Have I ruined my chances with BCG?

Question

Applying for summer consulting internships and had thought majority of them are not rolling basis.

I assumed BCG is only rolling basis for the full time hires and had no idea that they were for the summer internships.

Deadline is on the 27th January and I’ve only applied today whilst applications opened on the 7th January.

There’s no on campus hire in my country (I don’t think), everyone applies within this time period and goes through screening, assessments, and then interviews if invited.

Just saw an AMA from an official on thestudentroom and saw that the person said BCG rolls out invites to interviews on a rolling basis so even if I’m a strong applicant, if they rolled out all their spaces for interviews, I will not be invited to interview even if I was going to be invited if they had spots left. So they strongly recommended to apply as soon as possible and pretty much on the first day of applications opening.

Last time I applied, I applied near the end of the deadline too thinking nothing of it. Ended up with an invite to the online test 1 week later (I think everyone applying for BCG in London is invited to the online test so I don’t think I passed any screening), before being told 2 weeks later that I’ve been rejected.

I have a feeling the same might happen considering that they’ve apparently been inviting people to interview since they’ve opened up.

Have I just ruined my chances again?

Answer 1

This is the importance of networking AND coaching!

There are 100s of things we just don't know unless we know.

Look, if you have a strong resume + referral, your odds are not zero.

However, please do learn from this mistake (it's all we can do!).

Don't beat yourself up over it. Seriously. It's one firm. It's 1 application cycle. There will be more firms and more application cycles. And, even if you applied early, rest “easy” knowing your odds were low anyway!

Now, pick yourself up and apply to the 40+ other firms you need to apply to! Get networking, get case prepping, and hustle :)

How to Get a Consulting Internship - Tips and Tricks

Application Tracker – Keep Track With This Free Template

Answer 2

Sorry to hear about the situation.

In short, we cannot possibly know.

The reality is that there are global guidelines for recruiting for the big firms, but to a certain extent, each office plays its own game based on its own growth priorities.

In short, yes, it can be possible that they review the applications on a rolling basis, interview on a rolling basis and give offers on a rolling basis. Most offices have soft targets with hiring and once they hit those, they became sceptical about hiring more.

This wasn't as big of a problem 2-3 years ago when the market was booming post covid. Now the market is contracting, so the situation is different.

Here are a few tips you might find useful to read through on how to set up your application strategy:

Expert Guide: Build A Winning Application Strategy

Good luck!
Cristian

Answer 3

Hi there,

There are a lot of assumptions in your text which may or may not be true.

At this stage, you are still in the running. You could have approached it differently but since this is out of your control now, worrying about it makes 0 sense and keeps you from other things (networking, other applications, case prep,…).

Fingers crossed for a positive outcome!

Florian

Answer 4

Hi there,

Q: Have I just ruined my chances again?

Not necessarily. You applied within the deadline, so they will consider your application.

Could you have increased your chances if you had applied earlier, given that admission is on a rolling basis? That's possible. Does it mean you are out of the race? No.

The best thing you can do now is to apply/network with other firms to increase the possible invitations. The current application with BCG is not in your control until they provide feedback in any case.

Good luck!

Francesco

Answer 5

Hi there,

I would be happy to share my thoughts on your situation:

First of all, while applying earlier might have been beneficial due to the rolling nature of the application process, it is not the sole factor in securing an interview. As such, you have not ruined any chances with BCG thus far.
Moreover, instead of pondering about what you could have done better, I would highly advise you to focus on your preparation for the potential pre-interview assessment and interviews, and apply to other consulting firms to increase your chances to get invited.

If you would like a more detailed discussion on how to best prepare for your upcoming interviews, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

Answer 6

Hi there, I would say a typical timeline from submitting your application to ultimately receiving an offer (if that w... (read entire answer)

Hi there, I would say a typical timeline from submitting your application to ultimately receiving an offer (if that were to happen) is often between 6-8 weeks. If you apply in... (read entire answer)

Answer 7

Sorry to hear the experience didn't go as well as you would have hoped. Best to check with the recruiting team, but t... (read entire answer)

Sorry to hear the experience didn't go as well as you would have hoped. Best to check with the recruiting team, but typically once you are in the BCG online case, you are alread... (read entire answer)

Answer 8

Hi, First, I want to tell you that I think you already have the right skill set, mindset, and experience to do well i... (read entire answer)

Hi, First, I want to tell you that I think you already have the right skill set, mindset, and experience to do well in the interview — it's very important that you trust your ab... (read entire answer)