When a previous classmate LinkedIn messages you about work/if I wanted to grab a coffee and I know he is going to ask for a job referral but he was a shit student, what do I do? No response? Say no??

Refer away. He makes it thru interview process you get some cash. Referrals don't look bad on you. They really only get candidate fast tracked to recruiter

Do you even have time for coffee? I'm home two days a week I reserve that time for my SO, good friends and family. So finding a time to meet would mean it would never happen. If you want to meet I think if they ask you just say 1) why do you want to get into consulting 2) what are your qualifications they could have changed and have a real ability to make a difference or they will answer #2 with nothing and you say sorry I can't refer you they need a business case to hire you

Meet for coffee, find out what your classmate wants / what's changed and evaluate the situation from there

If they are not fit - no referral! Easy... I did say No more than once. They were simply not Deloitte material. Also, I don't want to work with people who are not good...

If they're not a good fit just say no. No reason to waste anyone's time. Bad fits will wash out but you don't want a rep as a referral whore.

What history tells us is that a lot of "shit students" went on to do great things later in their lives. Don't think college grades matter once you enter the corporate world. Plus, it's not your job to reject him. If you don't like the guy or don't want to refer, that's an entirely different question.

I started at my first consulting gig with a shot student. The dude always seemed high, hardly came to class, etc. He ended up being one of the hardest working out of the group. I was pleasantly surprised.