Applying to MBB in US and European Offices

Hi there,

Rejections at resume screen can feel confusing, especially when you have a strong profile and referrals – but remember, MBB offices in the US are extremely competitive and often reject great candidates simply due to volume.

1. Regional application rules

• MBB recruiting is usually managed regionally, not globally. This means that if you were rejected by McKinsey NYC, you typically face a waiting period (6–12 months) before reapplying to any McKinsey office worldwide, including Europe. The same applies to Bain and BCG – a rejection in one office generally carries over to others.
• There are some exceptions: smaller offices or special programs occasionally allow earlier reapplications, but those are rare and must be clarified with recruiting directly.

2. EU offices as an option

• Holding EU citizenship is a real advantage – you avoid visa constraints, which makes you more attractive to European offices. However, you still need to respect the firm’s reapplication policy. If McKinsey’s rejection was recent, Brussels or Dublin will see it in their system.
• The good news is that you can absolutely apply to Bain or BCG in Europe right away if you haven’t applied to them yet – their processes are independent from McKinsey’s.

3. What to do next

• Clarify your McKinsey reapplication timeline by emailing recruiting – they’ll give you the exact waiting period.
• In the meantime, strengthen your CV (consulting-style, impact-focused, quantified results) so you’re in the strongest position for the next cycle.
• Consider applying to Bain/BCG and also strong Tier-2 firms in Europe (Roland Berger, Oliver Wyman, LEK, Strategy&, etc.), which have excellent placement records.
• Leverage your EU citizenship to target offices where local language isn’t a strict requirement (Dublin, Amsterdam, Brussels often recruit English speakers).

You can’t usually “bypass” a rejection by applying to another office of the same firm right away, but your EU citizenship opens additional options at other firms and offices. The right approach is to diversify applications now and reapply to McKinsey later when eligible

Happy to help you tailor your CV for European offices and suggest which locations would be the best fit – feel free to reach out!

Best,

Evelina

Hi there!

I can speak from experience, I got rejected from McK at the resume screen, but still made it into Bain & Company (in addition to few other offers). So please keep your hopes high!

Regarding your question, for Bain & Company, each office tends to operate independently for recruitment. So you can apply to multiple offices, but if you made it through the resume screen, you might have to choose one preferred location.

Hope that helps! Happy to jump on a separate call if you need more help to prepare for the interviews

Oussama

Unfortunately, the firm's global systems are highly connected, so a rejection in one office is visible to others.

This means you can't simply apply to a European office to bypass the waiting period. However, it doesn't mean you're out of the running.

The key is to get a strong referral from someone in the European office you're targeting. A referral from an AP/Partner can often bypass the automated system and get your resume in front of the right person.

So, instead of applying directly, focus your energy on networking with people in the specific offices you're interested in. A strong personal connection is your best shot at getting an interview.

Sorry to hear about the McK NY screening rejection. It might not come as a surprise, considering they are one of the most competitive offices. 

Theoretically, yes, you can apply to Europe, and the European nationality helps. However, typically with all offices, you get screened out unless you have some sort of connection with that region (you lived there, are from there, worked there, studied there, etc.). Getting a referral increases your chances, though. 

Then, in terms of you applying earlier because you apply to a different region, this also doesn't really work. The one-year freeze is global. What can happen is that the office in the new region might not be aware of you having been rejected recently in a different region, but if the systems are connected, then they might kick you out of the process later.

In short, try to see what other firms you can apply to. And if you do decide to apply to Europe, apply somewhere where you have some sort of connection to the place, and ideally do so with a referral. 

Best,
Cristian

Hey :)

Sorry to hear about NYC, that’s tough. Unfortunately, the global system is pretty connected, so once you apply and get rejected for a role at McKinsey, there’s usually a 12–18 month waiting period before you can reapply anywhere, even in another region. So applying to Brussels or Dublin right now wouldn’t get around it.

For BCG and Bain it’s a bit more flexible, since their recruiting processes are more office-driven, but even there, many offices share candidate databases across regions. It’s worth reaching out to recruiters in the European offices to confirm their policy, but generally you should assume a cooling-off period applies across regions.

If you’re still keen on consulting, one option is to target Tier 2 or strong boutiques in Europe in the meantime, gain experience, and then reapply to MBB later.

best,
Alessa :)