Waitlisted at Bain & What to Do?

Hello,

Being waitlisted at Bain is still a positive sign, as it means you were a strong candidate and remain under consideration. A friend of mine who was waitlisted in the London office was able to secure a position in the end! To improve your chances, consider reaching out to your recruiter or point of contact to express your enthusiasm for the role and your commitment to the office you applied to. That said, stay professional and maintain patience, I am sure they will reach out to you whenever they have an outcome. 

Best,
Evelina

Being waitlisted at Bain means they see potential in you but are waiting for the right spot to open up. It's definitely possible to get off the waitlist, so stay proactive—reach out to the recruiter to express your continued interest and ask if there's anything else you can provide. In the meantime, keep preparing for interviews, stay connected with Bain employees, and stay flexible in case other opportunities come up. Best of luck, and don’t hesitate to reach out if you need more advice!

I would argue you're still in consideration, so express gratitude and reaffirm your enthusiasm via email. Stay engaged by politely following up every few weeks, sharing any notable updates that strengthen your candidacy. Leverage your network for insights or advocacy and continue exploring other opportunities as a backup plan. Patience and professionalism are key, as decisions depend on office needs and other candidates’ responses.

Good luck! Alessa

Hey there, 

From my experience with candidates applying to Bain that have been waitlisted, many have eventually gotten the offer and them being waitlisted meant that they were still in contention pending (or subject to) further opening of a relevant role. 

So what should you do? Continue preparing for the fit and case portion of interviews, continue to stay close with recruiting and showing interest for the role, and stay optimistic about the opportunity. 

All the best

Why are you stressing over one company? When you applied to Bain, your odds were 5%. That's everyone's odds. Waitlist doesn't change much.

Treat it like you don’t have an interview invite, because you don’t.

Here’s what you do:

1. Forget about Bain
2. Start networking and applying to dozens of other firms. The goal is to have 10+ interviews lined up.
3. If Bain surprises you and takes you off the waitlist, great—it’s a bonus. But by then, you’re deep into other processes and don’t care.

Stop wasting time and energy on one company when there are so many opportunities out there.

Now go make it happen.

P.S. Sorry if my answers are direct, but there's too much wishy-washiness on here - the truth helps far more....you can do this (consulting recruiting in general) but it's really important that you focus on what matters!