So I noticed BCG only offer two location selections. Is it bad to select NYC and Brooklyn as the choices if I only want to go to New York. I read somewhere saying that selecting Brooklyn (since it's less competitive than NYC) might be showing that you are trying to play with the system and you still only will be considered for NYC. Looking for advices.
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If you only want New York, just select NYC as your first choice and be honest about your second choice. Picking Brooklyn as a backup when you really only want NYC is not a great strategy for a few reasons.
Why this can backfire
BCG recruiters are not naive. They see thousands of applications and know when people are trying to game location preferences. If it looks like you are picking Brooklyn just because it seems less competitive, that can raise a flag.
Also, what if Brooklyn actually takes you? You might end up with an offer for an office you don't genuinely want. Then you are in an awkward spot.
What I would do instead
If NYC is your only real preference, select NYC first and pick a second location you would genuinely consider. Maybe Boston, DC, or another office that actually interests you. If there is truly no other office you would want, some people just put NYC for both or leave the second choice blank if allowed.
The better approach is to be honest. If you only want NYC, own that. Focus your energy on making your application as strong as possible rather than trying to find a side door.
One more thing
Location preference matters less than your overall performance. A strong candidate who picks NYC will beat a weak candidate who picked a "less competitive" office. The screening is about whether you are good enough, not about which office you picked.
Focus on what you can control. Nail your resume, your case prep, and your story. That matters way more than location strategy.
Feel free to reach out if you have other questions about the process.
hi!
If you only want to be in New York, selecting NYC and Brooklyn is completely fine. From what I heard from a friend in the NYC office, they do not interpret this as trying to game the system. Both offices are in the same metro area and often collaborate closely, so it does not send a negative signal.
That said, you should only list Brooklyn if you would genuinely accept an offer there. If you would decline it anyway, better to be transparent and just choose NYC.
best,
Alessa :)
Ex US-BCGer here. Are you asked to assign a % to each of your office preferences? If so, there are different stories you can tell depending on what you truly want. E.g., you can do NYC: 80-100% and Brooklyn 0-20% to more strongly indicate that you want to join the larger, more competitive office in NY. Or you can go 50/50, which might signal that NY as a location is more important to you and it doesn't matter which office you work out of. If there is a non-NY location you can see yourself living in that needs consultants e.g., BCG offices in the South, you can hedge your bets with something like NYC: 80-100% and Office X: 0-20%, because business needs are often prioritized.
All in all, as has been mentioned in other answers, think about what is most important to you - is it working at BCG or is it working in New York?
Hi there,
There's no issue with only selecting these two locations if it's your honest answer.
Just choose the location you genuinely want to go to.
The logic that 'I read somewhere saying that selecting Brooklyn (since it's less competitive than NYC) might be showing that you are trying to play with the system and you still only will be considered for NYC. Looking for advices.' is dubious. Why would BCG even want to do that? Why would they assume that?
It makes sense for you to apply for the office that you genuinely want to be part of. What helps with screening, though, is making it clear WHY you want that office - are you from that city? studied there? worked there? have family there? any personal reasons? does that office have a practice that is aligned with your industry focus?
What you want to avoid is making the office choice seem random, since that reduces the likelihood of passing screening.
If you have any questions, let me know.
Best,
Cristian
This is a great question, and it speaks to the paranoia that every serious candidate feels when dealing with the opaque logic of the recruiting machine. Let me put your mind at ease immediately: selecting both NYC and Brooklyn is the correct strategic move.
The worry about "playing the system" is overblown here. BCG doesn't offer two slots because they want to test your loyalty; they offer two slots because they have distinct, separate headcount requirements across different offices, even those that are geographically close. Brooklyn is a legitimate office that carries its own recruiting needs, and its pool of applicants is typically less saturated than Manhattan. The recruiting screen is built to see if they can place you in either relevant office.
By selecting both, you are simply maximizing your surface area for matching open headcount. You are telling the firm, "I am committed to the New York metropolitan area, and I am flexible between these two centers." If you only select NYC, you are automatically filtered out of the Brooklyn headcount pipeline, which is likely a separate, smaller, but often equally demanding pool. Do not self-eliminate from one option when your geographic preference is satisfied by both.
All the best with the process!
