I applied through college or university. The process took 6 weeks. I interviewed at McKinsey & Company (Chicago, IL) in Feb 2013
Interview
Used a contact to get in touch with 2-3 BAs before I sent in a resume. Met the recruiter at an info session. After being selected for 1st round, was given a "prep buddy" who was extremely helpful. There is a PST (problem solving test) first. It's tricky, but apparently just another data point. 1st round interview was at the office, which was very nice. Got a great vibe. Both interviewers were very, very pleasant. Standard behavioral + case format. McK does behavioral slightly differently with the PEI--personal experience interview. They dig very deep into your story. Cases were fairly straight-forward. Advanced to the final round and many people reached out offering help/advice. Final round consister of three 1-hr interviews. 1 was with a director, 2 with associate principals. Got an offer 30 minutes later.
- Was very well organised and genuinely intellectually stimulating.
- Contrary to what you think, interviewers genuinely want to help you succeed and want you to show your best selves.
- Expenses were reimbursed and I came out of the interview genuinely wanting to work here. You get the impression that people here are talented but humble.
- I felt very taken care of as a candidate.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Several case studies interview as well personal fit interviews. You can find most of the questions online.
Applied late a few days after the first deadline. I had already completed solve and so I received an email stating I passed the pre-screening and moved forward to interview around a month after I applied.
I applied online. The process took 3 weeks. I interviewed at McKinsey & Company (New York, NY) in Apr 2026
Interview
15 minutes of PEI — smooth sailing, enjoyable, really the time to show who you are, your personality and what you've done.
The rest: the case — Not too difficult if you don't let your nerves get the best of you!