Why don’t MBB firms just reject you straight away if they know they don’t want you?

Question

Confused with how MBB works? BCG sent off invitations for their online test after screening applications and have already sent out R1 invitations now. I’m confused why they don’t just reject everyone else if they know they’re going to reject them already instead of having people wait and question themselves? Same with McKinsey… Bain is the only one that stated a day everyone would receive a decision and stuck to it. So many people have not received anything from BCG/McKinsey despite them already moving onto round 1 interviews. If they know they’re going to reject all of us, why don’t they do it from the beginning? Other firms pretty much reject straight away or at least a few days later if they don’t want you which makes things so much easier and you don’t have to sit there stressing for a decision.

Answer 1

Timelines vary across offices, but BCG tends to send a response within two weeks. I know the feeling, but I’d encourage you to have some empathy and patience for the recruiting teams. They deal with a huge volume of applications, and they might be a bit short staffed in parts of the year (e.g., folks on leave/vacation, unexpected departures, etc.). If you haven’t gotten a response in two weeks, send an email asking for an update and reinforcing your interest in joining the firm! Good luck

Answer 2

I totally get it—waiting for a response from MBB firms can be incredibly stressful and frustrating.

There might be couple of reasons for delay:

Keeping Options Open: They maintain a larger pool in case candidates drop out or don’t perform in later stages.
Thorough Evaluation: MBBs often review profiles multiple times to make sure they don’t overlook strong candidates
Busy period: The recruiting team might be stretched due to multiple interview processes running simultaneously

All i would suggest is keep focusing on what’s within your control—preparing for other consulting opportunities. Thanks Ashwin

Answer 3

Hi there,

I don't think there is a satisfying reason.

It could be either because of

administrative overload (doubt it since the process could be automated)
keeping candidates in the loop in case not enough make it through the process to achieve the hiring goals (also unlikely since they only take people that pass the bar and make no compromises here)

My guess is that it's not a streamlined process and low-priority for them to change it.

All the best,

Florian

Answer 4

They look at applications in a holistic manner. To put it shortly, yes there may be applicants who got in but did not... (read entire answer)

They look at applications in a holistic manner. To put it shortly, yes there may be applicants who got in but did not come from targets, did not have excellent GPA, did not have... (read entire answer)