A “crop circle” is a small group around a firm representative, often after a presentation. Practice joining, following the conversation and making room for other students.
Choose a rehearsal
No account needed
Original fictional scenes with guided choices. Your choices stay on this page and reset when you reload. This exercise does not evaluate your recruiting prospects.
Rehearse in your own words with an AI coach
Copy the coach instructions for your selected scenario, open ChatGPT or Claude, then paste them into a new chat. The coach plays the other people, waits for your reply and helps you retry a difficult moment.
The AI coach runs in the app you choose, under that app’s terms and privacy settings; Harper does not send anything to it. Use fictional names and avoid private messages or club materials. AI feedback can be wrong. This is preparation, not assistance during a real networking event.
Use the right resource for the moment
Before
Know what you want to learn.
Read the firm brief, prepare a short introduction and choose a question about the person’s experience. Check the invitation for format, location and registration instructions.
Enter at a pause. Let others finish. Follow an answer rather than working through a list, and make room for classmates. A brief, thoughtful exchange is enough; you do not need to secure another meeting.
After
Keep one true detail and the actual next step.
Write down what you learned. A warm thank-you can simply explain why that detail mattered. Saving a contact or drafting a note does not send a message.
Harper’s original exercises reflect general networking principles discussed in MCG’s Week 1 networking guidance: listening, relevant questions, shared airtime and specific follow-up. Reviewed October 7, 2026. They are not firm assessments, official scripts or reproductions of member materials.
For MCG’s templates, trackers and current event instructions, use the networking resources linked in the latest members’ newsletter or club channel. Access follows MCG’s permissions. A practice scene cannot establish the current booking rules.
Harper's own structure, not a firm's instructions.
Before
Read the firm before you ask about it.
Open the company brief and pick two questions whose answers you cannot get from the firm's website. Confirm the time zone, the meeting link or room, and the dress code on the invitation itself.
The brief is one click away so research happens before the conversation, not during it.
After
Write the one detail you want to remember.
After the chat, write down the point that changed your understanding and why. Use your own notes; do not turn a vague recollection into a quotation. This gives your follow-up something specific to respond to.
Keep it to a few sentences: thanks, the detail, and an optional next step you will actually take. Then record who you spoke with and when, so the next conversation starts from what you already know.
A free account keeps your notes, next actions and thank-you drafts together. You mark messages sent yourself; Harper does not send them.
Notes and examples
Kept below the sequence so the steps stay readable.
Two questions that are not on the website
These are example shapes, not questions to read aloud. Both ask about the work rather than the firm.
What does a normal week look like when a project is going well, and what changes when it is not? Who checked your work in your first few months, and how did that feedback reach you?
Timing a 30-minute conversation
Peer notes in the class guide suggest closing a 30-minute chat once the discussion is complete rather than filling the full slot. Leave time afterwards to write the detail down while it is still exact.
Tell the host in advance when you can. If the conversation is already missed, send one short message that acknowledges it and offers to reschedule, with your availability included so the reply is easy.
Explore this guide without an account. Your private tracker requires sign-in.
Independent student research. Confirm office-specific roles and recruiting requirements with the firm.
Thank-you workshop
Thank-you notes
Study an example, then write from your own conversation. The coaching explains what makes each note useful. Copy and send from your own email; this page cannot send.
Examples with substance
Original fictional situations, not actual messages from Jenn or classmates.
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Structure & editing notes
Replace its story, not just the name. Coaching stays out of your message.
Compose
Nothing here is stored. A refresh clears the fields.
Add a first name and a true detail, then choose Build from my details. Your edits are never replaced automatically.
[Name a detail only this conversation produced. A fact from the website proves you read it, not that you listened.]
[One next step, or none at all. Do not write a follow-up you will not do.]
[Add your own sign-off line before you send. The draft stops before it.]
Composing is not sending. Draft text stays on this page unless you copy it. A refresh clears it. Save a final draft in your private tracker if you want to keep it.
Asked & answered
Asked & answered
Practical distinctions for navigating recruiting. Current event, club and employer instructions take precedence.
Search the answers
11 answers.
Where are the networking templates, and why is access denied?
MCG shares templates and trackers through its member resources. Start with the latest club announcement and open the shared folder using the account the owner has authorized. A Harper listing does not grant access to a private Drive or Notion page. If the link opens but permission is denied, ask the owner for access rather than requesting an unrestricted copy.
I preregistered. Do I actually have a coffee-chat time?
An interest form, application deadline and confirmed meeting are different things. Keep the registration deadline as a task; put the conversation on your calendar once a time is assigned or confirmed. Check the time zone and location in the invitation. Saving a Harper item or blocking time yourself does not reserve a slot.
The email and booking page show different dates. Which should I use?
Check what each date describes: registration opening, cutoff, event day or individual time slot. Then look for a dated correction from the organizer. If the same fact still conflicts, ask the organizer before booking. There is no universal rule that the email, BCP or employer site always wins; preserve the original links and the correction.
How many chats can I book with a firm or a second-year?
Look for the latest rule for that specific program. A firm Meet-n-Greet, regional conversation and MCG second-year chat can have different limits, and organizers may change them as capacity opens. A rule for one does not authorize another. Keep the office, program and date of the instruction together.
This invitation names one office. Does it apply to me?
An office-specific invitation is not automatically a firm-wide invitation. Check your genuine office interest and the eligibility instructions before booking. If your region is missing, follow the organizer’s update channel rather than substituting another office’s link.
I have not found an available slot. Am I behind?
An empty booking page is evidence about available slots, not a verdict on your candidacy. Check whether the firm is releasing more times and follow the current club guidance. In the meantime, prepare your introduction, office interests and questions so you can use a slot well when one opens.
How do I make a thank-you sound like me?
Keep one professional takeaway and, when it fits, one small personal detail you actually discussed. Explain why the takeaway mattered instead of listing everything you covered. A short note can be warm and substantive. It does not need another ask. The workshop shows fictional examples with editing notes; replace the story, not just the name.
What if I miss a chat, or the other person does not join?
If you cannot attend, notify the host as early as possible. If you missed a confirmed appointment, acknowledge it briefly without a long excuse. If the host did not join, send a neutral rescheduling note with a few available times and a time zone. Do not assume the absence means a rejection.
What should I prepare, and what should I wear?
Read the invitation first for dress and format. Prepare a short introduction, your reason for exploring the work, and questions that build on research rather than repeat the website. Confirm time, time zone, venue or meeting link. Leave space for the other person to talk and respect the scheduled end time.
Should I choose classes just for consulting recruiting?
Use your interests, degree needs and realistic workload to choose classes. Compare recurring recruiting commitments against class times, and leave room for group work. Peer scheduling suggestions are context, not a requirement to buy an expensive course or skip class. Confirm this quarter’s actual event schedule.
What is the difference between saved and registered?
Saved means you kept a personal reference. Registered means you completed the organizer’s required step; some events still need a separate time-slot confirmation. A private tracker entry is useful for planning but does not notify the host, register you or prove attendance.
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Questions informed by the class best-practices guide and recurring student questions in Slack and WhatsApp. Answers are Harper’s synthesis, reviewed October 5, 2026. Current organizer instructions govern; private messages and member-only materials are not reproduced here.