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Success Stories in Tier-1 Careers
We have consistently generated outcomes at the world's most prestigious firms.
Note: many clients request anonymity. Full evidence, including offer letters, are held on file.

I landed multiple interviews at top corporate law firms, like Akin Gump and Clifford Chance.
Matei Tasnadi,
Queen Mary University London
Not affiliated to Allen & Overy Shearman

Landed Morgan Stanley. I thought elite investment banks were beyond me.
The best investment my family has made.
Sakshi,
International student
Anonymised client
Top UK university

Multiple vacation schemes and a training contract at White & Case as an international student.
World class.
Jack,
International student
Anonymised client
Non-target university.


Case Study: Baker McKenzie – From Four Years of Rejection to a £145k Training Contract
At a Glance 95% offer‑rate benchmark; 9 months from reboot to offer; Frameworks: STAR‑3™ , PEAL‑3™ , PEAL‑X™ NQ salary track: £140k ; lifetime uplift £3.5m+ Before LSE undergraduate (2:1); four cycles, zero invites ; HireVue nerves; unclear commercial narrative. After Vacation Scheme at Baker McKenzie converted to TC ; confidence 4 → 9/10 ; on £145,000 NQ path. Problem Despite strong academics and polish, Harry spent four years collecting rejections from Magic Circle and US
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Case Study: Ropes & Gray – From Non‑Target to Training Contract at Elite US Firm
At a Glance 90% live‑interview pass‑rate post‑coaching; 24 months to offer; Frameworks: VTMR™ , PEAL‑3™ , STAR‑3™ , BDC™ NQ salary...
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Case Study: White & Case – From ABB at A‑Level to a $234k Training Contract
From ABB at A-Level and 4 Years of Rejection to White & Case Training Contract Non-Target → Elite US Law Firm. $234,000 NQ Salary. The Starting Point Jack, an international student, came to us after four consecutive years of rejection . ABB at A-Level — below the typical threshold for elite firms Non-target university Zero legal internships despite years of applications Generic applications, no structure, no firm-specific logic Four years. Zero interviews. The system wasn't
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Case Study: Sidley Austin – From Four Years of Rejection to a Training Contract (US$225k NQ Track)
At a Glance 95% offer‑rate benchmark (flagship); 100% interview pass (STAR‑3 ™ ); 9 months from restart to offer; Frameworks: STAR‑3™ , PEAL‑3™ NQ salary track: US$225k ; projected lifetime uplift £4m+ Before Four application cycles, zero interviews , despite first‑class law degree; confidence eroding. After Sidley Austin Vacation Scheme converted to a full Training Contract on a US$225k NQ track . Problem Jess, a high‑achieving graduate from an elite UK university, had en
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Case Study: Akin Gump – From Queen Mary to Telephone Interview Invite
At a Glance Stage: Telephone interview invite (post online assessment) Firm: Akin Gump Cost: £0 (free ECS content only) Process: Online assessment → Interview invite Frameworks: PEAL‑3™ , PEAL‑X™ , STAR‑3™ , VTMR™ Before Capable Queen Mary candidate with effort but no system: generic motivation, story‑heavy competencies, weak fact‑led firm logic, and limited timed rehearsal for phone interviews. After Structured motivation, fact‑per‑sentence firm rationale, STAR‑3 ™ compet
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Matei’s Story: From Queen Mary to Clifford Chance, Akin Gump, and Jones Day
Apply for Advisory → Book a call Non-Target → Magic Circle + Elite US Law Interviews. £0 Spent. Free Content Only. Outcomes (4) Akin Gump — Social Mobility Programme (Accepted) Akin Gump — Assessment Centre (Invite) Clifford Chance — Assessment Centre / Interview Invite (London Training Contract) Jones Day — Interview-Stage Invite (Video Interview) We've Never Spoken To Matei. No calls. No coaching sessions. No paid programme. He found our free content, applied the framewor
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Case Study: Blackstone – From Exeter to Spring Insight Programme (London 2026)
At a Glance Programme: Spring Insight Programme (London, 2026) Profile: UK undergraduate with prior programme wins Timeline: Multi‑year arc with a targeted sprint to Spring Week Frameworks: VTMR™ , PEAL‑3™ , PEAL‑X™ , STAR‑3™ , BDC™ Before High‑potential Exeter candidate with ambition and prior wins, but competing in ultra‑selective PE processes where generic narratives and soft signals are filtered out. After Investor‑grade story, PE‑aligned CV, credible networking and execu
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Case Study: A&O Shearman – From Applicant to First‑Year Programme Offer
At a Glance Route: A&O First (first‑year programme) Outcome: Offer secured + Brand Ambassador role Cost: £0 (free ECS resources only) Frameworks: PEAL‑X™ , PEAL‑3™ Before Motivated first‑year applicant with clear targets, but answers lacked structure; a small cluster of weaker modules required careful, non‑defensive explanation. After High‑signal, scorable answers with firm‑specific hooks; mitigating circumstances handled cleanly — A&O First offer and Brand Ambassador role s
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Case Study: HSBC Global Markets (Sales & Trading) – From £0 Prep to Summer Internship (London)
At a Glance Cost £0 (LinkedIn posts + TikTok Lives) Target list: 10‑bank high‑intent shortlist Timeline: Single rolling recruitment cycle Frameworks: VTMR™ , PEAL‑3™ , PEAL‑X™ , STAR‑3™ , BDC™ Before High effort but scattered approach: broad targeting, generic written answers, and no repeatable system for CV signal, motivation or interview delivery. After Tight 10‑bank strategy, operator‑grade CV bullets, desk‑specific motivation and pressure‑proof stories — HSBC Global Mark
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Case Study: OMERS Infrastructure – From UK Target University to Offer (London)
At a Glance Track: Infrastructure Investing — Private Markets (London) Stage: Assessment Centre → Contract secured Timeline: Focused AC sprint post‑diagnostic Frameworks: VTMR™ , PEAL‑3™ , PEAL‑X™ , STAR‑3™ , BDC™ Before Target‑university undergraduate with strong interest in infrastructure but light investor signalling, generic AC answers, and limited articulation of underwriting, risk and value creation. After Investor‑grade AC performance with IC‑style reasoning, repeatabl
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Case Study: Goldman Sachs CSG – From Target University to Summer Analyst Offer (London 2026)
At a Glance Programme: Investment Banking — Capital Solutions Group (CSG), Summer Analyst 2026 (London, EMEA) Outcome: Offer accepted (portal + email evidence on file) Process: Rolling London cycle; specialist desk calibration Frameworks: VTMR™ , PEAL‑3™ , PEAL‑X™ , STAR‑3™ Before Strong target‑university profile but generic motivation, participation‑style CV bullets, weak desk calibration, and inconsistent rolling‑process cadence in a hyper‑competitive London cycle. After D
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Case Study: Barclays Risk – From LSE to Summer Analyst Offer (London 2026)
At a Glance Stage: Behavioural + Motivation AC (no case, no group exercise) Timeline: ≈3‑week sprint Frameworks: STAR‑3™ , PEAL‑3™ , PEAL‑X™ , BDC™ Outcome: Conditional offer — Barclays Risk Analyst Summer Intern Programme Before Strong LSE candidate but inconsistent competency structure, generic motivation, unclear “Why Risk?”, and delivery that sounded like a student — not a risk operator making controlled decisions. After STAR‑3™ stories rebuilt with measurable impact; P
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Case Study: Warwick → UBS IB → £80k PE Secondaries
At a Glance Sectors: Investment Banking (Global Banking) → Private Equity Secondaries Timeline: ≈ 2.5 years (diagnostic → UBS offer → PE secondaries graduate role) Starting salary: £80,000 at age 21 (client‑confirmed) Frameworks: VTMR™ , PEAL‑3™ , PEAL‑X™ , STAR‑3™ , BDC™ Before Warwick undergraduate with strong academics but generic motivation, diluted evidence and misaligned pathing between markets/IB with no clear long‑term narrative. After Written UBS Global Banking Sum
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Case Study: BNP Paribas Global Markets – From Year‑1 UCL to 2026 Summer Internship (London)
At a Glance Stage: Global Markets Summer Internship (London, 2026) Timeline: ≈1 recruitment cycle (joined in Year 1) Inputs: Skool community + masterclasses + targeted feedback Frameworks: VTMR™ , PEAL‑3™ , PEAL‑X™ , STAR‑3™ , BDC™ Before Early‑stage UCL student with strong intent but generic answers, “I’ll do it later” drift, and CV lines reading as student activity rather than operator‑level impact. After Selection‑grade assets built around focus and value‑add statements, w
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Case Study: Top US Firm (Training Contract) – From Cambridge Rejections to Offer on £0 Prep
At a Glance Cost £0 (TikTok Lives + open‑access content) Timeline: A few focused sessions → TC offer Profile: Cambridge graduate; repeated rejections Frameworks: PEAL‑3™ , PEAL‑X™ , STAR‑3™ , VTMR™ , BDC™ Before Cambridge graduate repeatedly rejected despite strong academics; relied on prestige not strategy; generic story‑heavy answers; zero firm‑specific value; unclear on US‑firm expectations. After Evidence‑led motivation, commercially grounded narrative, firm‑specific log
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Case Study: Ropes & Gray – From £0 TikTok Learning to Open‑Day Invite (London)
At a Glance Cost £0 (free TikTok Lives + open resources) Timeline ~6 weeks (first session → invite) Frameworks: PEAL‑3™ , PEAL‑X™ , STAR‑3™ Outcome: Ropes & Gray London Universities Open Day invite Before Motivated London student with story‑heavy answers, weak firm‑specific facts and unclear reasoning about Ropes & Gray’s practice mix and commercial position. After Evidence‑led PEAL‑3™ motivation; firm‑specific references to private‑capital strength and cross‑border matte
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Case Study: Citadel – From Non‑RG to First‑Year Spring Scheme on £0 Prep
At a Glance Cost £0 (TikTok Lives + free posts) Timeline ~6 weeks (first view → offer) Profile: First‑year, non‑RG, no finance network Frameworks: VTMR™ , PEAL‑3™ , PEAL‑X™ , STAR‑3™ , BDC™ Before First‑year non‑RG student with no network, generic motivation, “student‑like” CV, unclear hedge‑fund logic and no structured application strategy. After Evidence‑led motivation, quantified CV, firm‑specific PEAL‑X™ logic, STAR‑3™ stories and a disciplined rolling cadence — Citad
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Case Study: Herbert Smith Freehills — Vacation Scheme Offer
At a Glance Prep time ~ free‑only; Cost £0 (Open resources) Stages cleared: Screen → Video → AC → Offer Frameworks: PEAL‑3™ , PEAL‑X™ , STAR‑3™ , BDC™ Before Capable candidate; generic “Why Law/Why HSF”; weak firm‑specific facts; inconsistent timing on video responses; uneven professional presence. After HSF Vacation Scheme offer confirmed ; macro‑pitch crisp at 90s ; answers evidence‑led and firm‑specific; professional presence consistent. Problem Top firms punish vague moti
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Case Study: UBS Global Banking (Summer 2026) – From Undergraduate to Next‑Round Interview (London)
At a Glance Stage: Next‑round interview confirmed (email proof, redacted) Timeline: ~2–3 weeks (diagnostic → next‑round selection) Focus: Investment Banking — Global Banking (London) Frameworks: VTMR™ , PEAL‑3™ , PEAL‑X™ , STAR‑3™ , BDC™ Before UK undergrad with strong academics; prior process exposure; generic “Why IB/Why Firm” and light metrics; inconsistent pacing under rolling timelines. After UBS Global Banking 2026 Summer next‑round secured; CV quantified; firm ratio
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Case Study: From Warwick to Blackstone Interview (London)
At a Glance Rounds cleared: 1st → 3rd (CLO Principal) → additional interview → HR scheduled Timeline: ~3–4 weeks (diagnostic → multi‑round progression) Focus: Private Credit — CLO Capital Formation (warehouse → pricing → allocation → closing) Frameworks: VTMR™ , PEAL‑3™ , PEAL‑X™ , STAR‑3™ , BDC™ Before Strong academics, prior rejections, generic operator narrative; weak CLO‑specific metrics and firm rationale; interview pacing inconsistent against rolling timelines. After
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Hassan advising MBA students at MIT Sloan

Karam, a long standing client, who landed an investment banking internship

An article in the world's biggest newpaper on entering top careers
"Your precision took our son to Ropes & Gray."
—Parent, Kuala Lumpur
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