McKinsey Second-Round Thread Forum

[Anonymous User]

Share tips, guides and what have you.

Good luck.

Anyone familiar with the book below?

http://www.amazon.com/Case-Point-Comple ... 0971015848

[Anonymous User]

when are your second round interviews? are you at hls?

[Anonymous User]

when are your second round interviews? are you at hls?

yeah hls.

next week. you?

[Anonymous User]

Alias: Anon14

I'm a 3L at T14 who did final rounds with McK. I'm not sure what that translates to, since McK did not do OCI at my school (so I applied separately and received interviews apart from anything school organized).

First round for me was a GMAT-ish test called the PST, along with two very casual group interviews. If McK did OCI at HLS, I suspect that this might take place. It was pretty hard, and the best way to prep for this is by going online to do some practice tests on their website. It's math focused, somewhat, so you need to be decent at that -- no long division necessary, but having high caliber mental math is important.

Second round was two intensive interviews. McK interviews are sectioned into two parts -- behavioral & case. Both of these are nothing like what you expect at OCI. The behavioral portion really requires careful thinking as to the specific details re: selected topics (leadership, a challenge, and another one). The behavioral is Not just the standard OCI stuff. Talk about only one experience in-depth for one topic (you'll be asked one topic during one interview), and use a different 'experience' for each topic.

As to the case, I don't think they were really that hard. You need to do practice cases on their website, along with any other McKinsey-esque cases you can find online. Do Not do any random case that you find -- the ones I encountered with McK were fairly different from the ones at other consulting firms.

Usually the structure of a case was to (1) brainstorm as many key issues as possible, with the focus on being comprehensive (2) finding the causes for some issues (e.g. starting with the company --> moving to where that company sits in the market + looking into the company's operations/profitability --> analyzing market trends & competitors + dissecting revenue & cost for issues --> hypothesizing why the market is how it is + figuring out causes for profit loss --> recommending a number of action steps). And later in the interview, you get to talk about creative solutions. Ultimately this interview tested your ability to think on your feet and create a intelligent speeches / summaries that detail the issues + your solutions.

Second round was with an associate and an engagement manager.

Third round (Final Round) for me was with two partners and one engagement manager; to my understanding, final rounds take place with the higher ups. Same rundown as the second round, but maybe a bit more high level + focused on presentation.



Good luck. I don't think anyone at HLS got an offer last year.

I think most of the people I saw at first round got to second round, but maybe 25 out of 100? got to final round. 3? offers. Not sure.

[Anonymous User]

Alias: Anon14

I'm a 3L at T14 who did final rounds with McK. I'm not sure what that translates to, since McK did not do OCI at my school (so I applied separately and received interviews apart from anything school organized).

First round for me was a GMAT-ish test called the PST, along with two very casual group interviews. If McK did OCI at HLS, I suspect that this might take place. It was pretty hard, and the best way to prep for this is by going online to do some practice tests on their website. It's math focused, somewhat, so you need to be decent at that -- no long division necessary, but having high caliber mental math is important.

Second round was two intensive interviews. McK interviews are sectioned into two parts -- behavioral & case. Both of these are nothing like what you expect at OCI. The behavioral portion really requires careful thinking as to the specific details re: selected topics (leadership, a challenge, and another one). The behavioral is Not just the standard OCI stuff. Talk about only one experience in-depth for one topic (you'll be asked one topic during one interview), and use a different 'experience' for each topic.

As to the case, I don't think they were really that hard. You need to do practice cases on their website, along with any other McKinsey-esque cases you can find online. Do Not do any random case that you find -- the ones I encountered with McK were fairly different from the ones at other consulting firms.

Usually the structure of a case was to (1) brainstorm as many key issues as possible, with the focus on being comprehensive (2) finding the causes for some issues (e.g. starting with the company --> moving to where that company sits in the market + looking into the company's operations/profitability --> analyzing market trends & competitors + dissecting revenue & cost for issues --> hypothesizing why the market is how it is + figuring out causes for profit loss --> recommending a number of action steps). And later in the interview, you get to talk about creative solutions. Ultimately this interview tested your ability to think on your feet and create a intelligent speeches / summaries that detail the issues + your solutions.

Second round was with an associate and an engagement manager.

Third round (Final Round) for me was with two partners and one engagement manager; to my understanding, final rounds take place with the higher ups. Same rundown as the second round, but maybe a bit more high level + focused on presentation.



Good luck. I don't think anyone at HLS got an offer last year.

I think most of the people I saw at first round got to second round, but maybe 25 out of 100? got to final round. 3? offers. Not sure.

thanks.

Did you have a consulting background before McKinsey?

[Anonymous User]

Share tips, guides and what have you.

Good luck.

Anyone familiar with the book below?

http://www.amazon.com/Case-Point-Comple ... 0971015848

Alias: Anon14

Case in point is useful if you read it generally. It has a lot of approaches you can take, but I was told during one of my interviews not to use frameworks like... the 4Ps or Porter's 5 Forces or whatever. I flipped through Case in Point for general strategies, but I found that if I used the frameworks, they kinda narrowed my thoughts too much.

If I simply applied a single framework, it wouldn't be a comprehensive answer; and if I applied multiple CiP frameworks, the process would waste too much time. So my advice (and the prevailing view) is that Case in Point is a starter's kit, and definitely not sufficient for McK.

[Anonymous User]

Alias: Anon14

I'm a 3L at T14 who did final rounds with McK. I'm not sure what that translates to, since McK did not do OCI at my school (so I applied separately and received interviews apart from anything school organized).

First round for me was a GMAT-ish test called the PST, along with two very casual group interviews. If McK did OCI at HLS, I suspect that this might take place. It was pretty hard, and the best way to prep for this is by going online to do some practice tests on their website. It's math focused, somewhat, so you need to be decent at that -- no long division necessary, but having high caliber mental math is important.

Second round was two intensive interviews. McK interviews are sectioned into two parts -- behavioral & case. Both of these are nothing like what you expect at OCI. The behavioral portion really requires careful thinking as to the specific details re: selected topics (leadership, a challenge, and another one). The behavioral is Not just the standard OCI stuff. Talk about only one experience in-depth for one topic (you'll be asked one topic during one interview), and use a different 'experience' for each topic.

As to the case, I don't think they were really that hard. You need to do practice cases on their website, along with any other McKinsey-esque cases you can find online. Do Not do any random case that you find -- the ones I encountered with McK were fairly different from the ones at other consulting firms.

Usually the structure of a case was to (1) brainstorm as many key issues as possible, with the focus on being comprehensive (2) finding the causes for some issues (e.g. starting with the company --> moving to where that company sits in the market + looking into the company's operations/profitability --> analyzing market trends & competitors + dissecting revenue & cost for issues --> hypothesizing why the market is how it is + figuring out causes for profit loss --> recommending a number of action steps). And later in the interview, you get to talk about creative solutions. Ultimately this interview tested your ability to think on your feet and create a intelligent speeches / summaries that detail the issues + your solutions.

Second round was with an associate and an engagement manager.

Third round (Final Round) for me was with two partners and one engagement manager; to my understanding, final rounds take place with the higher ups. Same rundown as the second round, but maybe a bit more high level + focused on presentation.



Good luck. I don't think anyone at HLS got an offer last year.

I think most of the people I saw at first round got to second round, but maybe 25 out of 100? got to final round. 3? offers. Not sure.

thanks.

Did you have a consulting background before McKinsey?

No I did not. GL, my prep time was about one and a half weeks.

I'll be back on this thread for questions.

[Anonymous User]

Alias: Anon14

I'm a 3L at T14 who did final rounds with McK. I'm not sure what that translates to, since McK did not do OCI at my school (so I applied separately and received interviews apart from anything school organized).

First round for me was a GMAT-ish test called the PST, along with two very casual group interviews. If McK did OCI at HLS, I suspect that this might take place. It was pretty hard, and the best way to prep for this is by going online to do some practice tests on their website. It's math focused, somewhat, so you need to be decent at that -- no long division necessary, but having high caliber mental math is important.

Second round was two intensive interviews. McK interviews are sectioned into two parts -- behavioral & case. Both of these are nothing like what you expect at OCI. The behavioral portion really requires careful thinking as to the specific details re: selected topics (leadership, a challenge, and another one). The behavioral is Not just the standard OCI stuff. Talk about only one experience in-depth for one topic (you'll be asked one topic during one interview), and use a different 'experience' for each topic.

As to the case, I don't think they were really that hard. You need to do practice cases on their website, along with any other McKinsey-esque cases you can find online. Do Not do any random case that you find -- the ones I encountered with McK were fairly different from the ones at other consulting firms.

Usually the structure of a case was to (1) brainstorm as many key issues as possible, with the focus on being comprehensive (2) finding the causes for some issues (e.g. starting with the company --> moving to where that company sits in the market + looking into the company's operations/profitability --> analyzing market trends & competitors + dissecting revenue & cost for issues --> hypothesizing why the market is how it is + figuring out causes for profit loss --> recommending a number of action steps). And later in the interview, you get to talk about creative solutions. Ultimately this interview tested your ability to think on your feet and create a intelligent speeches / summaries that detail the issues + your solutions.

Second round was with an associate and an engagement manager.

Third round (Final Round) for me was with two partners and one engagement manager; to my understanding, final rounds take place with the higher ups. Same rundown as the second round, but maybe a bit more high level + focused on presentation.



Good luck. I don't think anyone at HLS got an offer last year.

I think most of the people I saw at first round got to second round, but maybe 25 out of 100? got to final round. 3? offers. Not sure.

thanks.

Did you have a consulting background before McKinsey?

No I did not. GL, my prep time was about one and a half weeks.

I'll be back on this thread for questions.

what study aids did you use?

[Anonymous User]

Share tips, guides and what have you.

Good luck.

Anyone familiar with the book below?

http://www.amazon.com/Case-Point-Comple ... 0971015848

Alias: Anon14

Case in point is useful if you read it generally. It has a lot of approaches you can take, but I was told during one of my interviews not to use frameworks like... the 4Ps or Porter's 5 Forces or whatever. I flipped through Case in Point for general strategies, but I found that if I used the frameworks, they kinda narrowed my thoughts too much.

If I simply applied a single framework, it wouldn't be a comprehensive answer; and if I applied multiple CiP frameworks, the process would waste too much time. So my advice (and the prevailing view) is that Case in Point is a starter's kit, and definitely not sufficient for McK.

what do/did you think of Victor Cheng's videos?

- Anon 007

[Anonymous User]

Anon14-- thanks for taking questions! Did you end up working at McKinsey this past summer / are you going into consulting post-grad? What do you think of the exit options vs biglaw?

[Anonymous User]

Share tips, guides and what have you.

Good luck.

Anyone familiar with the book below?

http://www.amazon.com/Case-Point-Comple ... 0971015848

Alias: Anon14

Case in point is useful if you read it generally. It has a lot of approaches you can take, but I was told during one of my interviews not to use frameworks like... the 4Ps or Porter's 5 Forces or whatever. I flipped through Case in Point for general strategies, but I found that if I used the frameworks, they kinda narrowed my thoughts too much.

If I simply applied a single framework, it wouldn't be a comprehensive answer; and if I applied multiple CiP frameworks, the process would waste too much time. So my advice (and the prevailing view) is that Case in Point is a starter's kit, and definitely not sufficient for McK.

To what extent do you think they cared about relevant work experience or even law school grades? Or was it really an issue of being strong at cases?

[Anonymous User]

Anyone know of any available McKinsey Problem Solving Tests beyond the three on their website? Consistently getting 18 of 26 so definitely in need of a little practice.

[Anonymous User]

Anyone know of any available McKinsey Problem Solving Tests beyond the three on their website? Consistently getting 18 of 26 so definitely in need of a little practice.

Are you taking the PST next week? Maybe do some math drills?

[Anonymous User]

Anyone know of any available McKinsey Problem Solving Tests beyond the three on their website? Consistently getting 18 of 26 so definitely in need of a little practice.

Are you taking the PST next week? Maybe do some math drills?

Yep. Its not math that is a problem, that would be an easy fix. Its a combo of all the elements in the relatively short period of time. Find myself speeding up and missing minor details that affect the answer to questions.

[Anonymous User]

i graduated from hls and received an offer from mck 2 years ago (for 2L summer) in DC. chose not to go with it b/c of the location (wanted to be in NY, but didn't get it) and because I wasn't sure the lifestyle was for me. the work is interesting, but it's very intense (think wachtell hours for the new york office and only being in town on the weekends -- i.e., very difficult to keep up a relationship).

above poster is wrong that nobody got offers from mck last year. two of my friends got offers. we all studied hard and had very good interview skills. the interviews are nothing like the joke that is law firm EIP. you need to be a confident speaker, articulate, a good story teller and excellent at analyzing problems on the fly in a high pressure environemt. you need to show that you are client friendly.

for case prep, case in point is just a starting point. it teaches you frameworks, but it doesn't teach you how to think like a consultant. to do that, you need to do many cases and apply a logical problem-solving approach. you also need to have good stories to tell about your previous leadership experience. if i recall correctly, mckinsey has 4 dimensions along which to measure your performance: problem solving, personal impact, leadership and personal drive/ambition. you need to do well in all four, and exceptionally (even relative to other mckinsey folks) in at least one.

[Anonymous User]

Alias: Anon14

I'm a 3L at T14 who did final rounds with McK. I'm not sure what that translates to, since McK did not do OCI at my school (so I applied separately and received interviews apart from anything school organized).

First round for me was a GMAT-ish test called the PST, along with two very casual group interviews. If McK did OCI at HLS, I suspect that this might take place. It was pretty hard, and the best way to prep for this is by going online to do some practice tests on their website. It's math focused, somewhat, so you need to be decent at that -- no long division necessary, but having high caliber mental math is important.

Second round was two intensive interviews. McK interviews are sectioned into two parts -- behavioral & case. Both of these are nothing like what you expect at OCI. The behavioral portion really requires careful thinking as to the specific details re: selected topics (leadership, a challenge, and another one). The behavioral is Not just the standard OCI stuff. Talk about only one experience in-depth for one topic (you'll be asked one topic during one interview), and use a different 'experience' for each topic.

As to the case, I don't think they were really that hard. You need to do practice cases on their website, along with any other McKinsey-esque cases you can find online. Do Not do any random case that you find -- the ones I encountered with McK were fairly different from the ones at other consulting firms.

Usually the structure of a case was to (1) brainstorm as many key issues as possible, with the focus on being comprehensive (2) finding the causes for some issues (e.g. starting with the company --> moving to where that company sits in the market + looking into the company's operations/profitability --> analyzing market trends & competitors + dissecting revenue & cost for issues --> hypothesizing why the market is how it is + figuring out causes for profit loss --> recommending a number of action steps). And later in the interview, you get to talk about creative solutions. Ultimately this interview tested your ability to think on your feet and create a intelligent speeches / summaries that detail the issues + your solutions.

Second round was with an associate and an engagement manager.

Third round (Final Round) for me was with two partners and one engagement manager; to my understanding, final rounds take place with the higher ups. Same rundown as the second round, but maybe a bit more high level + focused on presentation.



Good luck. I don't think anyone at HLS got an offer last year.

I think most of the people I saw at first round got to second round, but maybe 25 out of 100? got to final round. 3? offers. Not sure.

thanks.

Did you have a consulting background before McKinsey?

No I did not. GL, my prep time was about one and a half weeks.

I'll be back on this thread for questions.

what study aids did you use?

Alias: Anon14

I used Case in Point for a quick read, and then I looked through the McK website for practice cases. There aren't many -- I think there were 3 -- but the website gives you an idea of what they expect. From there, I looked online at B School websites for practice cases, and I think I did a few more from those case databases. That's about it.

[Anonymous User]

Share tips, guides and what have you.

Good luck.

Anyone familiar with the book below?

http://www.amazon.com/Case-Point-Comple ... 0971015848

Alias: Anon14

Case in point is useful if you read it generally. It has a lot of approaches you can take, but I was told during one of my interviews not to use frameworks like... the 4Ps or Porter's 5 Forces or whatever. I flipped through Case in Point for general strategies, but I found that if I used the frameworks, they kinda narrowed my thoughts too much.

If I simply applied a single framework, it wouldn't be a comprehensive answer; and if I applied multiple CiP frameworks, the process would waste too much time. So my advice (and the prevailing view) is that Case in Point is a starter's kit, and definitely not sufficient for McK.

what do/did you think of Victor Cheng's videos?

- Anon 007

Alias: Anon14

By the time I heard about him, I had already gone through the entire interview process. He's ex-McK right? So I expect that his advice is the best.

[Anonymous User]

Share tips, guides and what have you.

Good luck.

Anyone familiar with the book below?

http://www.amazon.com/Case-Point-Comple ... 0971015848

Alias: Anon14

Case in point is useful if you read it generally. It has a lot of approaches you can take, but I was told during one of my interviews not to use frameworks like... the 4Ps or Porter's 5 Forces or whatever. I flipped through Case in Point for general strategies, but I found that if I used the frameworks, they kinda narrowed my thoughts too much.

If I simply applied a single framework, it wouldn't be a comprehensive answer; and if I applied multiple CiP frameworks, the process would waste too much time. So my advice (and the prevailing view) is that Case in Point is a starter's kit, and definitely not sufficient for McK.

To what extent do you think they cared about relevant work experience or even law school grades? Or was it really an issue of being strong at cases?

Alias: Anon14

I think they cared about all these things; if you had terrible grades, I'd be surprised if you got an interview. At least one of my interviewers said that the score is 50-50 case vs. behavioral. Apparently a lot of people nail the case, so if you can't do that, you likely haven't made it past the baseline for offer consideration.

I think the "relevant work experience" you're referring to means a consulting or finance background. Neither I nor many of the applicants I interacted with had either. That said, I am quantitatively strong, so mental math was not an issue for me as it is for many other JD candidates I think. I can see why having a consulting / finance background would help (immensely) though.

[Anonymous User]

Anyone know of any available McKinsey Problem Solving Tests beyond the three on their website? Consistently getting 18 of 26 so definitely in need of a little practice.

Are you taking the PST next week? Maybe do some math drills?

Yep. Its not math that is a problem, that would be an easy fix. Its a combo of all the elements in the relatively short period of time. Find myself speeding up and missing minor details that affect the answer to questions.

Alias: Anon14

To my understanding, if you can consistently get 18 / 26, you're scoring more than sufficiently to pass the first round. GMAT has some tough math problems if that's what you need.

[Anonymous User]

Anon14-- thanks for taking questions! Did you end up working at McKinsey this past summer / are you going into consulting post-grad? What do you think of the exit options vs biglaw?

I accepted an offer at Biglaw for the same reason that the other person did -- hard to maintain a relationship, I'd like to settle down in a single geographic location, and my law firm is similarly regarded in its field.

Exit options at McK parallel the exit options at V5, I think. I kind of equate the two.

[Anonymous User]

above poster is wrong that nobody got offers from mck last year. two of my friends got offers. we all studied hard and had very good interview skills.

sorry, I stand corrected.

-Anon14

[Anonymous User]

Has anyone heard from McK after their second-round (e.g., post-PST) interview?

[Anonymous User]

Has anyone heard from McK after their second-round (e.g., post-PST) interview?

Yes. Headed to the last round this week. Anyone else? Any thoughts on whether final round is significantly different than the previous one (second/third depending on how you count)?

[Anonymous User]

Has anyone heard from McK after their second-round (e.g., post-PST) interview?

Yes. Headed to the last round this week. Anyone else? Any thoughts on whether final round is significantly different than the previous one (second/third depending on how you count)?

Have you actually received the information to set up your travel and interview? I received the call and feedback but have yet to receive follow-up information (for either Mck or BCG)

[Anonymous User]

Has anyone heard from McK after their second-round (e.g., post-PST) interview?

Yes. Headed to the last round this week. Anyone else? Any thoughts on whether final round is significantly different than the previous one (second/third depending on how you count)?

Have you actually received the information to set up your travel and interview? I received the call and feedback but have yet to receive follow-up information (for either Mck or BCG)

They seem to be pretty slow about this. Not inappropriate to reach out to the coordinators directly.