Community Forum
Ask anything about cases, applications and recruiting. Members and coaches answer.
How do you synthesize midway through a case without sounding repetitive?
- Synthesis & Insights
I can summarize at the end, but midway through a case my synthesis often turns into repeating every number we just calculated. What should a good mid-case synthesis actually include?
A synthesis is not a recap of everything you did. It should state the answer so far, the evidence that matters, and what that implies for the next step.
What do you do when your final recommendation is genuinely uncertain?
- Synthesis & Insights
Sometimes the case evidence points in different directions and I do not feel comfortable giving a strong yes/no recommendation. In an interview, is it okay to say the answer is uncertain?
Yes, as long as you still make a decision-oriented recommendation. Consulting often involves incomplete information.
How do you give a strong final recommendation without rambling?
- Synthesis & Insights
My final recommendations are usually okay content-wise, but they feel too long and a bit messy. How do you make the ending sound sharper?
A strong final recommendation is usually short, top-down, and decision-oriented. Start with the answer, support it with the two or three most important reasons, and then mention key risks or next steps if relevant.
How do you get better at saying the “so what” after analysis?
- Synthesis & Insights
I can usually get through the analysis itself, but I often stop at the numbers and forget to say what they actually mean. Any tips for building that habit?
The easiest habit is to force a short implication sentence after every meaningful piece of analysis. In other words, do not stop at what the data says. Add what that means for the client or for the next step in the case.