BCG First Round Interview

BCG BCG Case Interview
New answer on Feb 09, 2020
7 Answers
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Anonymous A asked on Feb 07, 2020

Hey friends,

I got a call with an invitation to BCG First Round interviews this morning! Although I am happy to hear that I've been advanced in the process, I'm a little worried that I am underprepared. I have read Case Interview Secrets and have recently purchased LOMS by Victor Cheng and started going through it, but I have only done one live case practise which I must admit didn't go as well as I hoped it would.

I have exactly one week to prepare as much as I can, and any advice or tips you have would be appreciated.

Also, I'm interviewing for an internship. Would not making it through hurt my chances of getting an interview for a job next year?

Thanks!

Edit: Thanks for all your messages suggesting that I reschedule. I highly doubt that they will allow me to reschedule since the interviews seem to be on a strict schedule. Nevertheless, I will still reach out and try.

(edited)

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Luca
Expert
Content Creator
replied on Feb 09, 2020
BCG |NASA | SDA Bocconi & Cattolica partner | GMAT expert 780/800 score | 200+ students coached

Hello,

Please consider that your performance may affect also your chances of accessing the interviews in the future. Before doing the interviews, you should have done at least 30/40 live cases.
I'm a former BCG consultant, feel free to reach me out for any information or suggestion that you could need.

Best,
Luca

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Antonello
Expert
Content Creator
replied on Feb 08, 2020
McKinsey | NASA | top 10 FT MBA professor for consulting interviews | 6+ years of coaching

Hi,
the first recommendation is to reschedule. If you cannot do it, try your best by doing as many mock cases as possible during this week. It is not impossible. In case of a rejection you will not have a ban for full-time positions.

Best,
Antonello

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Francesco
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replied on Feb 08, 2020
#1 Coach for Sessions (4.000+) | 1.500+ 5-Star Reviews | Proven Success (➡ InterviewOffers.com) | Ex BCG | 10Y+ Coaching

Hi Anonymous,

I would try to reschedule and then follow the steps below:

  1. Define a calendar for your preparation. Identify how many hours you have before your interview, then allocate a time slot for preparation in your calendar for each day, working on the following points.
  2. Start reading good MBA Consulting Handbooks – you can find several for free online (Insead is a good one to start). Read the cases and try to apply your structure. Whenever you see there is something missing, upgrade your structure with the new insides. Try to read at least a new case per day – in this way you will absorb a lot better the information with constant learning. Structure your remaining daily preparation with at least 5-10 minutes per day for each of the following: market sizing, fit questions and mental math.
  3. After you have read the first 10 cases in books/handbooks and basic theory, start to practice live. There is a relevant part of the interview score that is based on your communication, which you cannot practice at all if you read cases only. Keep track of your mistakes and see if you repeat them. If so, try to identify the source of the mistake (feedback of experienced partners would be particularly useful for this). Be sure to focus on both fit and case.
  4. Once you feel you are not improving anymore, if you have a tight time constraint or if you want a realistic assessment of your level, consider using support from experts to strengthen your performance
  5. Before the interview, be sure to prepare your questions for the interviewers –great way to show you prepare in advance and to connect more with the interviewer for a good final impression.

Normally you can reapply for full time if you fail the application for internships, but would check with someone in your target office as there may be regional differences.

Best,

Francesco

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Vlad
Expert
replied on Feb 07, 2020
McKinsey / Accenture Alum / Got all BIG3 offers / Harvard Business School

Hi,

Please reschedule your interview. There is generally no penalty for rescheduling. Internship interviews are a bit more sensitive since they have fixed interview dates, but I would still try rescheduling. You are definitely not prepared and can't prepare within a week. Please don't lose a chance of getting this job by going to the interview unprepared

Best

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Anonymous A on Feb 07, 2020

Hello Vlad, thanks so much for your answer. How do you think I should ask to have my interview rescheduled? Even if they do reschedule it, I doubt that I will have more than an extra week. Any tips on how I can make the most of my time?

Anonymous D replied on Feb 07, 2020

I would reschedule the interview if I were you

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Anonymous C replied on Feb 07, 2020

Hey there,

My suggestion would be to go through Case in Point from Cosentino. I think it is a great book. My only advice is to structure well your case, and practise, practise and again.

Good luck :)

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Anonymous on Feb 07, 2020

Thanks Anonymous!

(edited)

Anonymous B replied on Feb 07, 2020

If you can, try to reschedule to have at least 3-4 weeks to prepare.. try to do more live case interviews (as much as you can), preferably with people from consulting or coaches if you can afford it.

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Anonymous A on Feb 07, 2020

Hello Anonymous, thanks for your answer. I doubt that I can reschedule my interview. But I definitely will try to get more live practise.

Luca gave the best answer

Luca

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BCG |NASA | SDA Bocconi & Cattolica partner | GMAT expert 780/800 score | 200+ students coached
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