McKinsey eventually says "Maybe"-interview invite

After some disappointing rejections, I went about my research, trying to figure out what I would do for my career if these consulting firms REALLY didn't want me...and judging by their generic rejections, they didn't show much interest.

However, January 2009 rolled around and I got an interesting email from the McKinsey recruiter titled : McKinsey &Company-Interview Invitation. This is what was inside:

Hello,

Thank you for submitting an application for a full time position with McKinsey & Company. We would like to invite you to participate in McKinsey's Interview Workshop & Initial Assessment (IWIA) in Cambridge. This invitation is extended on behalf of our West Coast offices. Please review the below information and RSVP by Monday, January 19 at 12:00 pm Eastern Time.

Dress Code: Business casual (no shorts, jeans, t-shirts, but also no need for a suit)

Event Description: The IWIA consists of two components:

1. McKinsey Problem Solving Test (McKPST):
This 60-minute written multiple-choice test has been designed to assess certain basic skills that we believe are essential elements of success at McKinsey & Company. It does not assume any particular prior academic or business experience. We acknowledge that this is the most impersonal part of our interview process. We use it because it tests the same skills we look for in case interviews and thereby allows us to invite more people to interview than if we went directly to one-on-one interviews. (Please see attachment "McKPST - Practice Form" for more details.)
McKinsey utilizes various assessment techniques in its hiring process. If you think you might need an accommodation to effectively participate in the hiring process, please let us know as soon as possible and describe the accommodation you believe is appropriate.

2. Two Breakout Sessions:
The primary objective of this exercise is to provide you with the opportunity to practice cases. You will work with two different groups of about 4 candidates each, solving a case with each group. Groups will be facilitated by a McKinsey consultant.

Next Steps After IWIA: The decision on whom to pass to the next round of interviews is based almost entirely on the outcome of the test. Though the primary purpose of the breakouts is to prepare for the next round of interviews, facilitators do have a role in the decision-making process and provide input on your performance. Successful candidates will be invited to Round 2 interviews that will be held on February 10 in Boston. The final interview round takes place in the office or with the practice from which your offer to join would come.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Kind regards,

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APD Recruiting- Harvard
McKinsey & Company
Office: +1 212 415 1569
eFax: +1 646 307 6583
www.apd.mckinsey.com