How long to hear back after Solve?

Question

Hi, everyone,

I applied for a Fellow Associate position at a McKinsey LATAM office in mid August. Got the invite for Solve the day after, which I completed 2 days later. Haven’t heard back.

I reached out to HR when it hit the 2-week mark, having read online that’s usually how long they take to get back to candidates. A recruiter replied saying they’d get back “in the next weeks”. It’s been almost a month since that exchange….

My application still shows up as “In Progress”, I’m just wondering if anyone’s had a similar experience in the same region or could provide any guidance as to what I should expect.

Thanks!

Answer 1

Hi there,

Sorry to hear you've already been waiting for so long.

This does happen sometimes and there's not much that you can do about it. It sounds like you've already followed up once and you can do so again in 2 weeks or so.

In the meantime, the most impactful thing you can do is to keep on applying and working on your prep. You might find the following guide useful, where I wrote about how to develop an application strategy:

• • Expert Guide: Build A Winning Application Strategy

Best,
Cristian

Answer 2

Hi,

One month of silence is rather uncommon, but it does not necessarily mean it is a negative signal; one potential explanation is that they are waiting to review candidates in batches or to free up interviewer slots before communicating the outcome.

Since your first follow-up was about a month ago, a second short note to the recruiting team is entirely appropriate now, asking whether there is any update and what timing to expect. In the meantime I would keep preparing for the interviews, because once the invite comes things can move quite fast.

Good luck with your preparation.

Best,

Franco

Answer 3

Hey there :)

I wouldn’t read too much into the delay, especially since your application is still showing as “In Progress” and the recruiter has already told you they’re working through it. LATAM timelines can vary quite a bit depending on office and hiring needs.

Since you’ve already followed up once, I’d probably give them a little more time rather than sending another message immediately. If there’s still no update after another couple of weeks, a short follow up to HR is completely reasonable. The fact that you haven’t received a rejection is at least consistent with your application still being under consideration.

Best, Alessa :)

Answer 4

"In progress", plus a recruiter who said "the next weeks", means your file is still open. It does not tell you the decision. I would not treat a fortnight, or a month, as a LATAM rule. Offices do not share one clock I can quote.

You already wrote once. A second note is reasonable now that almost a month has passed since that reply. Keep it to a few lines: your name, the office, the date you finished Solve, and a request for updated timing. Then stop writing unless they give you a new date. Use the wait on other applications. Refreshing the portal will not move the file.

Answer 5

The timeline can vary depending on the application window. If you applied in the beginning it may take longer than when you applied closer to the deadline. They are very professional in general will come back to you once they are ready. So relax and wait for them to reach out, they usually will not forget about you ;-)

Answer 6

Hi there,

Sit tight - they'll get to you when they get to you!

Ultimately, plenty of people get invited to interview after multiple months (and plenty don't). All you can do in the meantime is keep case prepping and applying to other companies!