Summer 2026 Internships - Best Time to Apply?

Question

Hi There!

Canadian undergraduate student here studying on the west coast at the University of British Columbia. I'm looking forward to MBB recruiting for Summer 2026 internships, and noticed there are 2 general cycles for MBB firms - one deadline in June, and one deadline in September.

1) Is there a best time to apply? Ideally, I'd like to take the summer to do some casing and networking - but I want to avoid shooting myself in the foot if the ideal time to apply is this earlier deadline!

2) Is there a general strategy that I should follow pertaining to my background? For example, should I only focus on the Toronto, Montreal, and Calgary offices - or can I pursue NYC and other US locations? As a student at UBC on the west coast, is there a particular office I should be targeting? Any other considerations that I should consider to put my best foot forward?

3) I was lucky enough to get a First Round Interview invite in November at BCG, but was unfortunately not invited back for a final round. I believe I've grown quite a bit since then (especially in my casing abilities) - can I reapply again? Is there anything I should do to account for this?

Thank you so much for reading my question!

Answer 1

Hi,

1) I would recommend to apply as soon as possible if you feel ready for the interview. They are generaly filling the spots and might be even a bit more strict at the end if there are very limited spots left.

2) You can select the offices based on your personal life and industry preference; while the latter seems less important for an intership. Also be aware that some offices are (like NY) are more popular and so competitive than others.

3) There is typically a 12 months ban, meaning it's too early to re-apply. If you are unsure, double check with the recruiter.

Good luck with you preparation.

Mattijs