What does it typically mean when a consulting firm like Bain/Mckinsey sends a rejection email that mentions being impressed by your application, encourages you to stay in touch, and invites you to apply for future roles?

Question

I recently received a rejection email from Bain & Company for their True North: Scholarship for Women. The message mentioned they were impressed by my application, invited me to attend future events, and encouraged me to apply for a full-time role next year. I’m wondering if this is a generic message sent to all rejected applicants, or if it indicates that I stood out and they may be genuinely interested in staying connected.

Same was the case with Mckinsey's summer internship. Does that means I still have a good chance or is it just a polite rejection.

Answer 1

Hello there,

It is a bit hard to say without knowing more about the event and until which stage you have progressed within the process at McKinsey.

However, usually this is the content of generic emails. Don’t be discouraged though, as it doesn’t change nothing in reality for you since you will have to go through the entire process again under the same conditions as other applicants.

Keep up the hard work, consulting prep is a resilience game :-) you’ve got this.

Good luck!

Best,

Mari

Answer 2

Hey Divya,

This type of message is semi-standard but not meaningless. Firms like Bain and McK often use warm, encouraging rejection language to maintain goodwill with high-potential candidates — especially for early programs like scholarships or internships :)

The fact that they:

Mention being impressed
Encourage you to apply again
Invite you to events

usually means you performed well, but just missed the final cut due to limited spots or small differentiators. It’s not a guarantee of future success, but it's a soft positive signal. They’re likely keeping the door open, especially for full-time recruiting.

So yes, you still have a good chance. Reapply, stay involved, attend events, and consider reconnecting with recruiters to show continued interest. Let me know if you want help crafting a follow-up or preparing for reapplication.

Alessa :)

Answer 3

Hi Divya,

Sorry to hear about the rejections. Regarding your question:

Q: Does that means I still have a good chance or is it just a polite rejection.

This seems like the standard rejection email template. It doesn't mean you won't have a chance with a new application, but it also doesn't guarantee that you will get one. Overall, I don't think the format they used matters in terms of a future application.

Good luck!

Francesco

Answer 4

Hi Divya, sorry to hear about the rejection. To me it appears like a standard rejection - one that still maintains that you did not have any red flags - just weren't able to clear the performance threholds. I would suggest to reach out to them on the blackout periods and then plan accordingly to reapply.