Hi there, 

It's not a stupid question at all. It makes a lot of sense. 

Unconsciously, yes, I think it makes a difference and if you can, you should attend in person. 

Interviews are not only about skills and ticking boxes about your fit, regardless of how transparent and measurable companies want to make it sound. They are a lot about connection, about the other person starting to see you in their role and as a colleague on a project. Interviewers are in general a lot more likely to progress you to the next round if you're a nice person that's easy to connect with even if your performance was borderline. 

Best,

Cristian

Hi there,

First of all, congratulations on making it to the final interview round with McKinsey!

This is indeed an interesting question which is probably relevant for a lot of users, thus I am happy to provide my perspective on it:

• It is not likely that doing the final round interviews virtually will significantly impact your chances of success. Consulting firms, including McKinsey, use structured evaluation processes to assess candidates, and they are trained to evaluate candidates objectively, regardless of whether the interviews are done in person or virtually.
• While there may be some differences in the experience of doing an interview in person vs. virtually, such as the ability to establish eye contact or use body language, the focus of the interview will still be on your ability to think critically and solve problems, and these skills can be demonstrated equally well in either format.
• Additionally, the decision to do the interviews virtually should not be based on the potential impact on the interviewer's perception of you. The goal of the interviews is for you to demonstrate your skills and abilities to the best of your ability, regardless of the format.
• In general, the most important factor in the success of the interviews will be your preparation and performance, rather than the format of the interviews. As long as you are able to effectively communicate your ideas and demonstrate your skills, you will have a strong chance of success, regardless of whether the interviews are done in person or virtually.

In case you want a more detailed discussion on what to do in your specific situation, please feel free to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

Ever since Covid, virtual interviews have pretty much become a standard format and consulting firms know how to conduct them to get the relevant insights they need for evaluation.

When given the choice between in-person and virtual, I would always choose in-person (some other coaches here provided good reasons as to why that is beneficial).

To avoid getting derailed by rail disruptions (pun intended), make sure you factor in enough buffer time a.k.a. leave early enough for you interview appointment. If that is not enough and something so major happens that you cannot make it on time, that should typically be accepted as a reasonable excuse by the interviewer.

That said, I wouldn't just opt out of in-person because you anticipate that trains might be running late. When you end up in consulting and clients want you on site, you have to figure out how to get there too - so you can use this as practice.

I wish you the best of luck for your final round

(edited)

Hi there,

If given the chance to do it in person I would always opt for it. Four reasons:

1. Easier to relate, remember and build a connection with the interviewer and vice versa.
2. Lower chance for issues related to miscommunication and technical glitches.
3. Separation of your home and the evaluation environment.
4. Easier to read non-verbal clues (e.g., is your PEI story going in the right direction) and get hints (e.g., should you re-evaluate your math approach).

All the best with your interviews. If you haven't I would recommend you read the following two articles:

https://www.preplounge.com/mckinsey-pei

https://preplounge.com/mckinsey-interview

Cheers,

Florian

It is always better to have your interview in person.

Personal connection with the interviewer is extremely important. 

Hi there,

All things equal in person is better. There is a reason consultancies work at the client site and sales people fly to go and make deals. Nothing will replace the in-person impact/impression.

Of course, if you are “not good" in person i.e. you perform better virtually, this is something to consider. But, again, all things equal, in person is the way to go (for Stern I flew to New York from Australia, for BCG I flew to Boston from NYC, for Quantium I flew from Melbourne to Sydney, and they all resulted in offers/admissions). Again, do not underestimate the “bonus” you get my meeting people face-to-face

Physical interviews allow for a more controlled environment (no communication issues) and for a higher level of personal connection. I suggest you take it if you can.

Hello,

I would try to do it in person as much as possible for the reasons that you have outlined - you can simply build a better rapport with the interviewer. This is even better if you are more comfortable with in-person interactions than with online ones i.e. your personality in-person and online differs in the way in which it is perceived.

All the best!

Rushabh