Tips for Applying to a Consulting Club at USC
By: Kristen Adams ‘25
Ready to enter the world of consulting and casing? One way of preparing for a career in consulting is to join a student organization geared towards hands-on client projects. Some clubs you might consider joining include AIM, TCG, 180DC, ICC, and LACI. With multiple rounds of interviews and only so many open spots available for new members, it can be very nerve-wracking to go through the process of applying to a consulting club at USC. Here are 3 tips to help demystify the application process.
Practice market sizing
How many tennis balls fit inside Leavey Library? How many electric car charging stations are in California? How many USC students go to the Lyon Center each day?
These are examples of market sizing questions that may be asked during your first-round interview. For these questions, the most important thing to keep in the back of your mind is that you should be clear, concise, and confident when you share your thought process during the interview. The actual numbers you share don’t matter as much as you might think they do; instead, your way of thinking, your framework, and your strategic approach to tackling these difficult questions are the most crucial in determining whether you’ll succeed. Also, make sure you bring something to write with and something to write on because, on the surface, these questions may seem easy to tackle, but under pressure, it’s easy to make simple calculation errors.
Be sure to share every single detail and calculation that contributes to your answer. Your interviewers can’t read your mind, and you want to make sure that they see the effort that you are putting in. Start big and narrow your market, and use logical guesses when necessary.
Familiarize yourself with case interviews
The next round of interviews is the case interview. The purpose of a case interview is to see how you work in a team setting and how you articulate your thought process in a concise and professional manner. This is your moment to shine as a consultant! To prepare, look through sample case studies featured on McKinsey and BCG to see example questions and answers.
During your case interview, make sure you don’t dominate the conversation or interrupt anyone when they are speaking. Encourage your teammates to share their ideas while also contributing your own. To tackle a case, use a framework to break down your problem into small, focused components, and make sure all aspects of the case are addressed in your presentation. For example, if someone in your group hasn’t touched on finances yet, it would be wise for you to take the initiative and dive into concepts like profitability and risk in your team presentation. Quality is more important than quantity, so be sure to contribute meaningful ideas that move the discussion along and work towards completing your framework.
Network with consulting club members
Each consulting organization at USC has a different vibe, so the best way to see if a club is the right fit for you is to meet its members! LinkedIn and Instagram are great ways to get deeper insight into a club and its members, social events, and club culture. Some consulting organizations prioritize having large and well-known clients, others aim for maintaining a work-hard-play-hard mentality, and some focus primarily on providing professional opportunities. Don’t be afraid to ask current members to meet up for coffee chats at the Village Starbucks or Dulce. We’re all a part of the Trojan family, and we all just want to learn from each other, so don’t be afraid to make the first move, reach out, and ask questions.
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