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MBB application + case preparation

I work at a niche consulting firm and am currently without a project. I am hoping to reapply to MBB, with plans to submit applications before the end of summer and complete interviews by June, as July and August are off phases for recruitment.

Two years ago, I passed all screenings for Tier 2 firms and McKinsey but didn’t pass the interviews.

First question: What is the best application plan? When should I apply, and how should I approach it?

Second question: What should my preparation plan be? I already know the basics, as I practiced cases two years ago but didn’t pass the interviews.

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Evelina
Coach
on Jan 28, 2025
EY-Parthenon (6 years) l Ex BCG l 97% success rate l 30% off first session l free 15' intro call l LBS

Hi there,

Hope the suggestions below help;

1. Best Application Plan

Timeline
    •    Networking: Begin immediately to build relationships with MBB consultants via LinkedIn or events for referrals.
    •    Applications: Submit in early spring (March-April) to align with recruitment cycles and aim to complete interviews by June.
    •    Tailoring: Highlight your niche consulting experience, transferable skills, and growth since your last application.
    •    Target Offices: Apply to multiple offices based on geographical preference and market demand for your expertise.

Key Actions
    1.    Update CV and cover letter: Focus on quantifiable achievements and progression.
    2.    Leverage referrals: Secure internal endorsements to strengthen your application.
    3.    Submit strategically: Target offices with overlapping deadlines to maximize opportunities.

2. Preparation Plan

Phase 1: Diagnostic and Review (January-February)
    •    Identify past interview weaknesses and review core concepts like frameworks, market sizing, and math drills.

Phase 2: Intensive Practice (March-May)
    •    Cases: Complete 30-40 cases across various industries and types. Start with peers, then move to expert mock interviews.
    •    Fit Prep: Develop STAR-based impact stories aligned with MBB values.
    •    Drills: Focus on mental math and business judgment exercises.

Phase 3: Mock Interviews (May)
    •    Conduct 5-10 mock interviews to simulate real scenarios and refine based on feedback.

Continuous Actions
    •    Stay updated on industry trends and consulting news.
    •    Track progress using a spreadsheet to ensure balanced preparation.

Happy to help you with your case prep - feel free to DM me 

Best,
Evelina

on Jan 28, 2025
Ex-McK | Personalised Preparation | Free Introduction-Call | -30% on first session

Hi there,

It’s great that you’re planning ahead for your MBB reapplication and interviews. Let me address your two questions directly to help you structure your approach effectively.

1. What is the best application plan?

To align with your goal of completing interviews by June, it’s essential to work backward:

  • Understand the timeline: Research the typical gap between submitting applications and the interview process. For MBB, it can take only 4–6 weeks from submission to the first round of interviews (depending on region/office). To target June interviews, aim to submit applications no later than mid-to-late April.
  • Confirm timelines: Check Preplounge or official MBB career pages for region-specific timelines. You can also contact HR teams directly to confirm when applications should be submitted for June interviews.
  • Perfect your application: Use the next few months to refine your CV, cover letter, and networking efforts. Highlight your experience at your current consulting firm and any relevant achievements since your previous application. Tailor your materials to each firm, emphasizing the growth and new skills you’ve developed since your last attempt.
     

2. What should my preparation plan be?

Given that two years have passed since your last attempt, it’s important to refresh the basics and identify areas where you’ve grown or need improvement. Here’s a very high-level plan based on some assumptions (i.e., available time):

Step 1: Assess Your Baseline (e.g., February)

  • Identify gaps in your current skills (e.g., math, case structuring, PEI/personal fit). Reflect on what might have contributed to not passing last time, and prioritize areas that need the most work.
  • Take a diagnostic case interview with a coach or experienced partner to evaluate your current level.

Step 2: Refresh the Basics (March)

  • Spend 2–3 weeks reviewing core concepts: case frameworks, mental math, structuring, and communication.
  • Practice few cases here on PrepLounge or live with peers/coaches to get into regular case interviews.
  • Revisit the PEI/personal fit interview basics and reflect on new impactful stories from the past two years.

Step 3: Intensive Practice (April-May)

  • Practice 2–3 cases per week, gradually increasing intensity to 4–5 closer to the interview dates. Focus on weak areas.
  • Conduct mock interviews with peers or coaches, emphasizing case performance and PEI delivery. Get detailed feedback to adjust and improve.

Step 4: Final Review (May)

  • Sharpen your skills through targeted drills.
  • Simulate interview day conditions with back-to-back case and PEI practice sessions.

 

Final thoughts

With thoughtful planning and consistent effort, you’ll be well-positioned for success. Start early, refresh your fundamentals, and focus on building confidence in both case work and personal fit. 

Feel free to reach out if you’d like guidance on refining your plan or need support with specific aspects of your preparation—I’d be happy to help you strategise and build confidence for your MBB interviews!

Best of luck—I’m confident you’ll make great progress this time! 😊

 

Best wishes,
Johannes

Alessa
Coach
on Jan 28, 2025
xMcKinsey & Company | xBCG | +200 individual & group coachings | feel free to schedule a 15 min intro call for free

Hey there! 

I would suggest the folowing - of course it depends on your experience, how fast you learn and how much time you have! 

  • Application Plan:
    Apply 6–8 weeks before your desired interview timeline (April-May for June interviews). Use this time to network with MBB consultants, ideally securing referrals. Tailor your CV/cover letter to highlight achievements since your last application.
  • Preparation Plan:
    Start practicing cases immediately, focusing on weak areas from your last interviews. Aim for 30–50 cases, balancing structure, math, and creativity. For fit/PEI, craft updated stories with measurable impact. Mix mock interviews with peers and professionals for well-rounded prep.

Alessa

Mariana
Coach
on Jan 28, 2025
You CAN make it! | xMckinsey | 1.5h session | +200 sessions |Free 15-Minute Call

Hi there!

Good thing that you’re reapplying! Your questions are a bit broad, so my answers may sound generic. Read them and DM if you have specific questions, I’ll be happy to help.

 1. Best Application Plan
Timing and approach matter a lot in MBB recruitment, especially if you're targeting summer interviews.

When to Apply: Since you're aiming to apply before the end of summer, I’d recommend submitting applications in late spring ideally June or early July. This allows you to be considered for interviews that will occur in late summer/fall. Depending on the office and your type of profile, referrals are important, so you should work on that starting in April, I would say. Since you’ve already passed the screenings before, consider reconnecting with any contacts you have from your previous application process. They might be able to provide insights into the recruitment process and refer you internally.
Focus on Impact: Highlight the specific value you’ve delivered in your current role and any experiences where you’ve taken on high-impact work. Even if you're not currently on a client project, talk about any strategy, problem-solving, or leadership experiences you've had in your current firm, especially how it aligns with MBB work.
Have a personal statement: Tailor your resume and cover letter, focusing not just on skills but also why you’re reapplying now and how your niche consulting experience has prepared you even more for the MBB environment (very important).

2. Preparation Plan
You’re already familiar with the basics of case prep, but you should master it to receive an offer. your goal should be to refine and enhance your performance to ensure you can confidently pass the interviews.

Case Preparation:

- Assessment: Hire a coach or find an advanced candidate that will assess your readiness by identifying weakness and strengths in both Case Interview, as well in Personal Experience Interview skills.

-Prepare your plan: Your plan should be based on the assessment: you should work first on your weaknesses, making sure you hit the baseline at least and mitigated what could cost you the offer. Since you didn’t pass the interview previously, identify what aspects of the case you struggled with. Was it the structure? The math? The communication? You should aim to build muscle memory around those aspects. That can be done by yourself or with the guidance of a coach. Since you’re reapplying, I would go with the second, honestly. 
- Aim for Advanced Case Practice: Start doing advanced practice cases that push you beyond the fundamentals. Find good partners (DM for tips on where to found them if needed). You should focus on integrating complex business scenarios, calculations, and structuring your answers in a clear and concise manner. Make sure you’re getting feedback from experienced peers or case coaches. They can help you identify small, overlooked mistakes that may have hurt your performance in the past.

Behavioral Interview Prep:
- Choose a good Framework: Ensure you’re prepared for behavioral questions using a method. Most people use STAR, but in my opinion PARADE is the best one.
- Story Bank: Build a bank of stories (ideally 8-10) across the different dimensions questions may fall. Test them with peers/coaches to ensure they’re conveying impact. 

Best of luck in your reapplication! 
 

Mari

Florian
Coach
3 hrs ago
1400 5-star reviews across platforms | 600+ offers | Highest-rated case book on Amazon | Uni lecturer in US, Asia, EU

Hey there,

1. For the applications, make sure to network, get a referral and time your applications well (during peak hiring season, which differs for every office --> networking can help figure this out).

2. Focus on learning how to case, not on specific industries!

  • The key reason why candidates fail their case interviews and don't improve with practice is because they never learn the right approach and techniques to begin with. They might go through 30-40 cases, just repeating the same mistakes over and over again. There is often no strong baseline.

  • Make sure you understand and learn the basics for each part of the case (structuring, charts, math), which is

    • A replicable step-by-step for each part of the case interview

    • The right thinking techniques around the individual parts (e.g., what's a framework, what is evaluated, how can I ensure I think about it the correct way, what are some shortcuts to get to the answer quickly, etc.)

    • Simple communication templates to help you communicate your insights as well as ask for data in the right way to drive the case forward

  • There are several approaches you can take, such as hiring a skilled coach, reading the right materials, or enrolling in relevant courses. For example, my book provides direct guidance tailored to modern case interviews. It covers all the essential points mentioned here, and more, while also offering a detailed preparation plan. You can find it on Amazon
  • Avoid generic advice and framework memorization approaches. This will only hurt your performance and waste a ton of time (why -> check out the first post here: https://www.preplounge.com/en/consulting-forum/how-goodrelevant-is-the-case-in-point-book-for-case-prep-1984)

  • Once you have that baseline it's time to practice and internalize the skills to create the right profile, polishing your strengths and lifting your weaknesses to a robust-enough level

  • Practice drills alone (structure, chart, math) and practice full cases with other excellent candidates that know the right habits and approach. It is crucial that you are practicing with really good peers, otherwise, it's a waste of time. Practicing drills on your own is a huge effectivity and efficiency booster since you can go over many more questions in a shorter amount of time compared to practicing with peers. Do both in parallel! You want to spend your time where it is most useful, e.g., if you struggle with math focus on math drills, etc.
  • Focus on quality over quantity. Doing 50+ cases does not mean much if you are not applying the right habits to score high and do a detailed debrief after every case to improve. You want to move from bad to good for your weaknesses and good to great for your strengths --> use the feedback from your previous experience and tailor your prep accordingly

  • Consider booking at least an initial coaching session to get a detailed and objective evaluation of your performance + learn the right habits for every case regardless of context and framework + get a tailored preparation plan out of the session that will set you up for an effective and efficient prep.

  • It does not hurt to focus a bit more on the relevant industries of your interviewer but chances are that not every case will be from that niche!

  • Don't forget the fit interview part. Prepare answers for all the typical fit questions and stories (3-5 hours) and rehearse them a couple of times (5 hours)

All the best,

Florian

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