Rejected by MBB. Could I reapply to other countries?

Hi there! I would say, DEFINITELY. In my opinion, location matters a lot: in terms of the candidate requirements and the level of competition. For instance, here in Europe, MBB looks to recruit candidates from top schools as well, but these schools themselves are much larger and less selective, compared to Ivy Leage in the US, hence, through this combination of factors, the acceptance bar into consulting naturally becomes lower.

So my strategy would be not to give up, reapply to a different office and then relocate to your long-term office of choice. 

Best of luck!

Hi there,

Yes this is an option, but I'm not sure if it's a real strategy.

If you got rejected in country A, a location with a highly competitive candidate pool (US, Germany, UK, etc.), country B should be distinct regarding candidate pool i.e. not 100s of Harvard MBAs lining up to apply. However, this implies relocation to a completely different region.

In this case, country B can process your application despite the ban. However, they will only do so if you failed the interview in location A because of something minor. If the personal fit was poor, you'll have a hard time…

Hope this helps a little! Best of luck!

Hey there,

For MBB, the recruiting bans are usually global, meaning that if you fail in one office, you will be banned for re-application for 12 to 24 months.

However, this period can be shortened by 

• impressive improvements in your resume (e.g., career, education, extracurriculars, experience abroad)
• excessive networking with senior leaders in the organization

All the best!

Florian

It is mostly exceptional cases where this is possible, however simply consider starting out at a firm of a different tier. You can always switch to MBB later.

Generally speaking, you are not.  However, you're right that there are exceptions.  Best way is to just apply and find out.

Hi there,

Yes you can but the application ban period does apply universally.

So, if you were rejected by McKinsey in one office, you will need to wait around 12-18 months before you re-apply.

When you do, please make sure you've:

1. Optimized your resume
2. Optimized your cover letter
3. Networked extensively and ideally gotten a referral

That's a bit unlikely, but can happen after a few months (6 months) if you performed decently in your cases. But… unlikely.

I suggest instead targeting tier 2 companies rather than waiting for the end of the ban period.

Hi there,

Q: I have been rejected by MBB. Is it possible to apply to MBB at other countries?

If you apply during the ban period to another office, it is possible to be rejected automatically due to the previous applications.

In your case, I would recommend to:

• Wait at least 6 months before a new application
• Look for a referral
• Mention to the person referring you that you have applied before and align with him/her on the next steps. Possibly he/she may have an “informal” chat with HR and verify the options without the need for a formal application

You can find more on networking and referrals here:

▶ https://www.preplounge.com/en/articles/networking-as-part-of-the-management-consulting-preparation-process

Good luck!

Francesco

Hi there, 

You can apply again in the same country in the 6 months. So just wait a bit!