MBA campus recruiting v. Direct application

Hi Zack!

Great questions. Let me take them one by one. 

Quick question on consulting recruiting for MBAs: what is the impact of not recruiting / applying through campus recruiting to McKinsey by Sept 7th and BCG by Sept 15th (the deadlines we received for my school) but recruiting / applying directly when I feel fully ready in terms of case preparation? 

In most cases, you don't really have an option. Basically, if you're in school (e.g., MBA) then you are only eligible to apply through campus recruiting. Whereas if you're working already, then you can apply as an experienced hire. To check eligibility criteria, you need to speak directly with HR at your target office x firm.

Does it change anything in terms of package? Am I still considered for an Associate role at McKinsey and Consultant role at BCG? I am thinking of European/Asian/Middle East offices.

No, it doesn't change anything in terms of the offer or package. In fact, if you can apply outside of cohort recruitment it's better, because your application is not compared with so many other people at the same time. 

Besides, what is the chance of being invited for an interview this year if not invited for 2023 summer internship at McKinsey USA / invited for summer internship at BCG USA but failed the interview rounds? Or put in another way: will I get directly rejected by McKinsey? (Kind of hard to answer without more information on me but I guess hopefully you understand where I come from with this question)

Basically, each firm runs their own recruitment process. You might progress with one but not with the other. When you fail with one firm, you can only apply to that firm once again after about 12 months. 

Sharing with you a guide on how to approach the application process:

• Free Guide: Build A Winning Application Strategy

Best,
Cristian

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Hello,

To answer your questions:

1. What is the impact of not recruiting / applying through campus recruiting to McKinsey by Sept 7th and BCG by Sept 15th (the deadlines we received for my school) but recruiting / applying directly when I feel fully ready in terms of case preparation? Does it change anything in terms of package? Am I still considered for an Associate role at McKinsey and Consultant role at BCG?

You should definitely apply via your school's campus recruiting (accelerate your prep now if you need to). Not doing so and applying via non-campus channels will put you at a significant disadvantage, and potentially an automatic rejection.

2. Besides, what is the chance of being invited for an interview this year if not invited for 2023 summer internship at McKinsey USA / invited for summer internship at BCG USA but failed the interview rounds? Or put in another way: will I get directly rejected by McKinsey?

There's no direct connection - if you get rejected this year, your odds of success next year will entirely depend on your preparation, the candidate pool, etc. Plenty of people get rejected for internships and then land full-time offers.

Hi Zack,

Please don't make the mistake of not applying via school recruiting.

Essentially, school recruiting is the formal channel by which these firms recruit. Using that channel greatly increases your odds (and in some cases you cannot apply outside of those channels).

My strong advice is to buckle down now - make up for lost time by hiring a coach, and put all your focus onto succeeding for these app deadlines.

Here's some more reading to help:

https://www.preplounge.com/en/articles/pitfalls-case-interview-preparation

https://www.preplounge.com/en/articles/how-to-get-a-consulting-internship-tips-and-tricks

Hi Zack,

1) What is the impact of not recruiting / applying through campus recruiting to McKinsey by Sept 7th and BCG by Sept 15th (the deadlines we received for my school) but recruiting / applying directly when I feel fully ready in terms of case preparation? 

You might have a disadvantage applying after the deadline as they are going to organize the hiring for your school according to that. Possibly you might be automatically rejected if the hiring process has been completed.

2) Besides, what is the chance of being invited for an interview this year if not invited for 2023 summer internship at McKinsey USA / invited for summer internship at BCG USA but failed the interview rounds?

Internships and full-time are usually separate channels, so unless they mentioned something different in the rejection email, you should still have a chance for full-time despite the previous rejection.

Good luck!

Francesco

Hi Zack,

as long as you are on campus, you should not bypass structured recruiting efforts - it will lead to rejection / your application might not be considered.

In terms of odds post internship rejection - as long as your profile meets what the firms are looking for, the internship rejection will typically not have negative impact on a full-time application. Note that internship slots are a lot more rare (than full-time slots), so the firms are usually more selective.

In a nutshell, strongly suggest you stick to the campus recruiting deadlines and accelerate your preparation. Work with a coach if need to be ready rather than trying to bypass the process.

Hope this helps.

Regards, Andi

Regards, Andi

Hi Zack,

you need to go through the “official” campus recruiting process with respective deadlines if you are enrolled at that target university. If you don't adhere to this, your application will very likely not be considered.

Full-time and internship recruiting a typically separate channels. So a rejection for the internship in the past does usually not mean an automatic rejection for the full-time position. And it sounds like your CV was strong enough to get invited to the interviews.

Best of luck