BCG (SEA) 3rd First Round interview?

Hello there,

Your guess was right - sometimes when the interviewers have differing opinions, but one of the interviewers also feels strongly about passing you to the next round and wants to champion your case, then they could add a 3rd interview (sort of a tie breaker :)). 

Reflect back on your interviews, and try to remember what your weaknesses (e.g., calculation mistakes, structure) were - the 3rd interview will likely try to assess this, as well as your overall fit of course.

Good luck!

Hi there,

A third round serves exactly to solve the doubt posed by one of the interviewers.

If you think you could use more time to prepare, ask for a postponement. Worst thing that can happen is HR saying “no”, but in my experience, usually they grant additional time.

You’re almost there, you already have accomplished something important by being approved by a real BCG interviewer! Be confident, you got this!

Feel free to DM if you would like professional assistance, specially after receiving the feedback. I’ll be happy to help. Let’s get that offer! 💪 

Best,

Mari

Hi,

Most likely it means that they are uncertain as to whether to move you forward. It happens when you get one strong yes and one maybe. They then use a third interview to ultimately decide which way to lean.

It is nothing to worry about - if they did not think you were a good fit they would have rejected you already. Focus on delivering a strong performance during the interview and you will proceed accordingly. Some things to think about include - 

• Reflecting on interview performance to see where you think you did well and which areas to focus on
• Any particular question types that may have affected you
• Building rapport with the interviewer even in the short time frame
• Might be worth practicing with someone experienced to find additional strengths and opportunity areas

Best,

Udayan

Hi there,

You're right - this typically happens when it's a very close call. If one interviewer gives a clear “yes” and the other one a clear "no", it will lead to a rejection. 

So, chances are, one interviewer was supportive while the other had some specific minor doubts, even if your overall performance was perceived as solid.

Take some time to reflect and try to pinpoint where things might have gone off. If possible, ask HR for feedback - they can offer valuable insight. Then use that to focus your preparation moving forward.

Fingers crossed for the 3rd interview!

Cheers,
Florian

While in some offices they decide to do a 3rd interview as a kind of mini-round to try to send less candidates to the last round and save partners time... your guess is probably right. One interviewer is excited about you... then other one probably on the fence with some doubts.

You have to be the one figuring out what didn't go very well.

Hey 😊

Yes, what you're experiencing isn't super common—but it does happen occasionally at BCG and other firms in SEA and globally. I’ve seen a few cases like this when I was interviewing and also while supporting others, so don’t worry—it’s not a red flag 🚩

A third 1st-round interview usually just means:
– The first two interviewers had mixed opinions, or
– You’re borderline, and they want one more data point before final round decisions

It can also be used to assess a specific skill they still want to see (e.g. more structured thinking, stronger math, or confidence in communication). Since you haven’t gotten feedback yet, definitely ask for it now so you can prep with that focus in mind.

Also, don’t read too much into the short notice—it’s often just scheduling logistics 🗓️

You’ve come this far (Casey + 2 interviews!), so clearly you’re doing something right 💪 Happy to help with a mock session if you want to sharpen things last minute!

Best,
Alessa 😇

Hi there, 

Similar situation does happen, though not very often. Usually this happens due to either one of the following situations:

(1) The 2 R1 interviewers have extremely different views on your performance and they couldn't align. So a 3rd view is needed to further validate.

(2) You performance is on par with some other candidate(s) but the firm has a limited number of candidates they want to move on into the next round. So they give a 3rd interview to further narrow down the candidates 

Regardless of which scenario it actually is, focus on doing the 3rd one well. 

Best,

Emily

Hi there,

Q: Should I assume that the Round 1 interviewers had different opinions about me?

If you get an additional interview that was not scheduled before, usually it’s because your interviewers had different opinions and are not aligned on whether it was a clear pass. You can ask HR if they have any feedback on the previous interviews, this might help to understand if there is a specific area you might work on.

Good luck!

Francesco