The BCG Growing Future Leaders program is a highly competitive, 10-week summer internship targeted towards sophomores from underrepresented backgrounds in consulting.

 

Growing Future Leaders is an extraordinary opportunity for students to get to know BCG better, experience what it is like working as a consultant, and receive an offer to return as a Summer Associate following their junior year.

 

If you’re looking to apply to the BCG Growing Future Leaders program and want to know how you can give yourself the best chance of getting in, then this article is for you.

 

In this comprehensive article, we’ll cover what is the BCG Growing Future Leaders program, program requirements and deadlines, and tips for the application and interview.

 

What is the BCG Growing Future Leaders Program?

 

BCG Growing Future Leaders is a 10-week summer internship program for sophomore students from underrepresented backgrounds in consulting, including Black, Hispanic/Latino, Indigenous/Native American students.

 

It is a highly selective program that provides participants with the opportunity to experience BCG’s work and culture in one of their US or Canada offices.

 

Participants in the BCG Growing Future Leaders program can expect to:

 

• Receive training and professional development

 

• Be paired with a mentor

 

• Work as a member of a BCG case team

 

• Be eligible for a scholarship and offer to return as a Summer Associate following their junior year

 

BCG Growing Future Leaders Program Requirements

 

To apply, you need to be a current sophomore student that is enrolled in a four-year institution in the US or Canada. You also need to identify as Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino, or Indigenous/Native American/Alaska Native.

 

In addition to these requirements, BCG looks for students that have outstanding academic achievement, are passionate problem solvers and analytical thinkers, have strong leadership skills, and are excellent communicators.

 

The BCG Growing Future Leaders program does not require a business major or any prior knowledge of consulting. All that are curious or interested in consulting are encouraged to apply.

 

If you have any further questions on the BCG Growing Future Leaders program, you can email [email protected].

 

BCG Growing Future Leaders Application Deadline

 

The deadline for the BCG Growing Future Leaders program is typically in early-September. However, you should check the official BCG Growing Future Leaders website to see when the official deadline is posted for the upcoming year.

Make sure to check out our comprehensive list of all BCG application deadlines for internships, full-time roles, and other programs.

 

BCG Growing Future Leaders Application

 

To apply for the BCG Growing Future Leaders program, you’ll be asked to submit a resume, optional cover letter, college transcript, test scores, and your top three office preferences.

 

Resume

 

The resume that you submit for the BCG Growing Future Leaders program is the most important component of the application process. It’s important that you spend sufficient time crafting your consulting resume so that it best highlights your qualities and accomplishments.

 

Application reviewers will spend most of their time looking at your resume when making decisions on who to interview.

 

Cover Letter

 

BCG states that BCG cover letters for the Growing Future Leaders program is optional. If the application system has the field marked as required, you can upload a second copy of your resume to bypass this.

 

The cover letter is not the most important part of the application, but for borderline candidates, a well-written consulting cover letter could push your application over the edge and help you get an interview.

 

College Transcript

 

You will also be required to submit an unofficial transcript to show the classes you have taken and your cumulative GPA. This does not need to be an official transcript that is directly sent from the school to BCG. Instead, you can submit a PDF document that you downloaded from your school’s website.

 

Test Scores

 

The BCG Growing Future Leaders program requires you to also submit your test scores for the SAT or ACT if you are applying to a US office. You will need to submit the total scores in addition to the sub-score breakdowns.

 

Office Preferences

 

Lastly, you will select up to three BCG offices that you have a preference for. You will be asked to weight each of your office preferences such that the sum of all weights adds up to 100%.

 

For example, you may indicate your office preferences as 70% New York, 20% Los Angeles, and 10% San Francisco.

 

However, note that the second and third choice offices you select will not have much of an impact on your application. BCG typically will only consider you for your top-choice office.

 

BCG states that office preference does not influence your chances of being selected. Therefore, you should list office locations that you are most interested in living and working in after graduation.

 

However, the BCG Growing Future Leaders program is only for US and Canada offices. If you select an office outside of these countries, your application will not be considered.

 

Lastly, if you are not selected for the Growing Future Leaders program, you are still eligible to apply for another position at BCG in the future. This includes BCG Advance, Bridge to Consulting, and the BCG Summer Associate Internship.

 

BCG Growing Future Leaders Interview

 

After submitting an application, select applicants will receive an invitation to interview with BCG. The BCG Growing Future Leaders interview process consists of behavioral questions, motivational questions, and a case interview.

 

Behavioral questions

 

Consulting behavioral questions ask you to draw upon a time or experience in the past in which you demonstrated a particular quality or trait. For example, you may be asked common consulting behavioral interview questions such as:

 

• 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 while working on a team

 

BCG asks behavioral questions because how you’ve handled situations in the past is a predictor of how you will handle problems and challenges in the future.

 

Additionally, these questions also give BCG interviewers a glimpse into who you are as a person. Your answers will show what qualities you demonstrate and what values you hold important to you.

 

Lastly, these questions give the opportunity for the interviewer to go deeper into your resume. They’ll be able to dive deeper into the details behind your accomplishments and achievements to see if you actually accomplished what was on your resume.

 

Motivational questions

 

BCG asks motivational questions to assess your genuine passion for consulting and to see if you are actually interested in working at the firm.

 

The BCG Growing Future Leaders program has an extremely limited number of spots. Therefore, BCG wants to ensure that the applicants that they accept will have a high likelihood of wanting to work at BCG full-time as a consultant after graduation.

 

There are two common motivational questions that you should prepare for:

 

• Why are you interested in consulting?

 

• Why do you want to work at BCG?

 

The first question evaluates whether you know what you are getting into. Do you actually have an idea of what consultants do and what you should expect on the job?

 

The reasons you provide for why you are interested in consulting will also help interviewers determine if you are interested in consulting for the right reasons. Are you motivated by the challenging, fulfilling business problems that you will solve? Or, are you motivated by the wrong reasons, such as the money or prestige.

 

The second question evaluates whether you’ve done your research on BCG. Do you know what makes BCG special among all the other management consulting firms? Are you interested in BCG for the right reasons?

 

Case interview

 

A case interview is a 20 to 40-minute interview in which you are placed in a hypothetical business situation and asked to develop a recommendation to solve a business problem. Case interviews are a special type of interview that all management consulting firms use in their interview process.

 

Examples of common types of case interview questions you could get asked include:

 

• What is causing profitability to decline and what can we do about it?

 

• How can we increase revenues?

 

• Should we enter a new market?

 

• Should we launch this new product?

 

• Should we acquire this company?

 

• How should we respond to this competitor?

 

The business problem that you will be asked to solve can be from any industry or function. Expect to see case interviews in industries ranging from retail to pharmaceuticals to financial services. However, know that no prior knowledge or experience in the industry is required to successfully solve the case interview.

 

Case interviews are used because they closely simulate what the consulting job will be like. In a case interview, you’ll need to use problem solving, quantitative skills, business judgment, and communication to work through the business problem, uncover insights, and make a firm recommendation.

 

Consulting firms, such as BCG, like to use case interviews in their recruiting process because they can assess a variety of skills and traits that are required to be a successful management consultant.

 

Tips for Getting Selected for the BCG Growing Future Leaders Program

 

1. Perfect your consulting resume

 

Your resume is the single most important component that will determine whether or not you are extended an interview for the BCG Growing Future Leaders program.

 

Therefore, you’ll want to dedicate at least a few days perfecting your resume while also getting feedback from peers, your school’s career center, or even consultants that you know.

 

Make sure to follow the tips below to perfect your consulting resume.

 

• Keep your resume to one page only. If it is longer, you’ll need to make your resume more concise and less wordy

 

• Every bullet on your resume should start with a verb in the past tense to show that you have completed or achieved something

 

• Every bullet should have some kind of number or metric in them so that you can quantify your accomplishments and make them sound more impressive

 

• Your resume’s bullets should show a mix of quantitative skill accomplishments (e.g., analyzing data) and qualitative skill accomplishments (e.g., managing or working with others)

 

• Avoid using technical jargon, unfamiliar abbreviations or acronyms, and buzzwords with unclear meanings

 

• Your resume should prioritize showcasing your work experiences, particularly if you have worked at a brand name company

 

• Include personal interests at the end of the resume to give resume reviewers something interesting to read about

 

If you need professional help crafting the perfect resume that will land you consulting interviews, check out our resume review and editing service.

 

2. Practice answering behavioral interview questions

 

If you receive a BCG Growing Future Leaders interview, expect to be asked a few behavioral interview questions at some point during your interview.

 

To answer behavioral or fit interview questions well, follow these guidelines:

 

• Prepare 6-8 different stories in advance that draw upon your professional and personal work experiences. This ensures that you have prepared answers and stories that you can draw upon no matter what behavioral question is asked

 

• Only select and share experiences that are the most impressive, impactful, or unique. You want to showcase the highlights of your experiences, not just any experience that is relevant

 

• Make sure that you the stories you prepare are collectively diverse. You’ll want to have at least one story that is relevant to leadership, teamwork, problem solving, resilience, integrity, decision making, communication, and interpersonal skills

 

• Structure your answer to help keep your answer clear and easy to follow. Most candidates use the STAR method, which stands for Situation, Task, Action, and Result

 

• When giving your answer, cover the Situation and Task sections quickly and spend most of your time focusing on the Action and Result

 

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

 

3. Prepare your answer to “Why BCG?”

 

In addition to behavioral interviews, you should expect to be asked “why BCG?” at some point during your BCG Growing Future Leaders interview. There are a variety of different reasons you could give for why you’re interested in BCG:

 

• BCG works with an impressive roster of prestigious clients, working on solving their most important and difficult problems

 

• BCG has ambitious, intelligent people that fosters a dynamic environment where ideas are constantly challenged and elevated

 

• BCG has a strong commitment to professional development, including professional development chats, mentorship programs, and peer-to-peer teaching

 

• BCG has a culture of innovation, known for pursuing fresh ideas, novel solutions, and groundbreaking strategies

 

• BCG’s regional staffing model strikes a balance between local presence and global opportunities, offering employees the best of both worlds

 

4. Prepare your answer to “Why Consulting?”

 

You should also expect to be asked “why consulting?” at some point during your BCG Growing Future Leaders interview. There are a variety of different reasons you could give for why you’re interested in consulting:

 

• You want to make a significant impact by working on the biggest, most challenging business problems that companies face

 

• You enjoy the diversity of solving business problems across multiple different industries and functions

 

• You see consulting as the quickest way to build a strong toolkit of both hard skills and soft skills that are needed to be successful in business

 

• You want to get an insider view on how companies are run and operated

 

• You want to develop knowledge and expertise in a particular industry or function

 

• You value the significant mentorship and professional development that consulting provides

 

• You find fulfillment in working with and servicing clients, helping deliver significant value to them

 

5. Practice solving case interviews

 

Case interviews are difficult and require a lot of time and practice to do well in them. Unlike behavioral or motivational questions, it is extremely unlikely you will nail your BCG case interview unless you have practiced at least 5 to 20+ cases.

 

Below, we’ve put together a 30-minute video giving you a solid introduction to case interviews.

 

If you’re looking for a step-by-step guide to learn case interviews quickly and save yourself hundreds of hours, make sure to check out our comprehensive case interview course. Whether you have no business background, rusty math skills, or are short on time, learn the most effective case interview strategies and become a top 1% caser.

 

The course also includes plenty of practice cases that you can do without a case partner. This will significantly speed up how quickly you can master case interviews.

 

Resources to Get into the BCG Growing Future Leaders Program

 

To give yourself the best chance to get into the highly competitive BCG Growing Future Leaders Program, look into the resources listed below.

 

You don’t have to prepare your application and prepare for interviews by yourself. Getting professional help can significantly increase your chances of getting into the program and giving yourself a head start on your consulting career.

 

For help landing consulting interviews

 

• Resume Review & Editing: Transform your resume into one that will get you multiple consulting interviews

 

For help passing case interviews

 

• Comprehensive Case Interview Course (our #1 recommendation): The only resource you need. Whether you have no business background, rusty math skills, or are short on time, this step-by-step course will transform you into a top 1% caser that lands multiple consulting offers.

 

• Hacking the Case Interview Book (available on Amazon): Perfect for beginners that are short on time. Transform yourself from a stressed-out case interview newbie to a confident intermediate in under a week. Some readers finish this book in a day and can already tackle tough cases.

 

• The Ultimate Case Interview Workbook (available on Amazon): Perfect for intermediates struggling with frameworks, case math, or generating business insights. No need to find a case partner – these drills, practice problems, and full-length cases can all be done by yourself.

 

• Case Interview Coaching: Personalized, one-on-one coaching with a former Bain interviewer.

 

For help passing behavioral and fit interviews

 

• Behavioral & Fit Interview Course: Be prepared for 98% of behavioral and fit questions in just a few hours. We'll teach you exactly how to draft answers that will impress your interviewer.