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Boston Consulting Group Summer Associate Interview Questions & Reviews

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Updated Feb 8, 2012 – Interview questions and reviews posted anonymously by interview candidates.

Difficulty Rating [?] Based on 16 ratings

3.8

“Difficult” Interview

Interview Experience [?] Based on 16 ratings

Positive	62%
Neutral	38%
Negative	0%

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4.0

Difficult Interview

Overall Positive Experience

Received and Accepted Offer

Interviewed Sep 2010 in San Francisco, CA (took 2 days)

I had 2 first-round interviews on campus, both of which were case interviews. 3 second-round interviews were then held in the San Francisco office. The structure of all the interviews was very similar, with the first 5-10 minutes being resume-based. The questions here were pretty standard and generally nothing to worry too much about. The next 25-30 minutes are dedicated to the case portion of the interview. BCG has a very analytical culture, so be prepared to work with numbers throughout the case. Finally, the last 10 minutes or so are reserved for questions. This part is also pretty standard, although it can be a good time to gain a few bonus points if you can ask poignant, thought-provoking questions. I had a great experience with all five of my interviewers, with all of them being very open and helpful. In general, it is very important to make the case into a dialogue with the interviewer, rather than a presentation or solo exercise. Although most of the interviews I had were partners at the firm, they were very willing to help work through the case and add helpful insights along the way.

Interview Questions

That's a great idea... But what if that doesn't work?

Answer Question

Other Details

The interview consisted of a 1:1 Interview.

Helpful Interview?

Yes | No

Inappropriate?

4.0

Difficult Interview

Overall Positive Experience

Received and Accepted Offer

Interviewed Feb 2008 (took 3 weeks)

People came to my school to recruit. Everyone seemed really intense and nice. Willing to talk about the company. I thought very highly of the company. The interview process was not that stressful. I had first rounds on campus and final rounds in New York. Both allowed me to meet very intelligent and personable people. No question when it came time to accepting the offer.

Interview Questions

Name a challenging situation you were in and how you handled it.

Answer Question

Other Details

I got the interview through a College or University and the interview consisted of a 1:1 Interview.

Helpful Interview?

Yes | No

Inappropriate?

5.0

Very Difficult Interview

Overall Neutral Experience

Interviewed and No Offer

Interviewed Jan 2010 in Milano (Italy) (took a day)

Very difficult interview, since some (but not all) interviewers were abrasive. There is an expectation to be very quick and quantitatively accurate. There's a strong focus on the cases, with less time devoted to the experience part of the interview (which included topics on leadership experience and achievements).

Interview Questions

What was your biggest achievement?

Answer Question

Other Details

I got the interview through a College or University and the interview consisted of a 1:1 Interview.

Helpful Interview?

Yes | No

Inappropriate?

3.0

Average Interview

Overall Positive Experience

Received and Declined Offer

Interviewed Jan 2010 in Boston, MA (took 2 weeks)

The interview included three case interviews mixed with behavioral aspects. The entire process was friendly and collegial. My advice would be: let your personality shine through, even during the case. Make sure they know who you are, not just how well you can crack their case.

Interview Questions

Tell me when you were part of a group and you disagreed with your boss.

Answer Question

Other Details

The interview consisted of a 1:1 Interview.

Helpful Interview?

Yes | No

Inappropriate?

4.0

Difficult Interview

Overall Positive Experience

Received and Accepted Offer

Interviewed Jan 2010 (took 1+ week)

Applied through school's hiring page. First round consisted of two cases, about 20 minutes each. Time at the beginning to go over one experience on my resume and a few questions at the end. Two very friendly interviewers with rather basic cases with a couple of calculations.

Was called on the following Monday to schedule second rounds. Second rounds took place in my choice office. Consisted of three interviews, 45-minutes each. Two principals and one partner. About 10 minutes of fit in a mixed fashion. Some "tell me a time you did this..." some explain this part of your resume. Each case was real work in interesting situations. Extremely free-wheeling, so having a good up-front structure was very important. None of them had definitive answers and none felt "aced."

Beautiful office, extremely bright and friendly people.

Interview Questions

What 2-4 factors would you recommend our client look at?

Answer Question

Tell me a time when you dealt with confrontation.

Answer Question

Other Details

I got the interview through a College or University and the interview consisted of a 1:1 Interview.

Helpful Interview?

Yes | No

Inappropriate?

3.0

Average Interview

Overall Neutral Experience

Interviewed and No Offer

Interviewed Jan 2010 (took a day)

For a summer intern position, the first round consisted of two 45-minute interviews that involved a few behavioral questions and a case. The questions were pretty standard -- walk me through your resume -- and the case didn't involve anything too difficult. It was almost like a formality; they had already picked their top candidates and they just wanted to see them in person. I haven't been called back for round two, but I haven't been denied yet, either. They have called a few to bring them in again.