Author: Taylor Warfield, Former Bain Manager and interviewer

Last Updated: March 23, 2026

The Bain CREW program (Connecting and Resourcing Empowered Women) is a selective 1.5-day leadership workshop that gives sophomore undergraduate women early exposure to consulting and a direct pathway to interview for a Bain Associate Consultant Internship. If you are looking to break into consulting, CREW is one of the highest-value programs you can apply to as a second-year student.

 

As a former Bain Manager and interviewer, I’ll walk you through everything you need to know about the Bain CREW program: eligibility, the application timeline, what to submit, how to prepare for the HireVue video essays, and tips that will help you stand out. Bain accepts less than 1% of applicants for full-time consulting roles, so getting into CREW early gives you a real advantage.

 

But first, a quick heads up:

 

McKinsey, BCG, Bain, and other top firms accept less than 1% of applicants every year. If you want to triple your chances of landing interviews and 8x your chances of passing them, watch my free 40-minute training.

 

What Changed in 2026?

 

Bain expanded the CREW program to 15 North American offices, up from the handful of offices that hosted the program in its first year. The 2026 application closed in early December 2025, and the in-person summit moved to late February. Bain also updated its eligibility language to encourage all women in their sophomore year to apply, regardless of background.

 

What Is the Bain CREW Program?

 

The Bain CREW program is a 1.5-day, in-person leadership summit designed for women in their sophomore year of undergraduate studies. CREW stands for Connecting and Resourcing Empowered Women. The program gives participants direct exposure to Bain’s consulting work, culture, and leadership through workshops, panels, and breakout sessions.

 

Participants who complete the CREW program have the opportunity to interview for a Bain Associate Consultant Internship position. According to Bain, only about 2–3% of applicants from target schools receive internship offers, so CREW provides a significant head start by putting you in front of Bain recruiters before the standard recruiting cycle.

 

As part of the CREW experience, you can expect to:

 

• Attend an in-person 1.5-day summit at a Bain office near your university

 

• Hear from women leaders in consulting about how they have built successful careers at Bain

 

• Build a business and leadership toolkit through hands-on workshops

 

• Connect with the Women at Bain network, a global community that supports female consultants through mentorship and sponsorship

 

• Network with peers, mentors, and future colleagues

 

• Interview for a Bain Associate Consultant Internship position in the US or Canada

 

The summit is hosted across 15 of Bain’s North American offices. Participants are placed at the office closest to their university. The full list of participating offices includes:

• Atlanta
• Austin
• Boston
• Chicago
• Dallas
• Denver
• House
• Los Angeles
• Montreal
• New York
• San Francisco
• Seattle
• Silicon Valley
• Toronto
• Washington DC

 

Bain CREW Program Quick Facts

 

Detail	Information
Full Name	Connecting and Resourcing Empowered Women (CREW)
Format	1.5-day in-person summit at a Bain office
Eligibility	Sophomore (second-year) women at a US or Canadian four-year institution
Application Deadline	Typically early December (check Bain’s website for exact date)
Summit Timing	Late February
Offices	15 North American offices
Outcome	Opportunity to interview for Associate Consultant Internship

 

Who Is Eligible for the Bain CREW Program?

 

The Bain CREW program has specific eligibility requirements. You must identify as a woman and be in your sophomore (second) year of undergraduate studies at a four-year institution in the US or Canada.

 

Here are the key eligibility details:

 

• You must be a sophomore completing a four-year undergraduate degree

 

• You must be enrolled at a US or Canadian institution

 

• International students are eligible as long as they are enrolled at a qualifying school

 

• No prior consulting experience is required

 

• Any major or academic background is welcome

 

Bain encourages everyone who meets these criteria to apply, regardless of their field of study. In my experience, Bain values diverse academic backgrounds because consultants need to solve problems across many industries.

 

What Is the Bain CREW Application Timeline?

 

The Bain CREW application follows a predictable annual cycle. Applications typically open in October, close in early December, and the summit takes place in late February. Understanding this timeline helps you plan your preparation well in advance.

 

When	What Happens
October	Applications open on Bain’s careers website
Early December	Application deadline (exact date varies by year)
December (next day)	HireVue video essay link sent to all applicants
December (5 days)	Deadline to complete HireVue video essays
January	Selection decisions communicated to applicants
Late February	1.5-day in-person CREW summit at a Bain office
After Summit	Selected participants interview for Associate Consultant Internship

 

Check the official Bain CREW website for the exact deadline each year. For a full list of all Bain recruiting dates, see our guide to Bain application deadlines.

 

What Do You Need to Submit for the Bain CREW Application?

 

The Bain CREW program requires you to submit several materials through Bain’s online application portal. After the application deadline, you will also complete supplemental video essays. Here is a breakdown of each component.

 

Resume

 

Your resume is the single most important component of the Bain CREW application. Application reviewers will spend most of their time evaluating your resume when making decisions about who to invite.

 

Make sure your consulting resume follows these best practices:

 

• Keep it to one page

 

• Start every bullet with a past-tense action verb

 

• Include a number or metric in every bullet to quantify your impact

 

• Show a mix of quantitative accomplishments (analyzing data, solving problems) and qualitative accomplishments (leading teams, collaborating)

 

• Avoid technical jargon, unfamiliar acronyms, and buzzwords

 

• Prioritize work experience, especially at brand-name companies

 

• Include personal interests at the end to give reviewers something memorable to read

 

If you need professional help crafting a resume that gets you interviews, check out our resume review and editing service.

 

Cover Letter

 

Although the Bain CREW application asks for a Bain cover letter, it will most likely not be the deciding factor. The majority of application decisions are based on your resume and background information.

 

That said, if you are a borderline candidate, a well-written consulting cover letter could push your application over the edge. Focus on clearly answering why consulting and why Bain.

 

Educational Information and Transcript

 

You will submit basic educational information, such as your school name and intended major. If you have not declared a major, you can select “Undecided.” You also need to provide an unofficial transcript showing your cumulative GPA. This can be a PDF downloaded from your school’s portal.

 

Test Scores

 

The Bain CREW application requires SAT or ACT scores. You do not need an official score report. Simply enter your numerical scores in the application portal.

 

Office Preferences

 

You will select up to three Bain offices and assign percentage weights that add up to 100%. For example, you might list 70% San Francisco, 20% New York, and 10% Chicago.

 

In practice, Bain typically considers you only for your top-choice office. So pick the office where you genuinely want to work and assign it the highest weight. Research which industries and client types each office focuses on so you can speak to your choice if asked.

 

What Are the Bain CREW HireVue Video Essay Questions?

 

After the application deadline, all Bain CREW applicants receive a HireVue link the following day. You will have 5 days to complete three video essay questions. There is no live interviewer. You record yourself answering each question on camera using your computer or phone.

 

For each question, you get approximately 30 seconds of preparation time and about 2 minutes to record your answer. Bain’s hiring team reviews the recordings directly. Based on reports from past applicants, there are three types of questions you should prepare for.

 

Resume Questions

 

These ask you to discuss your background, strengths, and experiences. The goal is to learn more about you beyond what is listed on your resume. Examples include:

 

• Tell us about yourself

 

• What accomplishment are you most proud of and why?

 

• What do you consider your greatest strength?

 

• What do you consider your greatest weakness?

 

Behavioral Questions

 

Bain uses consulting behavioral questions to assess how you have handled real situations in the past. These are strong predictors of how you will handle challenges as a consultant. Examples include:

 

• Tell me about a time when you led a team

 

• Give an example of a time when you went above and beyond

 

• Tell me about a time when you failed

 

• Describe a problem that you solved using data

 

• Tell me about a time when you resolved conflict on a team

 

Motivational Questions

 

The CREW program has an extremely limited number of spots. Bain asks motivational questions to make sure accepted participants have a genuine interest in consulting and in Bain specifically. The two most common motivational questions are:

 

• Why are you interested in consulting?

 

• Why do you want to work at Bain?

 

The first question tests whether you understand what consultants actually do and whether you are motivated by the right reasons. The second tests whether you have researched what makes Bain different from other consulting firms.

 

How Can You Stand Out in the Bain CREW Application?

 

1. Perfect Your Consulting Resume

 

Your resume is the most important factor in whether you get into the CREW program. Dedicate at least a few days to refining it and getting feedback from peers, your school’s career center, or consultants you know. According to Glassdoor, Bain’s overall interview difficulty rating is 3.5 out of 5, so a strong resume is your first step to standing out.

 

2. Practice Recording Your Video Essays

 

Talking to a camera is not natural for most people. You can improve significantly by practicing recording yourself before the HireVue link arrives. Watch your recordings and look for opportunities to improve.

 

Can you make better eye contact with the camera? Are you using appropriate hand gestures? Do you appear calm, confident, and genuine? You will be surprised at how different you look on camera if you have never practiced before.

 

3. Prepare Answers to Behavioral Interview Questions

 

Expect at least one behavioral question in your three HireVue video essays. To answer well, follow these guidelines:

 

• Prepare 6 to 8 different stories in advance that draw from your professional and personal experiences

 

• Select only the most impressive, impactful, or unique experiences to share

 

• Make your stories collectively diverse: have at least one relevant to leadership, teamwork, problem solving, and resilience

 

• Structure your answers using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result)

 

• Spend most of your time on the Action and Result. Cover the Situation and Task quickly.

 

If you want to learn how to answer 98% of behavioral and fit questions in just a few hours, check out our fit interview course.

 

4. Prepare Your Answer to "Why Bain?"

 

There is a high likelihood of getting asked "Why Bain?" as one of your video essays. Having a specific, well-researched answer will set you apart from candidates who give generic responses. Here are strong reasons you could reference:

 

• Bain’s collaborative culture, highlighted by the mantra “A Bainie Never Lets Another Bainie Fail”

 

• Bain’s local staffing model, which cultivates close-knit connections at your office

 

• Bain is the leader in private equity consulting, with more PE due diligence work than any other firm

 

• Bain’s "Extra 10s" program, which encourages consultants to spend 10% of their time on interests and hobby groups outside of case work

 

• A personal connection: a friend, mentor, or alumna who worked at Bain and recommended the firm

 

5. Prepare Your Answer to "Why Consulting?"

 

You should also prepare for a "Why consulting?" question. Strong reasons include wanting to solve challenging business problems, wanting a diverse set of experiences across industries, and viewing consulting as the fastest way to build hard and soft skills early in your career.

 

6. Research Your Target Office

 

In my experience at Bain, office selection matters more than most applicants realize. Bain wants to see that you have a credible reason for choosing a specific location. If you are applying to Bain San Francisco, mention your interest in tech clients. For Dallas, you might reference energy or private equity. Show that you have done the research.

 

What Happens After the Bain CREW Program?

 

Participants who complete the CREW program have the opportunity to interview for a Bain Associate Consultant Internship. This is the primary recruiting benefit. Many CREW alumni go on to intern at Bain the summer before their junior year and eventually receive full-time offers.

 

Even beyond the internship interview, CREW builds relationships that last. You will be connected to the Women at Bain network and to the consultants and peers you met during the summit. These connections can help you throughout the recruiting process and your career. For more details on what the internship looks like, see our full guide to the Bain internship.

 

What If You Are Not Selected for CREW?

 

Not being selected for CREW does not hurt your future applications. Bain explicitly encourages candidates to stay engaged and apply directly for the Associate Consultant Internship the following year. The CREW application process itself is good practice for the standard Bain application.

 

If you are not selected, continue attending Bain recruiting events on campus, network with Bain consultants, and focus on strengthening your resume and interview skills for the next recruiting cycle.

 

How Does Bain CREW Compare to Other Bain Programs?

 

Bain offers several early-career programs in addition to CREW. Each targets a different audience and provides different benefits. The table below breaks down the key differences so you can determine which programs you are eligible for.

 

Program	Who It’s For	Format	Duration	Outcome
CREW	Sophomore women (US/Canada)	In-person summit	1.5 days	ACI interview opportunity
Consulting Kickstart	Freshmen from underrepresented backgrounds	Virtual series	Multiple sessions	Early exposure to consulting
ADvantage	Graduate students, post-docs, medical residents	In-person (staffed on a case team)	1 week	Full-time Consultant offer consideration
BEL (Bridge to Executive Leadership)	MBA students from underrepresented backgrounds	Virtual and in-person	Multi-day	Summer Associate interview opportunity

 

If you are a sophomore woman, CREW is the most relevant program for you. If you are a freshman, look into Consulting Kickstart instead. For a complete list of all Bain recruiting timelines, visit our Bain application deadlines page.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

 

How Selective Is the Bain CREW Program?

 

Bain does not publish an official acceptance rate for CREW. However, the program is highly selective. Bain receives thousands of applications for its undergraduate programs each year, and CREW has a limited number of spots across 15 offices. Having a strong resume, high GPA, and well-prepared video essays will maximize your chances.

 

Can You Apply to Bain CREW If You Do Not Attend a Target School?

 

Yes. Bain does not restrict CREW applications to target schools. Any woman in her sophomore year at a US or Canadian four-year institution is eligible. That said, according to Bain recruiting data, candidates from target schools typically have a 20–30% chance of getting an interview, compared to 5–10% from non-target schools. A strong resume and genuine enthusiasm for Bain can help close that gap.

 

What Should You Wear to the Bain CREW Summit?

 

Bain will share dress code details with accepted participants. Most Bain events follow a business casual dress code. When in doubt, lean slightly more formal. The summit is a professional setting, and first impressions matter.

 

Does Getting Rejected from CREW Hurt Your Future Bain Applications?

 

No. Bain has stated that not being selected for CREW does not affect your candidacy for future roles. The CREW application and any future internship or full-time applications are treated as completely separate processes.

 

Can International Students Apply to Bain CREW?

 

Yes, as long as you are enrolled at a four-year institution in the US or Canada. You do not need to be a US or Canadian citizen. International students at qualifying schools are eligible to apply.

 

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