McKinsey Summer BA - When to Expect to hear back?

Hi there,

Long delays after McKinsey final rounds are unfortunately common, especially in Greater China. The fact that they told you in December they were still deciding suggests you haven’t been rejected outright. At this stage, it’s more likely you’re on hold or waitlisted rather than actively moving toward an offer.

Offers are usually communicated quickly, while holds can last months. It’s reasonable to send one more polite follow up now if you haven’t already, but in parallel you should continue with other applications and not wait on this outcome alone.

Best,
Evelina

Hello!

From personal experience - a long delay in the recruiting process doesn't necessarily mean "no" (I had a period where I heard nothing from McK for over a month, and still got an offer). If they knew you were not receiving an offer at the beginning of December when you reached out, they likely would have told you. 

However, understanding that summer BA applicants have other potential offers, it may be reasonable to ask again when you could expect to hear back. Especially if you have another consulting firm offering a summer role and have a real need to know by a specific date.

Hope this helps!

Tommy

You should not think too much about it - thinking more doesn't lead you to an answer, and all options can be possible. 

1. most decisions are made within the week - all the interviewers talk and decide. 

2. you are rejected

3. checking your background - still pending

again, all these can be possible with the same symptom

Hi,

The wait to hear back from interviews is one of the more nerve wracking things I've had to endure. 

In short - it's not over till it's over - it doesn't mean you have been rejected until you've received a definitive answer.

I talk about your exact situation and more in my article:

Haven't Heard Back After Your Interview? Here's What To Do

Hang in there!

Hi there,

Until you've received an official rejection, best to not assume you've been rejected. I suggest you be a bit more patient and follow up with them again in a few weeks.

hey there :)

I would not assume a rejection yet, especially in China where decision timelines can be very long and headcount approvals often get delayed. Being told they are still deciding is usually genuine, and silence without a rejection often means you are still in the pool or on hold. That said, after this much time it is also realistic to mentally move on while staying politely available, and another very light follow up after a few more weeks is fine. Feel free to reach out if you want to sanity check a message or talk through next steps.

best,
Alessa :)

That is an absolutely brutal position to be in. Waiting since November after putting in the final round effort is excruciating, and I apologize that the process has left you hanging.

Here is the reality of what's happening, especially in high-demand, high-volume regional hubs like Greater China. If they intended to issue a clean rejection, they would have done it within 2-3 weeks of your interview. The fact that you are still receiving "we are making a decision" replies means you are almost certainly in the high potential candidate pool or on a formal waitlist. You passed the bar—your performance was deemed acceptable for a role—but you were not in the top 5% who received immediate offers.

In the firm's eyes, they have secured their Tier 1 candidates, and they are now managing their remaining budget against expected attrition. They are holding onto you because they fully anticipate that some offers will be declined, or that internal headcount will be increased slightly once Q1 budgeting is finalized. They are keeping you warm, but they cannot commit resources until they know precisely how many slots they have left.

It is time to pivot from passive waiting to active demonstration of commitment. Do not send another note to HR. Instead, reach out to anyone you met during the process—your interviewers, or the consultants you networked with pre-interview—and share a genuine, quick update on something relevant you've been working on, reiterating your intense interest in that specific office. Sometimes, a strong internal champion can pull a candidate directly out of the pool and onto their specific project budget, bypassing the general HR bottleneck.

All the best with this.