Good afternoon,
I applied three months ago (on October 17th) for the position of Expert Consultant at BCG. Until recently, the status of my application on the BCG portal remained “Application submitted.” At the beginning of this year, it changed to “Application under review.”
I was wondering whether this could be considered a positive sign regarding the progress of my application.
Thank you very much for your time and consideration.
Hello!
From my experience, if the status is not along the lines of being rejected or no further consideration, it's still positive.
That being said, it has been a while. If you're still keen, I'd suggest finding out via LinkedIn or your network/ connections who the recruiter in the region is and reaching out to them, restating your interest so you can bring it to their attention.
All the best!
Hi there,
This means you're application is being reviewed, and until you receive an official rejection email, you are still in the running.
It means that they are processing your review, so based on the fact that you have not got a rejection, I guess you could say that's a positive - though ultimately what matters is the decision on whether they will interview you or not.
I wouldn’t overthink it too much :) A status change usually just means your application has moved in the internal process and it’s not a clear positive or negative signal by itself. As long as it’s “under review,” it’s still active.
I’d simply wait for their response. If you have any time constraints (e.g. another offer or deadline), it’s absolutely fine to reach out to recruiting politely and ask when you can expect an update.
Hi there,
A status change from “Application submitted” to “Application under review” usually means your application has been picked up for active review rather than sitting in the general queue, which is generally a neutral to mildly positive sign. It indicates someone is looking at it, but it doesn’t guarantee progression to interviews.
That said, BCG timelines can be long, especially for Expert or experienced hire roles, and applications can remain under review for weeks or months while teams align on demand. It’s reasonable to stay cautiously optimistic, but also wise to continue with other applications in parallel.
Best,
Evelina
That three-month wait is painful, and it’s completely natural to scrutinize every portal change. Here’s the reality of what that "Application under review" status typically signals in the MBB machinery.
For experienced roles, when an application sits for 10-12 weeks, it often means the initial need that triggered the posting was filled, or your profile didn't perfectly align with the immediate, urgent requirements. The good news is that the early January status change is extremely common. It doesn't mean your file suddenly became impressive; it means the recruiting pipeline has officially reopened post-holidays, and a human talent acquisition specialist is now actively reviewing the backlog against newly approved Q1 headcount.
Think of the status change as moving your file from the "General Submissions Folder" to the "Recruiter's Active Task List." It is certainly a positive step because your profile is now being assessed, not just stored. However, it only confirms that the review process has started; it is not a strong indicator of an interview invite.
Given you're applying for an Expert role, the next few days will be critical. If you have any internal contacts (Partners or Project Leaders) who can champion your candidacy or flag your resume to the recruiter now, this is the time to activate them. BCG hires experts for specific, current needs, so alignment to a live business unit requirement will be the ultimate deciding factor.
Hope it helps!
hey there :)
Yes, this is generally a neutral to slightly positive sign, as it usually means your application has been picked up again and is actively being looked at rather than sitting in the system. That said, timelines at BCG can be quite long and status changes do not always directly translate into an interview invite, so I would stay patient and avoid overinterpreting it. If it remains unchanged for a while, a short and polite follow up to recruiting is absolutely fine. Feel free to reach out if you want help with that or have other questions.
best,
Alessa :)
It's not a negative sign.
It literally means that now the application is under review by the recruiters and that you will likely receive an update soon.
Hope you get good news!
If the application stays stuck at that status for a few weeks, then follow up with HR.
Best,
Cristian
