BCG final round

Hi there, 

First of all, congrats to making it to final round! This means, that BCG established that you have the potential to become part of the firm and now would like to validate one last time just to be sure.

Your final round will be quite similar to your first round - at the end of the day, it's just another round of case interviews - so be prepared for anything. However, do also expect your interviewers to be more senior than in R1 - typically Partner or at least Principal level.

Given the higher interviewer seniority, cases / conversations with these folks can be a bit more high-level compared to more junior interviewers. In other words, besides pressure-testing your weak points from R1 (e.g. in this case: out of the box idea generation), similar to what you described, the final round typically focuses… 

• MORE on strategic, bigger picture thinking, qualitative questions, high-level sizings
• MORE business judgement & awareness of what's happening in the world / economy, certain industries
• MORE on ability to navigate a senior client / stakeholder conversation
• MORE your personal fit with the firm - VERY IMPORTANT!
• LESS on detailed structuring, multi-layer frameworks
• LESS on quant analysis & calculations

You will typically notice by prompts in the first few min of an interviewer, whether the interviewer wants to engage in a very detailed case or keep it more of a high-level / a free flow conversation on a certain topics / industry. 

1. If it's a normal case interview, tackle it the same way as you usually would, but keep above points in mind
2. If it's more free flow, focus on developing a (high-level) structured, engaging and NATURAL conversation - please refer to my response to a previous post for practical tips on how to do so:  Link to how to answer "free-flow questions" at a partner interview?

In any case, these are just some thoughts on what you can typically expect - please do keep an open mind and expect anything to come, just like you did in R1, then you will do just fine.

Do not hesitate to reach out via PM if you have further questions on how to best get ready for the last round and navigate through the interviews. 

Hope this helps. You're very close - go and grab it!!

Regards, Andi

Hi there,

#1 Fix your weaknesses

#2 Be prepared for anything (build your fleibility/adaptability)

Some reading for the case: https://www.preplounge.com/en/articles/how-to-shift-your-mindset-to-ace-the-case

Some reading for fit: https://www.preplounge.com/en/articles/tell-me-about-yourself-interview-question

Fit/Behavioral

You should be more prepared for a pretty in-depth fit interview. I highly recommend you expect "loose" or "random" questions and practice this scenario with a coach. They are less likely to just ask you 20 "tell me about a time" questions. They may have a bit more of a chat, ask you to brainstorm, ask things like "How would you setup x type of project", etc. etc. You need to prepare to be flexible here!

Broader topics/case variability

In terms of being MECE, try out a wide range of "unique" questions to test your MECE structure!

For example, if you were a farmer and had to pick between buying a cow, chicken, or pig, how would you think about which to buy?

Or, if you were a thief, which store between a, b, c would you rob?

Practice breaking these down into MECE structures so that the concept really hits home.

Hi there,

Congrats on the final round interview! A couple of my perspectives below:

1. Fit: Take time to entertain questions on your interests, achievements and personal life, trying to find some common ground with the interviewer where possible (e.g., sports, hobbies etc.). Don't be in a rush to get to the case - the interviewer may spend more time on fit than you're potentially used to, and will lead you to the case when the time is right. 

2. Big-picture / strategic thinking: In my experience, at least some (if not all) of your final round interviews will be less focused on precise quantitative analysis, and more on qualitative, strategic questions. For example, you may be asked to assess 3x different approaches for expanding a business into a new region and to argue for one of them. The ‘case’ may even take the form of a couple such questions which seem unrelated (it really depends on the interviewer though - overall, be prepared to be a bit more flexible than in previous rounds). 

3. Communication and presence: In the final round I would argue that how you respond is (almost) as important as the content of your answer. The interviewer will be testing how you respond to difficult or unexpected questions as an indication of what you're like to work with, and whether they feel comfortable putting you in front of clients. Do you remain calm and friendly when challenged, or get flustered / defensive (irrespective of the content of your answer)?

Hope that helps, and all the best. 

Dear candidate,

great. 

a) There is a lot of flexibility in the final round for a Partner when it comes to cases, so that is why sometimes you are given a case in their industry. Often Partners expect that when you are asked qualitative questions in an interview, you answer structured but fast without taking time to think (except framework and conclusion) - practise this beforehand.

b) Personal fit matters, build rapport as much as you can, but genuinely and prepare questions to ask beforehand, but if you can, ask tailored questions based on the conversation (is a plus)

c) Partners are sharp, fast in analytics, speed can be faster than in other interviews

d) But remember: if the firm wants you and you are at a firm that respects its candidates, the partner should also help you pass, so dont feel intimidated by the level of seniority, instead embrace the opportunity positively.

Best of luck.

Hi there,

congrats on getting to the last round, step with the highest chances (approx. 40%) of all steps so far :-)

I would recommend:
1. FIT: Make sure you have your story ready for any common type of questions, you feel comfortable with them and they transmit all the key capabilities the firm look for. I would recommend testing with someone who has a completely different background to see if they understand what you want to say
2-4. practice and drill the cases, be familiar with the different possible approaches, understand what is the key question, etc.

Don't stress out. 

You can mock the interview with peers and eventually invest in an hour with a coach.

All the best!
Lucie
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