Hi there,

First, I would let the dice land before making decisions. You may have offers from all of these companies, none of them, or some subset. By waiting to truly decide, you're going to 1) Make your future decision a lot easier and 2) Not get disappointed (by deciding you really want x before you even get it).

That said, there's no harm in applying for Mck, Bain, and other tier 2's in November, regardless of what happens with your interviews.

In terms of your Master's, decide once you're at one of these companies - see how you like the work and see how it fits into the plan!

Finally, MBB does value boutique consulting, but not 1 year's worth. You need to work there for multiple years and show real progress (promotions, large responsibilities, diverse set of projects, etc.)

Good luck with the multiple paths ahead of you!

Sorry about BCG but these things happen for the best. You may end up working at another company that is much better suited to your skillset and interests.

All options you have laid out are good options. It is very important to work in a role you enjoy and can make a true impact in. If you prioritize for anything else it will not be worth it as you may end up not performing well and also not enjoying a crucial part of life. You can join MBB from any of them that is not an issue. My main piece of feedback to you is if you decide to to a masters, make sure it is an MBA if you want to get in to MBB. Other programs are not feeder programs and you will have a hard time leveraging them to get in,

In terms of recruiting at MBB after boutique contuling - that is usually not a problem especially if you are recruiting from an MBA program at a target school where people come from all sorts of backgrounds.

Best,

Udayan