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Still no response 8 business days after BCG X final round, is this normal?

Had my final round interview with a partner at BCG X for the AI Engineer graduate role on June 6. It’s now June 17 (8 business days later) and I haven’t heard back at all. Is this typical for grad roles or should I assume it’s a soft rejection?

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Profile picture of Hagen
Hagen
Coach
edited on Jun 19, 2025
Globally top-ranked MBB coach | >95% success rate | 9+ years consulting, interviewing and coaching experience

Hi there,

First of all, congratulations on going through the entire application process with BCG!

I would be happy to share my thoughts on your situation:

  • First of all, there is no set timeframe for when consulting firms must communicate the decision, and I would strongly advise you to wait for it. Waiting one and a half weeks is not that long, especially if your interviewer is a most likely busy partner. And even if it weren't normal, it's unfortunately out of your control, so you have to follow the application process as it happens.
  • Moreover, there is no such thing as a "soft rejection", and you will certainly receive feedback when the decision has been made.

You can find more on this topic here: How to deal with a rejection from a consulting company.

If you would like a more detailed discussion on your specific situation, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

Profile picture of Francesco
on Jun 17, 2025
#1 Coach for Sessions (4.500+) | 1.500+ 5-Star Reviews | Proven Success: ➡ interviewoffers.com | Ex BCG | 10Y+ Coaching

Hi there,

Q: Still no response 8 business days after BCG X final round, is this normal?

In most cases, you hear back within a week after a final with MBB, however you might still get an offer after that.

There could be multiple reasons for the delay:

  • Partners got busy and cannot align to provide feedback
  • HR got busy and cannot align to provide feedback
  • They want to conclude the process with the candidates in the pipeline
  • They want to align on the future project pipeline to define the exact recruiting needs

As next steps, you can:

  1. Assume the worst-case scenario that this is a rejection, and look for other firms
  2. Wait at least 1 week from the last follow-up, then reach out to HR for an update

Good luck!

Francesco

Profile picture of Mihir
Mihir
Coach
on Jun 17, 2025
McKinsey Associate Partner and interviewer | Bulletproof MBB prep

It can take a few weeks (or even more, sometimes). I know the wait is painful, but try not to read into it too much. It doesn’t mean that you’ve been rejected.

Profile picture of Cristian
on Jun 17, 2025
Ex-McKinsey | Verifiable 88% offer rate (annual report) | First-principles cases + PEI storylining

Yes, that's normal. Or at least not abnormal. 

I also waited for 10 days after my final round and it was incredibly painful. I can imagine how it feels for you too. 

Try to keep yourself busy, or if you want to do something constructive, work on preparing for other applications so in a worst case scenario, you at least progressed on other fronts. 

I would start getting concerned or at least want to follow up when you get to the two week mark of waiting.

Best,
Cristian

Profile picture of Alessa
Alessa
Coach
on Jun 19, 2025
Ex-McKinsey Consultant & Interviewer | PEI | MBB Prep | Ex-BCG

hey!

Totally get how the wait feels, but 8 business days isn’t unusual, especially for final rounds and grad roles at BCG X. Sometimes it takes a bit longer due to internal discussions, especially if your case is borderline or there are multiple candidates being compared. Definitely not a soft rejection yet!

If you haven’t heard back by the end of this week, a short and polite follow-up would be perfectly fine.

Fingers crossed for you!

Best,
Alessa :)