Schedule mock interviews on the Meeting Board, join the latest community discussions in our Consulting Q&A and find like-minded Interview Partners to connect and practice with!
Back to overview

In MBB, if you're under consideration for office X then does that mean you've been rejected from any offices higher up in your prefereces?

In MBB, if you're under consideration for office X then does that mean you've been rejected from any offices higher up in your prefereces? Also what is the best thing you can do if you've been left hanging for several months – should I reach out to a  consultant and ask if they could look into it as I haven't heard back?  US application by the way. 

3
500+
14
Be the first to answer!
Nobody has responded to this question yet.
Top answer
on Apr 15, 2024
#1 Rated McKinsey Coach | Top MBB Coach | Verifiable success rates

In the US, it's a bit different. 

Basically, it rather means that the office that you're being considered for was actively looking for more people to recruit, whereas the offices higher up in your preference were already ‘full’. 

If you haven't heard back from them in a couple of weeks, send a polite email to the recruiter asking for an update.

And in the meantime, get going with other applications. You might find this guide helpful:

Best,
Cristian

Anonymous A
on Apr 16, 2024
Hi Cristian, thank you for the response! When emailing the recruiter, would it help to have a referral that you can name drop? Or is the priority to email asap?
on Apr 16, 2024
#1 Rated McKinsey Coach | Top MBB Coach | Verifiable success rates
Just email them directly. For now it’s all about info gathering.
on Apr 16, 2024
#1 Coach for Sessions (4.500+) | 1.500+ 5-Star Reviews | Proven Success: ➡ interviewoffers.com | Ex BCG | 10Y+ Coaching

Hi there,

1) In MBB, if you're under consideration for office X then does that mean you've been rejected from any offices higher up in your preferences? 

Correct. Not necessarily due to your application – it might be that they don’t need other applicants in that office.

2) Also what is the best thing you can do if you've been left hanging for several months – should I reach out to a  consultant and ask if they could look into it as I haven't heard back? 

If you have a referral and a good relationship with the person who referred you, you can reach out to that person to ask for an update. If you don’t have one, I would recommend calling HR to ask if they have correctly received your application.

Good luck!

Francesco

Pedro
Coach
edited on Apr 15, 2024
Bain | EY-Parthenon | Former Principal | 1.5h session | 30% discount 1st session

1. Yes, it means the higher ranked offices don't want to interview you

2. You may reach out to HR, not a consultant (unless you have a closer relationship with that consultant).

Anonymous A
on Apr 16, 2024
Thank you for the response!
Similar Questions
Consulting
What do they look in a candidate?
on Aug 24, 2024
Global
5
1.9k
Top answer by
Hagen
Coach
#1 recommended coach | >95% success rate | 9+ years consulting, interviewing and coaching experience
65
5 Answers
1.9k Views
+2
Consulting
Estimate the number of gas stations in Dubai
on Jul 01, 2024
Global
3
1.5k
Top answer by
Pedro
Coach
Bain | EY-Parthenon | Former Principal | 1.5h session | 30% discount 1st session
32
3 Answers
1.5k Views
Consulting
URGENT : MBB Background Check
on Jul 10, 2024
Global
4
1.3k
Top answer by
Ariadna
Coach
BCG | Project Leader and Experienced Interviewer | MBA at London Business School
33
4 Answers
1.3k Views
+1