Is High Bridge Academy worth it for McKinsey preparation right after graduation?

Hi Will,

free resources and peer mock interviews are already a very strong foundation. Many candidates get very far by consistently practicing cases, building solid fundamentals, and getting feedback from peers.

A good next step (before committing to any large program) can be an intro call with an experienced coach. That way, you can assess where you stand, identify concrete gaps, and decide whether targeted coaching would actually add value at this stage, or later on. Individual coaching tends to be most effective when it builds on an existing base rather than replacing it.

On PrepLounge, you’ll also find a wide range of resources that support McKinsey preparation, including guides for McKinsey-specific tests and interview formats. Overall, you can cover everything you need for strong preparation without necessarily spending several thousand dollars upfront.

Hope this helps, and best of luck with your prep!

Charlotte - PrepLounge Team

Hi Will,

Structured programs like High Bridge Academy can help with discipline, frameworks, and structured feedback, but they aren’t strictly necessary right after graduation if you’re motivated and disciplined with free resources and practice partners. Many candidates successfully prepare for McKinsey with peer practice, case books, mock interviews with experienced coaches, and consistent case drilling before investing in a paid program.

If you find yourself plateauing, lacking targeted feedback, or wanting personalized coaching to sharpen your weaknesses, then a structured program can be a meaningful accelerator. Right now, at the start of your prep, it’s fine to continue with what you’re doing and reassess later if you feel you need more guided support.

Happy to help you prep if useful.

Best,
Evelina

When evaluating an expensive program, you need to think about where you are on the preparation curve. For a fresh graduate starting out, the Return on Investment (ROI) on a $5,000+ program is generally low. The core 80% of case preparation—math speed, foundational frameworks, handling ambiguity, and standard flow—is readily accessible through free materials, published books, and peer groups. You should aggressively pursue this foundational learning phase for at least two months before spending serious money.

The reality of these high-cost academies is that they provide the final 20% of polish. They specialize in high-fidelity mock interviews, teaching subtle nuances in synthesis and communication, and refining your confidence in unstructured settings. This is crucial for converting an interview from a "pass" to a "strong pass," but if you haven't mastered the basics yet, you're essentially paying for advanced lessons that you aren't ready to absorb.

My advice is to establish your baseline first. Once you have done 20-30 free or peer-led cases and you clearly identify a structural weakness—like consistently failing the synthesis section, or difficulty structuring ambiguous prompt—then look at targeted, paid coaching or an academy. At that point, the cost is leveraged against a specific, high-impact gap, making the investment far more effective than just buying the comprehensive package upfront.

Hope it helps!

Hi there,

There are candidates that was able to get an offer using solely free resources, and some candidates that got offers after using paid programs. It really depends on you and how much effort you're willing to figure out yourself what content you should cover and where to get it.

For a peace of mind, I paid for a program online and fortunately was quite happy with it.