Update: The BCG application deadline for undergraduate students in the United States looking for a full-time role upon graduation is currently June 28. Please double check with your university and your network.
The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) has always been renowned for having one of the most challenging and intensive interview processes in the management consulting industry. The BCG interview process continues to evolve and aspiring consultants must adapt to the latest trends and requirements to stand out from the ever-growing pool of applicants. In this comprehensive guide, we will explore the BCG interview process in 2023, focusing on mastering candidate led case interviews.
Table of Contents
Introduction to the BCG Interview Process in 2023
The BCG interview process is designed to assess candidates’ problem-solving abilities, business acumen, and communication skills. Typically, the process is divided into two rounds, with each round consisting of multiple interviews. In 2023, BCG interview process continues to emphasize candidate led case interviews, which require applicants to take charge and drive the case discussion.
In terms of applications, remember that you are responsible for determine and keeping track of the application deadlines related to you. Deadlines are different for different countries, roles, and, importantly, recruiting channels. Undergraduate students applying for summer internships often have to apply by mid/late June for BCG and will be interviewed in August/September. MBA students applying for a summer internship often have to apply in October/November in order to interview in January. Alternatively, MBA students applying for a full-time role often have to apply in August/September and interview in September/October.
These dates change, are not universal, and are heavily dependent on you as an individual. Check with your university, check the company websites, and, importantly, leverage your networking efforts to get firm dates.
Importantly, use our Application Tracker in our Applications Course to keep track of every company and role to which you are planning to apply.
BCG Application Deadline 2023
The application deadlines for BCG in 2023 vary depending on the candidate’s degree program and the role they are applying for. It is essential to be aware of these deadlines to ensure a successful application.
Summer Internship Consulting Application Deadlines
Undergraduate & Master’s Programs
For undergraduate and master’s students applying for a Summer Associate role, the deadlines are as follows:
1st round application deadline: Jun 28, 2023
2nd round application deadline: Sep 13, 2023
Candidates should refer to their university page to confirm exact dates.
MBA Programs
The application deadlines for MBA students applying for a Summer Consultant role depend on the school they are attending. Deadlines across November with the earliest (Booth) on November 10, 2023 and the latest (Cornell, Stern, etc.) on November 29, 2023.
Candidates should refer to their university page to confirm exact dates.
Full-Time Consulting Application Deadlines
Undergraduate & Master’s Programs
For undergraduate and master’s students applying for a full-time Associate, BCG has set the deadline to be June 28, 2023.
Candidates should double-check all dates with their university.
MBA Programs
The application deadlines for MBA students applying for a full-time Consultant role is advised to be September 6, 2023.
Deadlines generally fall in September, but candidates should double-check all dates with their university.
Postdoc Programs
The application deadlines for PhD, JD, and MD students applying for a full-time Consultant role is advised to be July 31, 2023.
Candidates should double-check all dates with their university.
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Preparation Strategy
While you are preparing to apply to BCG, please make sure you are already preparing for the interview. Do not wait until you have submitted your applications to begin your case prep. Most certainly do not wait until you have received an invitation to interview before you begin your case prep; if you do, it will be too late.
To succeed in the BCG interview process, a well-structured preparation strategy is essential. Here are four steps to effectively prepare for candidate led case interviews:
Step 1 – Learn the Theory: Before diving into practice, it is crucial to have a solid understanding of the case interview concepts and techniques. Comprehensive resources, such as the MCC Academy and online articles, can help you grasp the essential theories and methodologies for tackling case interviews.
Step 2 – Solo Practice: Solo practice is an essential part of case interview preparation. Focus on honing your mental math skills and developing a clear understanding of case structures. Aim to practice at least 8 case studies on your own, starting with easier cases and gradually progressing to more complex ones.
Step 3 – Practice With a Case Partner: Practicing case interviews with a partner allows you to simulate real interview conditions and receive feedback on your performance. Aim to practice 3-7 cases per week with peers to refine your skills and improve your performance. To find partners, you can leverage your university’s consulting club, various online prep platforms, and, of course, you can ask your coach to pair you with like-minded candidates.
Step 4 – Get Expert Help: Investing in expert help, such as case interview coaching or mentoring programs, can significantly improve your chances of success. Working with experienced consultants can provide valuable insights into the case interview process and help you develop a tailored preparation plan.
Understanding Candidate Led Case Interviews
In a candidate led case interview, the interviewer presents a business problem and expects the candidate to take the lead in structuring the problem, asking relevant questions, and driving the case towards a solution. This approach differs from the more traditional interviewer led case interviews, where the interviewer guides the candidate through the case by providing more direction and asking specific questions.
The candidate led case interview format is designed to evaluate the candidate’s ability to think critically, adapt to new challenges, and communicate effectively. As such, mastering this format is crucial for success in the BCG interview process in 2023.
Example Candidate Led Cases
The following example cases will help you familiarize yourself with the candidate-led case format and practice your problem-solving skills.
Example Case 1: Hot Wheels – Part 1
In this case, the candidate is asked to advise Korean Car Parts (KCP), a multi-national original equipment manufacturer (OEM) of car parts based in Korea. They’ve recently seen a decline in profits and have brought us in to understand how to address this falling profitability.
It’s your job as the candidate to understand that asking for a Product, Competitor, or Geographic split is the optimal way to drive the case forward. Once you are told that US profits are falling, this tells you that this is the area to look into: classic candidate-led case leadership!
From there, it is your job to further segment the US market and ask for information on either our products there or our competitors. Again, the interviewer will give you only the information you ask for, which happens to be both our products and our competitors’ products. From this data we are able to identify that our client struggles in Wheels, Airbags, and Seatbelts.
To drive the case forward, the candidate needs to try to address the weakness in these three products, which stems from a lack of delivery speed. When we discover that we cannot resolve these issues and that the products will continue to struggle, we determine that the products should be discontinued.
As you can see from this example, case leadership within a candidate-led case is not rocket science! Rather, you are simply breaking down the problem into its most logical parts, asking for related data, and following the data breadcrumbs.
Example Case 2: Hot Wheels – Part 2
I specifically designed this case in order to contrast with Hot Wheels – Part 1 and demonstrate case leadership within a candidate-led case.
In this case, the problem is the same: we are advising Korean Car Parts (KCP), a multi-national original equipment manufacturer (OEM) of car parts based in Korea. They’ve recently seen a decline in profits and have brought us in to understand how to address this falling profitability.
This case “splits”, so to speak, right from the get-go. Instead of seeing rising profits in some geographies (Korea and Japan), as we saw in case one, Korean Car Parts is seeing falling profits across all geographies. This completely eliminates the need to split by geography, which is different to what we had to do in the first case.
As a result, we need to dive deeper into macro forces at play, and, specifically, what is happening across competitors (because the interviewer tells us some competitors are still succeeding).
Once we ask for the right data, we are provided with overall market data for products. Again, this is at the macro level because there is a macro problem, as opposed to the first case where we clearly had a geographic problem.
From this exhibit, we are able to identify that Wheels, Seatbelts, and Airbags are simply a declining market (not our fault), while the other two products are a growing market (so we are doing something wrong).
This tells us that the other two product markets (Carburetors and A/Cs) are being won by competitors. Therefore, of course we have to ask about competitors here!
As we are provided competitor data, we can see clearly that the two competitors with strong profit growth do not even sell Wheels, Seatbelts, and Airbags; they either never entered those markets or they left them already! Our conclusion is therefore that Wheels, Seatbelts, and Airbags are unattractive markets that we need to exit.
Note how our takeaway in this case is the same as in the prior case: stop selling Wheels, Seatbelts, and Airbags. However, how we got there is different. How we got there is different because the data, insights, and clues were different.
Viola case leadership.
Mastering the Basics: Core Components of a BCG Candidate Led Case Interview
To excel in candidate led case interviews, it is essential to master the core components of a BCG case interview. These components include:
Situation
The interviewer presents a business problem that the candidate must address.
Framework Development
The candidate develops a structured approach to solve the problem.
Framework Exploration
The candidate develops a structured approach to solve the problem.
Case Leadership
The candidate drives the case forward, leveraging their framework and insights acquired throughout the case to guide their thinking.
Quantitative Analysis
The candidate performs calculations and analyzes data to support their recommendations.
Final Recommendation
The candidate synthesizes their findings and presents a clear, actionable recommendation. This should be delivered in a top-down, CEO-level communication style, focusing on the key insights and actions derived from the case analysis. It is crucial to support the recommendation with relevant facts and data, and to consider potential risks and next steps.
Final Recommendations to Navigate the BCG Interview Process in 2023
The BCG interview process in 2023 continues to emphasize candidate led case interviews as a key assessment tool for aspiring consultants. Mastering the core components of a BCG case interview, developing a structured preparation strategy, and practicing with case partners and expert coaches will be essential for success. By investing time and effort into understanding the BCG interview process and honing your skills, you can significantly increase your chances of securing a coveted position with this prestigious consulting firm.
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