How does consulting look at a candidate's entire profile vs just 9/9/9 acads?

Consulting firms evaluate complete profile at IIM Calcutta - strong acads alone don't win shortlists, while overall lucrative profiles with diverse signals drive consulting success. The OP said - "Consulting looks after the entire profile and not just 9/9/

1. Make overall profile more lucrative." This insight helps aspirants who obsess over grades alone. What "lucrative profile" means for consulting shortlists at IIM C (Rs 27L fees, Rs 34.23 LPA avg):

1. Strong UG brand: IIT CS/ECE, BITS, NITK, top colleges - worth 15-20% of shortlist weight,

1. Prestigious pre-MBA work-ex: MBB internship, top tech company (Google, Amazon, Microsoft, Goldman), big 4 consulting,

1. National-level achievements: IITJEE top 1000, Olympiad winners, national sports representation,

1. Leadership PORs: Student body president, club heads, startup founders,

1. Extracurriculars: published research, ultra-achievements in non-academic pursuits,

1. Languages + certifications: N3 Japanese, B2 German, professional qualifications. A candidate with 8/8/6 acads + IIT CSE + 1 year Microsoft SWE + N3 Japanese + McKinsey case comp winner beats a candidate with 9/9/9 acads + average UG + 2 years generic IT + no spikes. Consulting shortlist formula at IIM C: Acads (30%) + UG brand (20%) + Work-ex (25%) + Spikes/achievements (15%) + MBA performance (10%). For 9/9/9 candidates without other signals, consulting shortlists at MBB are still difficult. For 8/7/6 candidates with strong spikes, MBB is achievable at IIM C. Senior OP guidance on 8/8/6 profile with MBB target - "Literally everyone at IIM ABC will have a high CAT percentile. Unless you have national level achievements, extracurriculars won't make much dent. Serious solid work-ex can make a difference. The thing is - there would be people with excellent profiles without any buts. Why would any firm go for someone with compromises, when they can get what they want. If you have a specific niche achievement which MBB requires at that moment, I've even seen people with 8/8/6 making it there and thriving." Build compensatory signals when acads are weak. Check your eligibility at collvera.com/eligibility