45.1 Stop Cramming
Resist the temptation to spend the entire day doing cases, memorizing frameworks, or reviewing every preparation resource you have collected.
Cramming can create several problems:
- Fatigue: You arrive mentally tired.
- Confusion: Last-minute techniques may interfere with approaches you already know.
- Overthinking: You begin questioning methods that have worked during practice.
- Anxiety: Every final mistake can feel more important than it actually is.
Better approach: Do a small amount of light preparation early in the day, then stop.
Your interview performance will depend far more on the skills you developed over the previous weeks than on what you learn during the final evening.
45.2 Review—Not Relearn
If you want to prepare, review familiar material rather than introducing new concepts.
Useful areas to revisit include:
- Your most common mistakes and their corrections.
- The basic case-interview process.
- Common quantitative formulas.
- Your approach to interpreting exhibits.
- The structure of a strong final recommendation.
- A few major business concepts or case archetypes.
Keep the review short: You are refreshing existing knowledge, not trying to master something new.
You might also complete a few simple mental-math questions or one short structure drill to maintain fluency. There is usually little value in completing a difficult full case late at night.
45.3 Technology Checks for Virtual Interviews
For a virtual interview, test your setup before interview day rather than discovering problems minutes before the call.
Check:
- Internet: Confirm that your connection is stable.
- Camera: Make sure the image is clear and positioned at approximately eye level.
- Microphone: Test that your voice is easy to hear.
- Audio: Confirm that headphones or speakers work properly.
- Platform: Install or update any required video-conferencing software.
- Power: Charge your computer and keep it connected if appropriate.
- Environment: Choose a quiet, well-lit space with minimal distractions.
Backup plan: Know what you will do if your primary internet connection or device fails. Keep contact information for the recruiter or interview coordinator accessible.
45.4 Materials to Prepare
Prepare everything you will need before going to sleep.
For an in-person interview, this may include:
- Identification.
- Directions and transportation information.
- Several pens.
- A notebook or paper if appropriate.
- Copies of your résumé if requested or useful.
- Any documents specifically requested by the firm.
For a virtual interview, keep paper and pens within easy reach and remove unnecessary clutter from your workspace.
Important: Do not assume calculators, notes, or other aids are permitted. Follow the firm’s instructions.
45.5 What to Wear
Choose your interview clothing the day before so it does not become another decision on interview morning.
Unless the firm has given different guidance, aim for professional clothing appropriate to the office and role.
Priority: Your clothing should be clean, comfortable, professional, and unlikely to distract you.
For virtual interviews, dress professionally even though only part of your outfit may normally appear on camera. Doing so can also help create the psychological transition into interview mode.
Avoid experimenting with unfamiliar clothing immediately before an important interview. Wear something in which you can sit, speak, and think comfortably.
45.6 Planning Your Interview-Day Schedule
Work backward from the interview start time and decide when you need to wake up, eat, travel, or log in.
For an in-person interview, include additional time for transportation delays, security procedures, finding the office, and checking in.
For a virtual interview, plan to have your computer ready well before the scheduled start rather than opening the meeting link at the last minute.
Avoid unnecessary commitments: If possible, do not schedule stressful meetings, difficult coursework, or other demanding activities immediately before your interview.
Also plan what you will eat and drink. Choose familiar options that help you maintain energy rather than making an interview morning another experiment.
45.7 Managing Nerves
Feeling nervous before an important interview is normal. Your goal is not to eliminate every sign of nervousness but to prevent it from controlling your behavior.
Several simple practices can help:
- Prepare logistics: Uncertainty creates avoidable stress.
- Stop studying early: Give your mind time to disengage from preparation.
- Use normal routines: Familiar activities can help maintain perspective.
- Sleep: Protect a reasonable bedtime rather than sacrificing rest for one more case.
- Reframe the interview: Treat it as a structured business conversation rather than a performance requiring perfection.
Remember that you do not need to solve every question flawlessly. Strong candidates can make mistakes, correct them, and continue effectively.
Final principle: The day before the interview is about readiness, not improvement at all costs. Review lightly, prepare your technology and materials, organize your schedule, and stop early enough to rest. You have already done the work that matters. Your job now is to create the conditions that allow you to use those skills effectively when the interview begins.
