recruiters, candidly explained to him the reasons for my low A-Level results and what I'd done during my degree to prove it was a blip rather than a reflection of my ability. This was for BAE Systems. I got into the assessment centre, got the job, and never looked back. I now work for Accenture, when I applied for this position, I merely stated on my CV "3 A-Levels - Chemistry, Mathematics and Biology". No mention of grades. So, my advice is - go for the smaller consultancies and if you must go for one of the big 4 or Accenture type companies, do so as an experienced hire.[/quote]Do you think it would be more beneficial for me to get a graduate position at a management consulting firm (regardless of how small or how specialised) rather than a finance role such as audit at a big four firm in terms of prospects for moving into a larger more generalist consulting firm??

[quote]I was in a very similar situation to you when I graduated from Exeter Uni over 10 years ago. Despite my degree result, I was unable to get an interview with the majority of firms due to my A-Level results - the only blip on my CV in terms of academic achievements. I really wish I'd knuckled down when I was 18. Anyway, after dozens of knock backs - I decided to do something else. I managed to find the details of one of the recruiters, candidly explained to him the reasons for my low A-Level results and what I'd done during my degree to prove it was a blip rather than a reflection of my ability. This was for BAE Systems. I got into the assessment centre, got the job, and never looked back. I now work for Accenture, when I applied for this position, I merely stated on my CV "3 A-Levels - Chemistry, Mathematics and Biology". No mention of grades. So, my advice is - go for the smaller consultancies and if you must go for one of the big 4 or Accenture type companies, do so as an experienced hire.[/quote]+1 there. I got into ACN with lower grades before they got into the world of auto filtering due to everything else I'd done up to that point. Even if you have a well placed mate on the inside they won't consider you without the right grades.As per the above, find a smaller consultancy who will actually read your app and hopefully your work experience and other activities will outweigh your grades (as they did for me)

+2Makes more sense to go somewhere small and do what it is you want to be doing rather than focus on getting in somewhere big and doing the wrong job.

Any suggestions with regards to possible firms I could apply to.I have done extensive research on consulting firms across the UK and have sent out numerous emails asking about internships placements. So far I've received emails saying the firms don't take interns mostly. It's still early days though I've oy sent out a few CVs and cover lettersShould I aim to get any internship experience so then I am best positioned to apply for a graduate scheme or should I keep asking various consulting firms if they would consider taking on a temporary intern?

[quote]Any suggestions with regards to possible firms I could apply to.I have done extensive research on consulting firms across the UK and have sent out numerous emails asking about internships placements. So far I've received emails saying the firms don't take interns mostly. It's still early days though I've oy sent out a few CVs and cover lettersShould I aim to get any internship experience so then I am best positioned to apply for a graduate scheme or should I keep asking various consulting firms if they would consider taking on a temporary intern?[/quote]Surely BEP would take a BEI?

I got BBB at A Level and a Russell Group 2:1 not in a business discipline. So not your typical honour roll. I went down the industry route because I had no set direction I wanted to go in. 6 years later I'm a Big 4 consultant, and my technical knowledge is well in excess of many of my peers. In brief; go do something you enjoy and join as an experienced hire.

[quote]I got BBB at A Level and a Russell Group 2:1 not in a business discipline. So not your typical honour roll. I went down the industry route because I had no set direction I wanted to go in. 6 years later I'm a Big 4 consultant, and my technical knowledge is well in excess of many of my peers. In brief; go do something you enjoy and join as an experienced hire. [/quote]I'll add to my earlier comment that I went into industry, not another consulting firm, before joining Big 4 straight after the grad scheme

Out of interest, when you made the move from grad scheme (2 years?) to big 4 consulting, what level did you come in at?

grades are quite important as you need to be clever to do this job, the politically-savvy ones can get by for a while on that alone but eventually they need to do the actual work and that's where the cleverness comes in

[quote]grades are quite important as you need to be clever to do this job, the politically-savvy ones can get by for a while on that alone but eventually they need to do the actual work and that's where the cleverness comes in[/quote]Yeah I understand that I am by no means stupid. I did get 5A*s and 6As at A-Level (could've done better i know but that's not bad) and I got 4As at AS Level and I'm on course for a 1st in Masters of Mechanical Engineering.My A2 Levels were just a blip in my academic career which seem like they're going to haunt me forever...

Did you just link A-levels to intelligence? Tut tut, I'm disappointed in you.

You did 11 A-levels and 4 AS levels?Good grief, when I was a kid we only did 3 (sometimes 2) A levels! I think they were much harder back then, though.

[quote]You did 11 A-levels and 4 AS levels?Good grief, when I was a kid we only did 3 (sometimes 2) A levels! I think they were much harder back then, though.[/quote]Apologies!! I meant to say GCSEs

I'd avoid the big firms and the like anyway. Join a small firm, life is better there

[quote]Out of interest, when you made the move from grad scheme (2 years?) to big 4 consulting, what level did you come in at?[/quote]2 year industry grad scheme, came in at Consultant - so the same as 2 years on the big 4 grad scheme

Thanks a lot for that, Consulting Duck. Thanks very much. Now I have that song stuck in my head. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97RjuC9YeXg

It's a quacking song

[quote][quote]Out of interest, when you made the move from grad scheme (2 years?) to big 4 consulting, what level did you come in at?[/quote]2 year industry grad scheme, came in at Consultant - so the same as 2 years on the big 4 grad scheme[/quote]Smashed it - you certainly topped my approach lol