Hi all, Just a quick post that won't involve too much brainpower from my end, but might help if some of you can add some of your experience. A reader recently wrote to let me know they have been selected for a 3rd round interview at McK (congratulations to you by the way) and they are looking for some insight from any of you who may have had 3rd round interviews with McK in the past. This also might be a good time for any of you with any general 1st or 2nd round experiences to chime in as well to build a body of knowledge before interviewing for the "Big 3" begins in earnest in the next several months.
Thanks for the help!
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i'm the one who wrote in to the blog to ask about third round interviews. i'd definitely love to hear your feedback if you've been through the final round or if you know people who have!
ReplyDeletethe first round was, unsurprisingly, pretty straightforward. we took the test (which was not fun) and did some "non-evaluative" group case interviews with consultants. since i had very little case prep experience, this was really useful for me.
i actually enjoyed my 2nd round experience. the interviews themselves went by very quickly, and before i knew it, it was all over. the consultants i met were all very nice and the cases were fairly straightforward. i don't think we had time to make it all the way through a single case -- a fair bit of time up front was spent on small talk, "Why are you interested in consulting?", etc.
two of the interviews also had a "personal experience" component -- and both interviewers asked essentially the same question, so i was lucky to have a couple of different stories that fit the bill. overall i thought the process was fairly low-stress and was thrilled to hear shortly thereafter that i was moving on to the final round.
It looks like what you call the first round is what they'd call a preliminary/screening round. The second round you describe seems more like a traditional first round (straightfoward case, two seperate interviews with people at consultant/relationship manager level).
ReplyDeleteThe next round after that is generally with a series of parterns. It's more emphasis on the "fit" and "clientability", although there'll be a more abstract case too (very broad question, like how to increase the tax base).
Keep structured, keep friendly. That's all you need.
The 3rd round is much more fit based. You will go through some cases with partners, but they are not as interested in the technical details (i.e. calculations) as they are in the strategic implications of the problem. You might be asked a much more general question as opposed to having a traditional case...when i was in my 3rd round, for example, i was asked "how would you value a pharmaceutical company." We talked about value, what adds value, etc...for 30 minutes very casually. After having been hired and having a little recruiting experience under my belt, i can say with confidence that once you are in the 3rd round you are sailing in pretty smooth waters...be yourself and you will be OK...afterall that's what has gotten you this far in life.
ReplyDeleteJust had a second round interview today. Out of curiosity, how long did it take to hear back regarding decisions? They told us 10 days, but I was hoping it might happen sooner rather than later.
ReplyDeleteAs said by others already, by the 3rd round you've already proven your analytical chops, so it is mainly about convincing partners that:
ReplyDelete1) You can be put in front of a client and handle yourself - pressure, ethical issues etc.
2) You can generate higher level insights into problems. Don't be afraid to think outside the box and explore interesting ideas that may pop into your head.
3) This is of course always there, but that you are someone they would be happy spending an 8 hour flight with.
OP here. in response to the 4:56pm comment: they said we'd hear within a week, but i got a phone call the next morning from one of my interviewers saying that i had made it to the final round in my top choice office.
ReplyDeletei think a lot of it depends on the office in which you'll be doing your final round interview. once they decide that you've passed, they have to match you with an office, which can take varying amounts of time.
@anon020...Thanks a lot for the follow-up. I'm hoping the matching process happens quickly. Good luck at your final round!
ReplyDeletei think the comments here are right on. I had interviewed outside of the US so my experience may be a little different, but my partner interviews (3rd round) were very informal and fit based. I think yours will be the same...i didn't really click with one of the interviewers and still got an offer. I ended up working at BCG in the end, but I think that its hard to blow it at this stage in the game...that being said, still bring your A game for another 3 hours and you'll be fine! Good luck if this is what you really want!
ReplyDeletethanks all for the informative replies. i've been getting mixed messages about what to expect in the final round. some have said that the partners give some pretty tough cases, and others have said it's fit-based and not to worry about it. i definitely know of more than a couple people who have been dinged in the final round in recent years. so i guess i'm still a bit apprehensive and not sure what to expect. the comments here are all really reassuring -- thanks all!
ReplyDeleteHi anon020...good luck with your interview! Please let us know what the experience was like after its completed...it's always helpful to have the most complete set of experiences possible!
ReplyDeleteJust got my from my 2nd round of interview. Willing to write the cases and send it to people who are interested. Let me know ur email and whether u want or not....
ReplyDeletei would advise against that -- mckinsey asks that we not share the cases and there's no reason not to respect their wishes.
ReplyDeleteJust wanted to help everyone prepare....
ReplyDeleteI also have been through first and second rounds with Mck and had similar experiences as people have previously mentioned. My second rounds were yesterday in Philly, and early this afternoon I got a call that I passed on to final rounds.....but I 100% agree that office preference has to do with how long it takes. People have been hearing in clusters that correlate with where their final rounds will be.
ReplyDeleteJust some insight into this whole process, the people who have not passed on round to round seem to be people who are REALLY nervous. I think the best thing you can do is stay calm and be yourself. Just my two cents.....
Good Luck Everyone!
Anyone heard back from second-rounds in NYC this week?
ReplyDeleteThanks!
No, I haven't heard back yet from my 2nd round in NYC. I would guess sometime next week we should hear something.
ReplyDelete2:04 pm, when was your interview? Mine was on Wednesday.
ReplyDeleteI had a 2nd round in Philly on Tuesday. Heard back positively on Thursday. They told us it could be up to 10 days.
ReplyDeleteAny idea what the pass rate at this and the final stage?
Have you guys heard back from your interviewers after your thank you letters? Is it a bad sign if they don't respond?
ReplyDeleteI heard back from none of my thank you notes and I was advanced to the final round. So, no, it's not a bad sign if they don't respond.
ReplyDeleteI have final rounds a week from today.....anyone already do R3? Curious what the differences are between R2 and R3....
ReplyDelete2:10PM, mine was on Wednesday as well.
ReplyDeleteMine was on Wednesday in NYC as well... No news yet.
ReplyDeleteAnyone heard back from NYC second-rounds?
ReplyDeleteAnyone passed the second-round in NYC last week? Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI was passed on to round 3 after the NYC interviews. Does anyone know what to expect and how it differs from round 2? Any insight would be appreciated!
ReplyDelete11:00 AM, When did you interview last week? And when did you hear back from them? Thanks a lot!
ReplyDeleteInterviewed Wednesday and heard back yesterday.
ReplyDeleteFinal round varies by office. Mine will be three interviews (cases and experience) with more senior people and a "Team Meeting exercise" where the candidates are given a case to solve together while McK folks are in the room to evaluate how they work together.
ReplyDeleteI interviewed last Wednesday in NY and heard back this morning from one of the interviewers. Moving on to final rounds, no confirmation on the timing yet though.
ReplyDeleteI still haven't heard back from my interviews in NY last week. Not a good sign.. Anyone else is still waiting for the call?
ReplyDeleteSo just wanted to follow up on an earlier post I made. Had final rounds on Friday, and got an offer. Anyone who tells you final rounds are the same as R2 is lying. It is much much harder. You will be pushed to your breaking point, and i think what that point looks like is what they are interested in seeing. The APs/Partners/Directors were all very pleasant, but I think the best thing you can do is not freak out.
ReplyDeleteHey 4:54pm anonymous -- where did you interview? Had mine on Friday as well. Thought it went okay but not great. Haven't heard anything yet -- they said I'd hear by Wednesday. Friend of mine had his final round in a different office and got dinged later that day.
ReplyDeleteFor the final round, does anyone know who they call first, the hired or non-hired?
ReplyDeleteHi all. Sorry for butting in with a slightly irrelevant question for this post -- this is a general question on McK.
ReplyDeleteWhile filling out the application form for APD/Associate position, I noticed McK has several types of positions -- Generalist, Business Tech, Corp Finance, etc. Do all APD candidates simply choose "Generalist" or is there a way to figure out what other options really mean? Or does this not matter at all? Thanks.
1. "hired" are called on the same day with the news (usually on a Friday). "non-hired" are called during the week after and sometimes on the same day.
ReplyDelete2. Not all APD candidates choose the generalist role. Some of them choose BTO and they have done very well there. The job is still high level as the job in the generalist role, but it is more focused on IT.
Shouldn't it depend on the consultant's schedule (who is in charge of the call)?
ReplyDeleteIf they want you, they want to tell you ASAP. At that point they are selling. Also, it is easier to give good news than bad ones. For positive news is going to be probably a partner. For negative, anyone in the firm.
ReplyDeleteHas anyone else started the BCG interview rounds? Any clues/ideas as to how the process differs from McK? Had my first interview last Wed and am waiting anxiously for the news..
ReplyDeleteBTW, what was said before about firms letting you know ASAP applies to the final round. For the round before the final round, companies can take up to 10 days to give you the good news. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteLetting you know ASAP after final rounds is not a rule, it took BCG over a week to get back to me and I got the job, so it wasn't them trying to avoid calling with bad news. Basically, don't fret if you don't hear back, really depends on the partners' and recruiters' schedules. Though I do hear McKinsey is a bit more on time.
ReplyDeleteThe previous comment is the exception to the rule
ReplyDeleteI had a similar experience. My friend got offer form Mck the same evening. Other one got the offer after a week. Same office. Anyone heard back from BCG 1st round?
ReplyDeleteI was the September 13 1:18 poster.. found out the next day (yesterday) that I passed through to the next round! Any advice from people who have gone through final round BCG interviews would be much appreciated..
ReplyDeleteAlso, any real idea on 'pass rates' so to speak on all these rounds? Just curious..
Still havent heard back from BCG. DOES IT MEAN NO!!!!! I am screwed.....-:(.
ReplyDeleteIs the BCG interview for the Bridge invites or regular campus recruiting? It seems like the deadline is 09/27...
ReplyDelete@5:06 anonymous: Bridge invites.. everyone else has plenty of time to prepare for the stress ;)
ReplyDeleteWas rejected by BCG. Though I remember the cases. Shoot me an email if you r interested. NSA!!!!
ReplyDeletej_turnip@aol.com
Went to Insight Eng., just got a job offer Friday (took them 2.5 hours to call me). Have a final round BCG interview this coming Friday, but I'm totally relaxed now so it should be as fun as it could be.
ReplyDeleteMany congratulations to those who made in! Perhaps if you could also offer pointers on how to power through the various interview stages, I'm sure there is a lot out here who will appreciate the advice :) of course, not looking for an A-Z of everything; just a few major things that helped you in your opinion to get in.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, the advice I would give having made it all the way through is pretty much the advice they've always given you. Practice a ton of cases, both directed (McKinsey style) and undirected. Make sure you are open to feedback that people give you. Know your stories for PEI. Build good rapport at the interviews. R2 is pretty predictable, R3 is all over the place and even if they've expressed huge interest in you, be prepared to be clobbered.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, I think McK's interview process is really good. In general, the people that I know who got in definitely have consultancy potential. The people that didn't, often made sense to me too; I could see potential warning flags regarding their fit. It's not all about how well you do on cases.
A lot of this really does come down to fit, so if you get dinged, don't take it personally. In fact, if you are the type of person that doesn't take feedback well, this is definitely not for you.
Has anyone recently interviewed with McKinsey Chicago office? Looking for advice on uncoming Chicago final rounds. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteLittle off topic, but does anyone have interviews set up for Bain, Booz, etc??
ReplyDeleteAlso off topic, but let's daydream here, if you got all Big3 offers, which would you choose and why?
ReplyDeleteI would probably go with BCG. Obviously an offer from any would be great, but I think my personality fits the best with BCG, then Bain, with Mckinsey last.
ReplyDeleteHow about their salary comparison?
ReplyDeleteIf anyone has any old mckinsey examples or can remember the case studies they undertook, then I'd love to see them! email is 'newtohb at g_ma_il.com'. Good luck all!
ReplyDeleteThe following is an old casebook, but some of the cases were written based on original McK cases (check the "Firm" field in the case samples).
ReplyDeletehttp://www.scribd.com/doc/11541717/Case-Book-MIT-Sloan-2001
I'm leaning McKinsey over BCG, but need to see first if I get an offer from the latter. No interest in Bain. I've heard that you don't get any client contact until you reach the equivalent of EM/PL, which doesn't appeal to me at all.
ReplyDeleteBain does give you client contact early on; I have friends who were interacting with clients during their first 6mo at Bain ... right out of undergrad!
ReplyDeleteAnyone has any advice on how to prepare for the associate interviews in the BTO? I have no idea on how different the whole process can be. In addition, I'll attend a full batch day where, if lucky enough, I'll have to pass all the interviews/rounds the same day.
ReplyDeleteThank you very much in advance.
Obviously BTO in McK.
ReplyDeleteNice article, thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteHey, guys
ReplyDeleteAny updates recently?
I'm curious about updates too. Anyone in the middle of interviews? Who have people applied to so far/heard back from?
ReplyDeleteI've got an interview at BCG, just submitted additional applications last week. Hope to hear back soon.
Got an email from Bain recruiting team last night to promote Bain's latest book......
ReplyDeleteHaha. An e-mail from the recruiting team pushing Bain's new book new book?!?!?.... Priceless. I would be pretty angry if I got that during recruiting season, only to open it and find an advertisement
ReplyDeletejust thought i'd come back with an update. i had my final round interview and did not get an offer, nor did the other person from my school who also made it to the final round.
ReplyDeletei had my first round with BCG yesterday and am anxiously awaiting to hear back.
anon020, thanks for the update! Sorry to hear that. Would you mind sharing your final round experience with all of us? Thanks!
ReplyDeletehow long did it take you to hear back from BCG? I applied awhile back and haven't heard anything. :(
ReplyDeleteoverall, i thought the final round was fairly similar to the previous round. the partner who called me said that they debated for a long time on whether or not to hire me, and ultimately decided that i needed more leadership experience.
ReplyDeletenot all bad though -- i have an open invitation to come back directly to the final round in the near future, as he made it quite clear that they wanted to hire me when i have some more experience under my belt. so i'm definitely excited about that opportunity.
i knew at the outset that my lack of experience with extracurriculars outside of the lab might hurt me. so i know what to work on, and i don't have to worry about the first 2 rounds next time around!
as far as BCG, i got my interview invitation a bit less than 2 weeks after the invitation deadline. all of my friends got their rejections from BCG at the same time i got my invitation.
I've got a McKinsey offer. Heard the same day as interviews.
ReplyDelete5:37PM - Congrats! Could you please share your final round experience with all of us? Which office did you interview with? Thanks!
ReplyDeletehi, please share with us your final round experience. i have a video conferencing interview coming up. anybody has any experience with that ? thanks!
ReplyDeleteHi,
ReplyDeleteGreat post guys.. This is really helpful. I've been invited for the Mck PST for next week. I did not get invited by BCG. And Mck has always been my top choice so i guess it's not all too bad.
Am just brushing up my skills for the test.
Has anyone heard anything back from Bain? Or have any idea when people should hear from them? Or if they're even hiring advanced degrees this year?
ReplyDeletegot an invitation to BCG's final round. i was wondering if anyone here has feedback about how BCG and mckinsey's final rounds are different, since i've already gone through mckinsey's final round interview.
ReplyDeletethanks!
Ive heard about Bain rejecting some people at the office I applied to and that it was their second round of rejections, but I have not heard back yet. So I assume they are still working through the pile
ReplyDeletewow 2 rounds of rejections from bain already? none of my friends have heard anything from bain or bcg.
ReplyDeleteI am an ADC and just got word about an interview with Bain today. Interview is Oct 22nd. Have Booz interview the day before and BCG the week before....should be an interesting couple of weeks!
ReplyDelete4:55PM, thanks for sharing! Which bain office are you interviewing with? Best of luck to you!
ReplyDeletethat's really awesome! hope you get lots of offers. are bain and bcg interview offers dependent on office choices?
ReplyDeleteI think that Bain and BCG invitations are office-dependent. So are the final offers. I just got invited to interview with one of Bain's foreign offices, which was a (close) second choice to the domestic offices.
ReplyDeleteI went through the BCG final round interview a few weeks ago. It was relatively straightforward (didn't have the weirder/super-abstract cases) but they were really pushing for the 2nd-order implications and I guess I found the cases deceptively straightforward because I didn't get the email.
I've been hearing back from a couple of the smaller companies. No word from Booz yet, though. I guess I've heard back from 60% of the companies that I've applied to.. it's certainly heating up and will indeed be a very busy and interesting few weeks!
what do you mean by 2nd-order implications?
ReplyDeletefor example, if one of the strategies is to boost a city's profile through tourism, don't just say 'we can use promotions to encourage tourists to come' but rather, 'we can initiate an ad campaign in airports, train stations, etc. that promote the city as a destination.' basically, be more specific and targeted, as well as creative. these may be relatively easy things to do but in the heat of the moment, and particularly at the end of the case (which is normally when these things come up), it can be easy to forget to do when you're just listing off 3-5 strategies. this is something i forgot to do and i guess i paid for it..
ReplyDeleteTo answer the poster at 5:15pm (I was 455), My interview with Bain is with the Atlanta office. I'm not sure if that is the office I would work for, but I assume it is because Atl. was one of my top choices.
ReplyDelete11:34, how did they let you know? Email? Phone call?
ReplyDeletee-mail, which I got on Wednesday. It was a very generic e-mail. When I started reading it I thought it was a rejection because it started with the whole "we are really impressed with your qualifications. etc etc.
ReplyDeleteThe good news about Bain is according to one of their consultants they are really busy this year and plan to hire more consultants than ever before...
I just got a no from Bain. Not even an interview. I was a bit surprised since I made it to the final round with McKinsey but Bain isn't even interested in having any conversation.
ReplyDelete@2:43, that is really weird. what were your Bain office choices?
ReplyDeletei hope you get into mckinsey! sometimes i guess this is also a matching/fit process. you don't need to get into every company you apply for. just the one you love/want!
ReplyDelete@ 3:48 well thanks, but I already had the McK final round and didn't get an offer.
ReplyDelete@ 2:43 my preferences for bain were the northeast offices, presumably where there is a lot more competition among well-qualified mba's. i didn't expect much from them since they are so bottom-heavy with undergrads and not big into recruiting phds.
i am sorry to hear about mck. what is the interview timeline at other firms like BCG that do not have an application deadline? You can still apply to those. and you have interview experiences now too!
ReplyDeleteRejected by Bain this is what the email said:
ReplyDeleteThank you for your recent expression of interest in employment opportunities at Bain & Company.
We have reviewed your application carefully and are impressed with your credentials. However, we are unable to initiate discussions with you at this time.
We appreciate your interest in Bain & Company.
MORAL OF STORY - FU.
Bain is looking for more business experience, so fewer PhDs are getting interviews. I got one, but I already accepted a McKinsey offer.
ReplyDeleteJP: What office of Bain did you apply to?
ReplyDeleteNORTH EAST. I guess it was a strategic mistake, shld have gone to less popular offices.
ReplyDeleteApplying to less popular offices won't help you. They hire by percentages, not absolute numbers.
ReplyDeleteOf course it helps to apply to less popular offices! The competition is not as strong. Most of the applicants want to be in Boston, NY or SF.
ReplyDeleteMaybe if you're applying to someplace *no one* wants to be (Detroit?), sure. But then you would be stuck living there.
ReplyDeleteWow. I do not want to be nasty, but the attitude that somehow people in/applying to certain offices are better or worse than people in/applying to other offices is astounding. There are plenty of qualified people who, for whatever reason, would prefer to be in places other than the NE or the Bay Area. A lot of this consulting recruiting process is out of your control, and when you get bad news, its better to be accepting of it than petulant about your office choice (and simultaneously writing off the qualifications and desires of many who also read this blog).
ReplyDeleteIf you look at the recruiting statistics from HBS (link below, table 3:statistics by location), you can see that 80% of the MBAs with a job in the U.S. go to the coasts. The situation is similar at the other top MBA schools. Therefore, competition is going to be extremely strong there. In particular Boston and NY are hell. I'm not saying it is not possible to get a job there, but it is harder.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.hbs.edu/recruiting/mba/resources/career.html
But, on the flip side the NY and Boston offices are normally a lot bigger too..
ReplyDeleteAlso on the flip side, I really do not think that advanced degrees compete directly with MBAs for these jobs. You are competing with other advanced degrees. Additionally, the table you reference is also not broken out by function: how many of those moving to the coasts are in consulting versus finance is not clear, and I am sure varies by region.
ReplyDeleteBut my main message is to accept what happened, and avoid putting down people who either do or do not get positions in other locations. The earlier post suggested that you felt you would have for sure gotten invited to interview in another location, and you don't know that. I am sure you are very smart and qualified, but so are the vast majority of applicants at all the other offices, and lots of good people in lots of places are not getting interviews or jobs. The previous comment was very dismissive of these people. Acting as if moving to (heaven forbid) the midwest or south or some other location would have given you a guaranteed interview is arrogant. You have no idea why you did not get an interview. Don't speculate in a way that puts down others in a public forum.
I'll just give my 2 cents...I think that the office you apply to is largely irrelevant to whether you get an interview or not. In the early stages, they will grant you an interview if you meet a minimum level of criteria and probably not take into consideration your office choices...I think that will start to play somewhat of a role in the later rounds. Even in the later rounds, it is my guess that if you are qualified and a good fit, you will get an offer regardless of office choice and if you aren't quite what they are looking for and if there isn't fit, then you won't get an offer. Playing the office game probably isn't what's going to get you the offer, although it is up for debate whether there are hiring differences between offices...there definitely is a fit component to this as the NE offices do more healthcare work than the south offices, etc...
ReplyDeleteCC and the commenter prior to CC has it right. Also, at McK, you are not competing with MBAs because they have a well-established track for APDs that are separate from MBAs. However, at BCG, you are definitely competing against MBAs.
ReplyDeleteI took part in a informative session for those who have been selected for the interview rounds in McK and the McK representative told us that in his office they have no limits on new hires, and that they will hire everyone who passes the interviews. But take into account hat his office is in Europe and it's not one of most popular. In fact, in the session were only 5-7 persons and for different positions (BA, A, EM, ...)
ReplyDeleteHi guys! Congrats to everyone getting the offers! I'm from UK so it's slighly different here and I'm about to send out my application this weekend. Do you guys have any tips for non oxbridge candidate? What to highlight the most? I don't want to be rejected just because of my Uni, even if I can ace the case a lot better than people from oxbridge. So any help on that would be great.
ReplyDelete^^^ you can find good advice for your case here:
ReplyDeletehttp://forum.top-consultant.com/UK/list.aspx
To 6:49-You will need to highlight really strong leadership and teamwork capabilities. Or an outstanding accomplishment outside of school, e.g. high level sports, started a business, etc. etc. Just something that makes you stand out and proves you can compete and succeed at the highest level
ReplyDeleteHey Guys-
ReplyDeleteGreat to see that a lot of people are getting offers this year. Hope to join that group. I have a final round at BCG and a 2nd round at McK coming up in the next 2 weeks.
How many of you got recruiting letters/email from different McK offices between your first and second rounds? Just curious.
Thanks and Good Luck
To OCTOBER 17, 2010 8:17 PM
ReplyDeleteYou got the notification for BCG final round already? Congrats! I'm still waiting to hear from them. Did you go to the Boston office for your first round? Thanks!
TT
TT-
ReplyDeleteI did my first round in NC (disclaimer -- I am an APD recruit). Got notification 6 days later.
To 1:17PM
ReplyDeleteThanks for your quick reply! I'm an APD recruit too. Got my BCG 1st-round interview last Friday in Boston and have been expecting to hear from them. I will also be going for the 2nd-round at McK. :)
Good luck!
TT
I interviewed in Boston on Friday too as an adc. Haven't heard back either. I think it should be by the end.of the day today. Although, I got pretty stuck on my 2nd case so don't have real high hopes.
ReplyDeleteDid the ADC interviews in NYC on Thursday. They told us we would hear within 6 days. I'm hoping it's earlier than 6 days since the next round is as early as this Thursday depending on location.
ReplyDeleteTo 1:37 pm
ReplyDeleteTT-
Have you been getting recruiting emails from different McK offices?
Hope you get good news from BCG this week.
D
BCG just called me to tell me I was moving into the final round! Very relieved :) I interviewed in Boston last Friday.
ReplyDeleteTo 5:19 pm
ReplyDeleteI am waiting a call from BCG too. Can I ask you which office you chose?
Thanks!
5:19
ReplyDeleteWhere is your final round?
mine is in NY
ReplyDeleteGot word that I am on to final round for bcg in Boston! Good luck to everyone else!!
ReplyDeleteTo above...see you in Boston!
ReplyDeleteTo D: I've been mainly getting emails from McK Boston office so far.
ReplyDeleteBtw, I got a call from BCG this afternoon about moving on to the final round in NYC! Congrats to everyone and good luck!:)
TT
So I've got a first rounds Booz interview Thur morning, a bcg Thur afternoon and first round vain on Friday. Certainly not complaining, but something tells me I'll be pretty fried come Friday night.
ReplyDeleteHaha. The above is what I get for typing on a phone. Should be first round Booz, 2nd found bcg and first round bain.
ReplyDeleteYou are the first one I heard about that is getting an interview from Bain! And certainly the only one I know that is getting two interviews in one day! I would recommend a good night sleep before the big day. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteTT
Interviewed at Boston office this past Friday.
ReplyDeletePicked Boston as my office preference.
Haven't heard back yet. Has anyone received a call today (Oct 19) or should I reconcile myself for the rejection?
To October 18, 2010 11:55 PM
ReplyDeleteYou got a Booz and a Bain interview? Congrats. Whats your degree in BTW? I didnt apply to Booz and got rejected by Bain. But a Final round at BCG and 2nd round at McK isnt too bad. Lets see what happens.
Thanks. My degree is cell biology (PhD). Congrats to you too.
ReplyDeleteAny good news for anyone from BCG today or all bad news...haven't heard anything yet and was just curious...
ReplyDeleteNo one I know has heard from BCG today. I think this is curtains
ReplyDeleteI got a rejection email from BCG today. Had first round last Friday in Boston. I thought I did well in both cases and PEs. Does anyone know when we can reapply? Also I didn't get an interview from McK. Does anyone know how soon I can reapply to McKinsey offcycle? Thanks and good luck to everyone with upcoming interviews.
ReplyDeleteAnybody who interviewed with BCG in boston on Mon heard back? Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI interviewed on Monday and have not heard back yet. Anybody else?
ReplyDeleteWere the BCG Monday interviews for MBAs or ADCs?
ReplyDeleteMonday (in Boston) was for international offices. I think for both MBAs and ADCs.
ReplyDeleteAnyone here (ADCs) who had final rounds at BCG Boston today (10/21)? Any news?
ReplyDeleteXD
XD,
ReplyDeleteNot yet. Hopefully tomorrow Lets keep each other updated
D
Xd, and d,
ReplyDeleteI haven't heard either.
C
d,xd,c,
ReplyDeleteNothing on my end either. I forgot to ask when we should expect to hear by but I assume the turn around time is quick.
A
How about we update this thread as soon as one of us hears anything?
ReplyDeleteXD
To all the initials--
ReplyDeleteI will post here when I hear either way. I have second hand information that Molly said that it was supposed to be yesterday or today.
D
Still no word from bcg for everybody? Trying to be positive, but the longer I don't hear anything, the more negative I get..
ReplyDeleteNo one has heard yet. Rephrase -- atleast 6 of the people who interviewed yesterday havent heard yet (this includes you guys).
ReplyDeleteWas there a deadline on when we were supposed to hear by?
D
still nothing for everybody on the BCG front? I was told we would definitely hear something by today.
ReplyDeletec
I really didn't ask for a date. But to my knowledge there are a large number of people who haven't heard, atleast 6. Assuming 6 were interviewed in the morning and 6 in the afternoon -- the odds are low that we all got rejected. Patience I guess is the nam of the game now
ReplyDeleteD
I got a call from one of my interviewers this evening and was offered a position. I was told to expect the offer letter in mail and that they invite all those with offers to a recruitment weekend next month.
ReplyDeleteGood luck to all those waiting!
A
A
ReplyDeleteDid you interview in the morning or afternoon?
D
In the morning.
ReplyDeleteA
I was called and invited to offered a position at BCG. Was very happy with the news. Good luck to everyone who are still waiting to hear !!
ReplyDeleteXD
I was called and offered a position at BCG. Was very happy with the news. Good luck to everyone who are still waiting to hear !!
ReplyDeleteXD
XD
ReplyDeleteWhen did you interview and when did you get the offer?
I had my final round on 10/21 and got the offer the evening of 10/22.
ReplyDeleteXD
I meant was it in the morning or afternoon
ReplyDeletemorning
ReplyDeleteXD
Looks like morning crew 2- afternoon crew 0
ReplyDeleteHi all,
ReplyDeleteHas anyone who interviewed in bcg dallas decision round yesterday (10/22) heard back yet?
NPJ
A and XD,
ReplyDeleteWho did you guys interview with? I.e: which partners. Just want to see if we had different interviewers and hence different turnaround times.
D
C-
Any word yet?
D,
ReplyDeleteEmail me at bostonaccord at gmail dot com with the initials of your interviewers and I'll let you know if we shared anyone in common.
XD
Has anyone who interviewed for final round at McKinsey on Friday 22nd,2010 heard back from McKinsey yet?
ReplyDelete-P
Anyone tank the math part of a case or two (with a partner in R3) and still get a job offer? I am hoping against hope... :D
ReplyDeleteYeah, I also tanked some of the math (not terribly, though). I spoke with other interviewers, and it looks like most people tanked some math, so it might not be a huge deal. Haven't heard back yet (I interviewed in NYC). They said we should hear back by today.
ReplyDeleteHey everyone,
ReplyDeleteJust made the final round of McKinsey yesterday. I interviewed on Oct. 20th. I walked away from the second round feeling that I nailed 2 out of the 3 cases, but I messed up on the math on my final case. My feedback was that I had nailed all three cases (go figure) and that my math was excellent. How was everyone's final round experiences like?
My final round (on Mon) was far, far harder than the 2nd round. Did OK one one case, tanked the other. (As in, listen for the fog horn in the background. That ship has sailed and sunk.)
ReplyDeleteHow long do we need to wait to hear back? Is no news good news, or bad?
Well I got the news. A big fat no. :-(
ReplyDeleteAnonymous, 10:47, I'm very sorry. What office was this for?
ReplyDeleteEurope. :-(
ReplyDeleteI am curious about the math section...for the people who posted above saying they tanked the math - what do you mean? Can you provide an example? I have heard that minor calculation errors don't affect your outcome usually.
ReplyDeleteI am anonymous October 26, 2010 8:42 AM.
ReplyDeleteThe reason why I thought I did poorly on the math was because I messed up on the calculations with decimal places. I did not have the right order of magnitude for my answer.
That said, I laid out my math carefully to the interviewer, setting up the equation using "fixed cost, profits, etc." before actually plugging in numbers. He was able to follow me and correct me when I made a mistake. I thought I had messed up because I was expecting one's math to be absolutely perfect, but apparently that is not the case.
I think the important thing is just not to be nervous when you make a math error and recover from it with a calm demeanor to get a correct answer. Take a step back and remember what you are doing.
For people that have offers from BCG - which offices are you going to?
ReplyDeleteI had my second round interview in the Silicon Valley office last Thursday (10/21), has anyone who interviewed around then heard back? I put Silicon Valley as my first choice and haven't heard anything. They told us that we should hear back by Friday the 29th, but I thought it would be faster than that.
ReplyDeleteTo Anonymous (4:48pm): If you haven't heard back yet, it is probably good news. I think they have rejected everyone who didn't pass the bar. I know people who interviewed on Thursday with Silicon Valley as top office choice and was rejected on Friday. I interviewed last Tuesday and just heard back yesterday; my top office choice is in the Midwest. I hope you hear back soon. - CL
ReplyDeleteI had my 2nd round McKinsey interviews on the east coast last Wednesday and just found out today that I passed to the 3rd round - 1st choice location
ReplyDeleteInterviewed in Philadelphia for 2nd round last Wednesday and the next morning receieved an invite to a final round in a Mid-Atlantic office.
ReplyDeleteAs an update from the October 25, 2010 10:31 AM post, I got the offer. I was called yesterday night. Good luck everyone!
ReplyDeleteI interviewed with McK on Friday (10/22) and got an offer last night. I have a final round with BCG on Friday, so we'll see how that goes. Good luck everyone!
ReplyDeleteI have been very fortunate to have an offer from one of the 3 (MBB) firms, so I am grateful for that. Being a non-MBA and hence not well-versed in the offer negotiation stage, what are the general views on this? ANy advice? Which parts of the package are absolutely non-negotiable and are there some areas where there is some leeway? Thanks,
ReplyDeleteT
To above, you have zero leverage in negotiating the offer. You have little or no experience in the industry and the offers are very standardized at the associate level. If you had multiple offers, you might be able to ask for a slightly larger signing bonus, but the benefits are otherwise fantastic. If I were you, I would not negotiate unless I had some leverage. I have an offer from an MBB as well and will accept as is.
ReplyDeleteYou could also ask MBA's that have offers what is the norm for them. I think they would tell you similarly.
^
ReplyDeleteAgreed. I cannot see how you possibly think you can negotiate anything....
what do you want to negotiate, and why should they give it to you?
The salary/signing bonus/benefits/healthcare/perks are all already outstanding....
Would you care to elaborate what/why you want to negotiate?
I agree the that package is excellent. I am not interested in negotiating for more money. However, there are other non-monetary issues involved. And the time to negotiate is before accepting an offer. Whether or not one is granted a request, or whatever leverage I have is not the issue, what I'm interested in is if there are any examples of exceptions being made. Any thoughts?
ReplyDeleteT
You can negotiate your start date; that can make a big difference. It worked for me.
ReplyDeleteIs that so? Starting earlier would mean satring to earn money sooner. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteT
just interviewed with bcg ny final round yesterday (friday). any thoughts on turnaround time for offers? haven't received a call yet :(
ReplyDeleteA
Hi A -
ReplyDeleteI interviewed with BCG ny yesterday morning (9-11am) and haven't heard anything yet either. I heard from a recruiter that we hear "by the end of the weekend," though who knows that what that means. I'm hoping later today?
D
Hey D- wish I had more clarity as well. I'm thinking that if I don't hear anything by today, then it'll be a rejection. At any rate, I'll repose here when I get the call.
ReplyDeleteA
Hi A -
ReplyDeletenot sure that you should automatically think rejection. my impression of the process is the following: they have teams and the teams meet at some point this weekend (between 5 on Friday and Sunday night) to decide and then pass along the info to recruiters. It's possible that whomever you interviewed with just hasn't met yet, because getting an offer or not shouldn't change when you hear...
In any case, keep your hopes up - I know I am!
D
ps - associate or consultant?
True. Don't worry, I'm still hopeful! I'm applying for the associate position.
ReplyDeleteA
Hi everybody¡¡ I am applying for a graduate position in BCG. I'm from Spain, and I sent mi CV to recruitment team one month ago. I would like to know if they always reply to the candidates, saying if I have the enough knowledges to take part in the recruitment process or no?
ReplyDeleteI hope you can help me. Thanks¡
Angel
rejection! :/
ReplyDeleteA
A,
ReplyDeleteVery sorry to hear that - did one of your interviewers call you? I am still waiting to hear!
A,
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry. I still haven't heard...
D
Just got the call, no BCG for me. Hope you guys have better luck! I was applying for the consultant position in NYC office and got my interview last Friday afternoon.
ReplyDeleteTT
Sounds like most people are done interviewing. For those of us still going, any info on final rounds vs previous rounds (especially at McKinsey)? Most say final rounds are fit-based and not too bad, but a few claim they're really tough with brutal cases. At this point it seems easier to prepare for cases than fit interviews, for me at least.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I got my final round in my 3rd choice office. Is it common to go this far down ones' preference list?
Thanks,
S
S,
ReplyDeleteJust got rejected from McK. Interview was fit based. About 1/3 of each interview was spent on cases and they seemed made up on the spot. Roommate had final round at a different office and also got rejected. He said that his final round was really tough with brutal cases.
Hi Anonymous 1:53 AM,
ReplyDeleteCould you share a little feedback as to why you were rejected? How applicable were case frameworks to the cases that were made up on the spot?
Thanks.
Got rejected from McK 3rd rd as well. Cases were not any harder, but the interviewers were. In the 2nd round, everyone was very nice, accommodating, and helpful---I'm an APD candidate and 2/3 of my interviewers were APDs. In 3rd round, the director was very pushy. The partner was mostly indifferent then started squeezing for one particular point near the end; turned out it was a very easy answer if you know the industry. Got a call from the associate principal who interviewed me a few days later; hung up on me before I could ask for feedback. Overall, 3rd round experience was very different from 2nd, even though the cases were no harder, probably even easier than 2nd round cases. Higher ups tried to push me around, jab me, treated me like a fly to see how my reaction. I thought I held my ground well, but they must have seen something they didn't like. Overall, the 3rd round gave me a very poor impression of the company and industry as a whole. It came a bit out of left field since up to that point, everyone in the company had been very nice. Good luck everyone with interviews in front of them. I'm not trying to scare you, just be prepared. Mileage will vary based on office and interviewers.
ReplyDeleteJ
J,
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your experience. Which office did you interview at?
Hi,
ReplyDeleteSo I had a very different experience. I interviewed for BA with McK in NYC and got the offer. Everyone that I interviewed with (first and second rounds) was incredibly nice and I truly felt as though they wanted me to succeed. I messed up the math on one part of one case in the final round and my interviewer very nicely and helpfully pointed it out and helped me fix it. With that said, I would say that the experience is very different. The cases were significantly harder (or, at least, mine were) and the vibe was different, though probably because the people were much more senior. Regardless, though, I thought that my interviewers were all very nice. Oh, and, in my experience, they stay very on time/format. I was having a very interesting discussion with an interviewer, but he cut me off and said that we had to move on so that we did everything we needed to do. Not jerky or anything, but very on target.
Also, I interviewed with BCG NY on Friday (10/29) and people have been commenting that they have heard. I still haven't. Anyone else in a similar position? I really thought I would know by now...
D
I interviewed at the NJ office.
ReplyDeleteD, congratulations on your offer. I think it really does depend on who interviews you, what track you are on, etc.
Honestly, my 2nd round was really easy; I felt like the interviewers were just going through a formality and then just rubber stamping me. My third round felt the opposite: they didn't want me and I had to prove something to them.
I'm not bitter about the decision, but to hangup during the feedback was uncalled for. There was other stuff during the interview that felt "prep school" juvenile, but I figured that's part of the territory.
J