What is the regular cooldown period after a decline at McKinsey (at final rounds, as an experienced hire)? Would this period be any different if referred by a partner?
Cooldown period after decline McKinsey


Hi,
We have previously addressed a similar question here:
https://www.preplounge.com/en/consulting-forum/questions-regarding-the-waiting-period-after-a-mbb-application-1072#a2064
As a general rule, the ‘reject re-apply’ period lasts for ~1.5/2 years.
I am pretty sure that being referred by a partner would not help as he would go against the feedback that his colleagues (partner colleagues) have given about your interviews.
Having said that, I don’t know the detail about your personal case but if you do have a direct connection with a partner and you have a close relationship with him, I would suggest explaining him your situation and why you got rejected to see if he can help you somehow. I am sure he can give you great advice and you can always re-contact him once the freeze period has passed.
If you do not have a close relationship with him, I would highly recommend you to avoid asking him to be a reference during the reject re-apply period.
I hope this helps,
Best of luck,
Jacopo
Which Office are you applying to? It depends on the office

Hi Anonymous,
the standard reapplication time in MBB is 2 years. If your performance was borderline, you may also be able to reapply in a shorter period of time (usually 6 months or 1 year), if that’s the case they would have to communicate it explicitly though.
Best,
Francesco
Hi anonymous,
At least in London, I know several people that were rejected in 2016 that reapplied (and received offers) in 2017 from MBB. However, these were recent university graduates so it may be different for experienced hires.
The best (and only) way to be sure is to email/call the recruiting/HR team from the companies to check.
Hi A,
It mainly depends on the office, but the standard freeze period you need to wait to reapply is 1-2 years.
You can clear that with HR for your particular situation.
P.S.: Make sure to improve your professional experience and networking, so when reapplying the firm sees your growth and potential.
Best,
André

Hi Anonymous,
You can usually reapply after 2 years to MBB; sometimes they let you reapply after one year, but they normally mention that in the feedback when giving you the rejection.
In order to increase your chances to get an offer you should:
- Leverage or build a network of consultants in MBB, to maximize the chance of getting a referral when applying again and thus maximize your chances to get a new interview.
- Understand what you did wrong in the case interview and practice on that particular area. Candidates tend to think about cases as a whole thing, but it is likely you have to improve on specific areas, while you may be already strong in others (fit, structuring at the beginning of the case, graph interpretation, communication, math, final recommendation, etc).
- Prepare a strong answer on how you improved since the last interview (they will for sure ask you that question).
At the following link you can also find a recent post I wrote on the main factors that could have an impact when switching from a consulting firm to MBB:
https://www.preplounge.com/en/consulting-forum/from-accenture-to-mbb-491
Hope this helps,
Francesco

Hi,
Depending on how powerful the partner is and how much he will be willing to help you. I've seen different cases.
Otherwise, I would recommend waiting until it will be at least a year after the first application
Best

Hi Anonymous,
it is rare to have a change in the waiting time, at least if the other office is in the same country. If you are in a good relationship with the partner, I would suggest to wait at least 6 months and ask him a feedback directly (since you have to mention anyway that you got rejected once, that should not make a difference in terms of his personal impression), following then what he suggests. Doing so, you will also need a clear explanation of how you improved in the meantime on the points you received as feedback when rejected.
Best,
Francesco
I believe the fixed re-apply time is 18 months - for McK I am certain this is the case, and I assume BCG/Bain are about the same. If you have 6 years industry experience, you may want to consider an MBA as a path into consulting.
I think you should apply, even if BCG is THE place you wanna work with. At the least regular real interviews uncover deeper insights into our strengths.

Hi,
You can call the local office and talk to HR. HR will give you the best advice on the specific dates since it's their job and they have all up to date information
Best!

Hi, the ban usually last 12-18 months, depending on the firm and the geography
Best,
Antonello
As other suggested, I would strongly suggest to apply but to have conversations with recruiting before submitting your application online so they know it’s coming and why you apply now and flag it appropriately so it doesn’t get discarded automatically.
hope it helps,
andrea

…
2 years. Not less than that.
A partner cannot change it. Even a senior partner, I believe.

Thanks both.
More context:
1. This would be a different continent entirely and a different service line.
2. Regarding feedback to improve on, none was given, rather than you are not the right fit for us at this time. This was a final round interview.
Hey anonymous,
Being in a different country/continent might not change the picture of the waiting time, however if it's a specific position/role (which I'm tempted to assume it's the case as you say it's a different service line) and you have a Partner willing to support you, I don't think you will lose anything in trying. Worst case scenario: you will get a no, but that's also what you have guarantee if you don't try!
best
Bruno
In addition to the above, I would also suggest networking and trying to get a referral. Check the alumni network for your Master's program or any friends and family.
I personally worked with someone who was rejected and then applied the following year through a referral and got the job. He as a great consultant too!
Dear A,
Applying again through the referral doesn't make sense within the next 12-18 months when your profile is frozen.
Also in that case I would strongly recommend using someone's referral to get your profile on the top of the pile and increase your chances of being invited again.
Hope it helps,
Wish you best of luck,
Andrè
Dear A,
Applying again through the referral doesn't make sense within the next 12-18 months when your profile is frozen. However, afterwards, I would recommend you to re-apply only through the referral. As for now, just focus on other firms.
Best,
André
Hi A,
I would wait a year at least and then reapply.
As the office is on another continent, the time of waiting might not change significantly.
However, you can give it a shot. What are you losing, anyway?
Best,
André

Hi A,
Unfortunately, even a partner can't change anything about the freeze period. You will have to wait approximately 1-2 years, depending on what office and what region you applied to.
I recommend you get the information about the length of the ban period from HR.
During the time when you can't reapply, you can work on upgrading your profile to make it look a better fit for McK next time.
Do you need any further help?

Hi Anonymous,
Generally, unfortunately, you cannot reapply until the ban period is over. This may vary depending on a particular firm/office but usually not less than a year.
So better think now about how you can use this time to upgrade your profile before reapplying after a year.
Do you need any further help?
GB

Usual ban is 12-18 months










