The McKinsey Insight program is an extraordinary opportunity for students pursuing a PhD, postdoc, or MD to explore a career in consulting. Participants in the McKinsey Insight program will get to see what it is like working in consulting while meeting McKinsey consultants.

 

If you’re considering applying for the McKinsey Insight program and want to know how to give yourself the best chance of being accepted into the program, then this article is for you.

 

In this comprehensive article, we’ll cover what is the McKinsey Insight program, program requirements and deadlines, and tips for the application process.

 

What is the McKinsey Insight Program?

 

The McKinsey Insight program is a virtual two-day workshop for students in North America pursuing a PhD, postdoc, or MD to see what it’s like to work in management consulting. McKinsey Insight is a program tailored to participants with academic backgrounds in STEM and healthcare.

 

The event typically takes place in mid-April.

 

Participants in the McKinsey Insight program can expect to:

 

• Receive an overview of management consulting and McKinsey, including learning McKinsey’s problem solving approach, tools, and methodologies that are used to solve their client’s toughest challenges

 

• Discover how McKinsey has evolved beyond traditional strategy consulting to incorporate data, technology, and digital expertise

 

• Participate in an interactive problem solving workshop activity where you’ll work together in teams to solve a client problem under the guidance of a McKinsey consultant

 

• Attend social activities to connect with McKinsey colleagues and other participants and build lasting relationships

 

• Have a significantly higher chance or guaranteed first round interview for McKinsey full-time roles

 

The McKinsey Insight program is quite similar to the Bridge to BCG program.

 

McKinsey Insight Program Requirements

 

To apply for the McKinsey Insight program, applicants must be pursuing a PhD, post-doctorate, or MD degree and be in the US or Canada at the time of the event. Additionally, eligible applicants should be completing their program the following year.

 

Eligible programs include:

 

• Medical students, interns, residents, and fellows

 

• PhDs and post-docs in a STEM or healthcare-related field

 

• Master’s students who previously obtained an MD

 

Candidates that have or are pursuing multiple advanced degrees are eligible to apply to the McKinsey Insight program if the programs they are currently enrolled in meet the eligibility requirements above.

 

The exception is for candidates who are currently enrolled in an MBA program or hold an MBA degree. These candidates are not eligible because the McKinsey Insight program is designed for applicants with little to no business experience.

 

Candidates that have interviewed with McKinsey in the past are not eligible for the McKinsey Insight program. McKinsey Insight is designed for candidates who have had limited exposure to McKinsey.

 

Candidates can apply to both Diversity Connect and McKinsey Insight events. However, candidates may only attend one of these programs. In the application, applicants will be asked to specify which program they are most interested in attending.

 

If you are not accepted into the McKinsey Insight program, know that you can still apply to the Associate full-time role in the future. The results of your application to the McKinsey Insight program have no impact on your future McKinsey applications.

 

McKinsey Insight Program Application Deadline

 

The McKinsey Insight program deadline is typically March 1. You should check the McKinsey Insight website to see the official deadline for the upcoming year.

 

The McKinsey Insight program typically follows the timeline below:

 

• March 1: Deadline to apply for the McKinsey Insight program

 

• Mid to late-March: Applicants notified of acceptance into the program

 

• April 17-18: dates the McKinsey Insight program is hosted

 

You should still apply to the program even if you have a conflict during the dates the McKinsey Insight program is hosted. If you are selected into the program, McKinsey will provide alternative options for you.

We've also put together an article that compiles all McKinsey application deadlines for their internships, full-time positions, and other programs.

 

McKinsey Insight Program Application

 

The McKinsey Insight program only requires a resume. No cover letter is required and no business experience is required to participate.

 

Therefore, the resume that you submit for the McKinsey Insight program is the only and 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.

 

McKinsey Insight Program Interview

 

After submitting your application, select candidates will be asked to complete a 30-minute phone interview with a McKinsey recruiter. The McKinsey Insight interview consists of a mix of behavioral questions, motivational questions, and a mini 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

 

These questions give McKinsey 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.

 

Motivational Questions

 

McKinsey asks motivational questions to assess your interest in consulting and to see if you are actually interested in working at the firm.

 

The McKinsey Insight program has an extremely limited number of spots. Therefore, McKinsey wants to ensure that the applicants that they accept will have a high likelihood of wanting to work at McKinsey full-time as a consultant after finishing their programs.

 

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

 

• Why are you interested in consulting?

 

• Why do you want to work at McKinsey?

 

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.

 

Consulting firms, such as McKinsey, 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 McKinsey Insight Program

 

1. Perfect your consulting resume

 

Your resume is the single most important component that will determine whether or not you are invited to participate in the McKinsey Insight 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

 

Additionally, McKinsey states that they look for advanced professional degree candidates who have demonstrated a history of achievement and leadership. McKinsey asks candidates to highlight not only academic achievements, but also achievements beyond academia.

 

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 McKinsey Insight program 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 answers to “Why McKinsey?” and “Why Consulting?”

 

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

 

• McKinsey works with large, globally recognized clients on high impact issues

 

• McKinsey has a wide range of different projects spanning across nearly all industries and functions

 

• McKinsey has some of the most ambitious, intelligent people that you’ll ever work with in your career

 

• McKinsey invests heavily in professional development and mentorship

 

• McKinsey is a global firm that provides more opportunities for international exposure compared to other consulting firms

 

• McKinsey has an extremely strong presence in government work, partnering with governments to drive policy initiatives and facilitate public sector transformations

 

You should also expect to be asked “why consulting?” 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

 

4. 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 McKinsey 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 McKinsey Insight Program

 

To give yourself the best chance of getting into the highly competitive McKinsey Insight 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 and accepted into consulting programs

 

For help passing your consulting 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.

 

• Case Interview Coaching: Personalized, one-on-one coaching with former consulting interviewers.

 

• 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.

 

• 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.