BCG Re-application Ban Period

Question

Hi everyone,
I need some help with the topic above. I have applied for BCG on 02/24. I did not pass the online test on 05/2024. On that occasion, I did not have any referral and I was applying as a Visiting Associated. The only contact that I had was the HR only for application process purposes. She told me to try again in 1 year.
Right now, I would have a strong referral (for the same office to which I have already applied). Is it possible for me to re-apply on 09/2024 exploiting the referral connection? Or the 1-year ban is not negligible?
Office: EMEA (not London).

Answer 1

Hi there,

To be honest, I do not see why there would be an exception to the re-application period. A referral is mainly helpful to increase your chances to get an interview invitation in the first place - which you already got.

A referral would not alter the outcome of the test result.

For your peace of mind, there are two things you could do (but I would not get my hopes super high):

(1) Ask HR specifically if your referral warrants an exception to their recommendation. They should not mind the question.

(2) Be honest with your referral contact about your situation and ask for their guidance. Depending on their seniority and how much they are keen for you to join, they might be able to ask for the exception for HR - all of this is very hypothetical.

For point (1) I personally see no harm in asking. For point (2) you know better how strong your relationship with that person is and you can assess the cost - benefit of the approach.

Good luck,

Ariadna

Answer 2

Hi there,

No, you would still need to wait for the full year + show some significant improvements on your resume when you re-apply.

You don't want to apply with the same resume but need to show improvements in some of the following areas:

Career
Academia (if you are still a student)
Leadership experience
Time spent abroad

Cheers,

Florian

Answer 3

Sorry for the bad news, but having a referral does not impact the ban period.

Answer 4

Hi there,

First of all, I am sorry to hear about the rejection from BCG!

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

First of all, the ban period of 12-18 months is generally valid and there are usually no exceptions, especially not for such common reasons as receiving a referral, which you should have secured from the outset. Therefore, unfortunately, you will have to wait, especially if the recruiter told you so.
Moreover, please keep in mind to enhance your profile in the meantime, at best across all sections in your resume.

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 how to best prepare for your upcoming interviews, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen