Hello All,I did my BCG internship interview in jan and I didn't get in. Now I am preparing for full time and I am in target mba in europe. MBB are coming to the school in september. so my question is when should I start preparing? Will 4 months not be overkill?

Hi,

I don’t think there’s such a  thing as “too much preparation”; there is,  however, such a thing as the wrong type of preparation. So 4months is not overkill if used properly.

You have plenty of time between now and September,  so I wouldn’t go full steam immediately. Instead think about building your preparation in a structured and consistent way.

If your budget allows, I would strongly recommend starting with one coaching session early on. The goal is to:

• assess where you stand
• identify your main gaps
• define a clear preparation plan

From there, consistency matters much more than intensity.  On your concern about sounding robotic, this is usually not due to too much prep, but to the wrong kind of prep; for example,  over-relying on memorized frameworks instead of learning how to lead the case and communicate in a clear, structured way.

The goal is not to memorize more cases but to think better during the case.

Feel free to DM me if you’d like to go deeper

Best,
Franco

Hi there,

I think your instinct is right to question this — but 4 months is not overkill if you use it well.

What usually goes wrong is not “starting too early,” it’s doing too much of the wrong kind of prep (too many random cases, repeating frameworks, no reflection).

Given you’ve already done ~30 cases, you’re past the beginner stage. You don’t need to grind volume anymore — you need to get sharper and more consistent.

If I were in your position, I wouldn’t go all-in from now. I’d keep it light for a while, then ramp up later.

Right now, something like 2–3 cases per week is more than enough. Use this time to actually fix things:
where you get stuck, where you’re unclear, where you lose structure. Also worth doing a bit of targeted practice (math, brainstorming, structuring) instead of only full cases.

Then ~6–8 weeks before interviews, I’d increase intensity. That’s when you want to simulate real conditions more, do tougher / less standard cases, and really pressure-test your fit.

On the “robotic” concern — very valid, and I’ve seen it a lot.

It usually happens when people keep applying the same frameworks without thinking. The way around it is simple (but not easy): after each case, force yourself to reflect. What would you do differently next time? Could you structure it in a simpler or more tailored way?

If you keep doing that, you won’t become robotic — you’ll actually become more flexible.

Also, your point about curveball cases is important. At this stage, firms are not testing whether you know frameworks. They’re testing whether you can stay structured when the case is messy. That’s a different skill, and it comes from thoughtful practice, not just more cases.

If I had to summarize how I’d approach it:
start now, but keep it light → focus on fixing weaknesses → ramp up closer to interviews → prioritize quality over volume.

You’re already in a good position — this is more about sharpening than starting from scratch.

Good luck!

Best,

Soheil

Hi there,

Well, first, get a coach. You did something "wrong" the first time (probably, though possibly not). You'd be at risk of doing the same wrong things without knowing them.

4 months is not overkill. It's actually the right amount of time. The key word is "if you use it well."

Most people burn through that window on the wrong things. Here's what actually matters:

• Don't just read casebooks — they're a starting point, not the destination. Reading cases doesn't count
• Do live cases — with a wide variety of partners, not the same person over and over
• Always evaluate your resources — so many prep materials are wrong and so many are used wrong
• Quality over quantity, every time
• With Bias, use my 360 degree consulting recruiting course: Successful Interview Prep

On sounding robotic: that's a function of memorisation, not volume. If cases feel mechanical, the problem isn't the number of cases, it's the approach. Build flexible thinking, not rehearsed responses. My course does that

The most efficient thing you can do at 4 months out? Get a coach now — not 2 weeks before the interview. A coach can diagnose exactly what's blocking you and build you a real plan. That saves months of heading in the wrong direction: Coaching

Some reading to get you in the right mindset:

• Most Common Pitfalls in Case Interview Preparation
• How to Shift Your Mindset to Ace the Case

What a great question!

No, 4 months is not an overkill. 

Plus, in this time, you need to do multiple things. 

You need to prepare for the interviews themselves (case + personal fit). And I would aim to have 1-1.5h x 4-5 times a week. 

AND

You need to do whatever is in your power to increase the probability of you passing screening. 

Meaning, you need to identify your target firms and figure out what office you want to apply to, and what role (for instance you might consider applying for a specific practice rather than a generalist role). Then, you need to prepare your CV, ideally have it professionally reviewed, and your cover letter. Then, you should ideally get referrals for the roles that you're applying for. 

Adding here some resources that you might find useful:

• • Expert Guide: Build A Winning Application Strategy

AND

• • Expert Guide: How To Get Referrals Via LinkedIn?

Best,
Cristian