u/Head_Kiwi7012

Hi! Newbie here.

To my surprise, two D. E. Shaw Group recruiters reached out to me despite me being a nontraditional T15 MBA student. I never thought I was attractive to hedge funds, so this got me thinking:

Are other hedge funds open to nontraditional backgrounds at target schools, even if we're graduate students?

If so, how do I get a sense of which ones are open to them?

I'm trying to figure out if a pivot is realistic. I thought most firms were only open to nontraditional students at the undergraduate level.

I appreciate the insights. Thank you!

I believe the BCG EH Consultant role for Houston and New Jersey opened around April 16th because they're hoping to start people immediately, but I've been so demoralized and burned out that I didn't apply until April 24th through a referral link. (Whoops.)

Does anyone know how long it takes for BCG to get back to us? What does the hiring timeline look like? Hoping I didn't apply too late. 😅

Has anyone noticed if consulting firms are prioritizing people with previous tech experience?

Thank you! :)

I was rejected from yet another consulting firm after yet another final round, but they generously offered feedback. They really liked me and I was a very strong candidate overall, but I didn't give enough 2nd- or 3rd-order insights in my cases. I was surprised because all of my mock interviewers (senior consultants to below partner-level) told me that this was my strength and my R1-R2 interviewers said I completed their cases well. But maybe I didn't give enough 2nd- and 3rd-order insights during my partner interviews due to nerves. I'm grateful for getting this far and not too upset, but I'm kind of perplexed.

Is it just me, or is the market that bad? Are standards a lot higher now than they were 1-3 years ago, where even 1 small blip or pause before delivering an insight can cost an offer? I really don't think my R1-R2 interviewers had to clear such a high bar. No case will be perfect, but it seems like we need to get as close to 100% as possible and be a walking encyclopedia of insights lol.

What are examples of strong 2nd- and 3rd-order insights in case interviews? I thought I knew, but now I'm questioning everything.

I thought I added nuance by pulling in personal experiences and work I've read about. But to deliver strong 2nd- and 3rd-order insights, do I have to tie these nuances to what we should do next (e.g., additional data analysis, risks, next steps)? And do we need to give these insights as immediately or quickly as possible?

Thank you for reading!