Are you in your sophomore (second) year of undergraduate study and thinking about a career in consulting? Do you identify as a member of a racial or ethnic minority group?
If so, you may be a great candidate for the McKinsey Sophomore Summer Business Analyst Program! Top-tier consulting firm McKinsey & Company offers this diversity program for second-year undergraduates who self-identify as members of groups that have historically been underrepresented in the consulting industry (e.g., Black, Hispanic, Latino, and/or Indigenous groups).
It’s a great way to build your network and leadership skills – which will serve you well in any career – and to get an inside perspective on what consulting is like, as well as what it’s like to consult for McKinsey specifically.
But what is this program and what does it take to get in?
In this article, we’ll discuss:
- What the McKinsey Sophomore Summer Business Analyst Program is like.
- Requirements of the McKinsey Sophomore Summer Business Analyst Program.
- What to expect in the application and selection process.
- Tips on landing a prestigious McKinsey internship.
Let’s get started!
What the McKinsey Sophomore Summer Business Analyst Program is like
The program is part of wider diversity efforts at McKinsey to attract top talent from diverse groups (Black, Hispanic, Latinos, and Indigenous groups in North America). As the program name suggests, it’s targeted toward sophomore students who expect to graduate in two years.
The program is offered in the following North America offices and consulting practices:
Offices: Atlanta, Boston, Calgary, Charlotte, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Miami, Minneapolis, Montreal, New Jersey, New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Seattle, San Francisco, Silicon Valley, Southern California, Stamford, Toronto, Vancouver, Washington D.C.
Practices: Digital McKinsey (available at all locations), Corporate Finance (New York), Marketing & Sales (New York) & Private Equity (New York).
Successful candidates gain 8-10 weeks of real consulting experience. A McKinsey undergraduate consulting intern can expect the following:
- Getting staffed on a client engagement for the duration of the internship
- Hands-on experience in what consultants do (e.g., creating and presenting documents, interviewing clients/experts, and conducting quantitative analysis)
- Formal and informal mentorship from experienced consultants
- Social events to learn more about the culture and get to know peers/senior consultants
And very importantly, successful interns may receive a return offer for a summer internship for the following year or a full-time Business Analyst offer for post-graduation.
Example internship experience:
- Your office staffs you on an engagement with a major CPG company on whether they should expand into a new category. Your team is composed of an engagement manager (typically 2+ years post-MBA consulting experience), a post-MBA Associate, and a tenured Business Analyst (recent undergrad).
- You’re given the task of creating case studies on how comparable companies expanded into new categories to synthesize lessons learned. You’ll speak to experts, read reports, and create PowerPoint slides.
You’ll receive extensive mentorship from the team to accomplish the task.
Nail the case & fit interview with strategies from former MBB Interviewers that have helped 89.6% of our clients pass the case interview.
Requirements of the McKinsey Sophomore Summer Business Analyst Program.
The ideal candidate for the diversity program is the following:
- A sophomore undergraduate student graduating in the Fall of 2024 or Spring of 2025
- Self-identify as a member of a historically underrepresented group in the management consulting profession, including Black, Hispanic, Latinos, and/or part of Indigenous groups in North America
- Outstanding leadership experience
- Excellent academic track record
- Keen interest in problem-solving and business
- Ability to work effectively in a team environment
- Willingness to travel
What to Expect in the Application and Selection Process.
The Sophomore Consulting Internship application deadline is September 29, 2023, so it’s not too soon to get started on your application.
- You can apply here or through your campus recruiter
- The campus page will have more information on events, application deadlines, and interview dates
For successful applicants, the interview process is the following:
- You may be required to complete the McKinsey Solve Game, which is an online problem-solving test McKinsey asks some candidates to complete
- If successful (or exempted from it), you’ll go through 4-5 interviews with senior consultants and partners to go through case studies and personal experience questions.
Make sure you check out our article “McKinsey Case Interview & PEI” for more information on passing McKinsey interviews.
Tips on Landing a Prestigious McKinsey Internship.
1. Write a strong consulting resume
From your professional, college, and high school experience you want to highlight experiences that show exceptional academic performance (e.g., GPA and coursework), leadership abilities (e.g., leading a student club), and teamwork skills (e.g., competing in a team sport).
Make sure you check out our article on “Consulting Resumes” to sharpen up your resume before applying.
2. Write a compelling cover letter
Write a cover letter that shows:
- Your interest in McKinsey and SSBA program (e.g., show understanding of the job)
- Why you are best fit for the program (e.g., demonstrate strong analytical skills)
- What you hope to get out of the program (e.g., show your interest)
Make sure you check out our article “A Consulting Cover Letter That Lands Interviews” for advice on writing a strong cover letter.
3. Prepare for the interviews
The most common mistake that young candidates do is to go straight into the interview process without preparation, assuming that consulting interviews are like interviews they’ve done before. But consulting interviews are structured in a very unique way and are a skill that must be learned. You’ll need to prepare thoroughly. Team up with a friend or consider hiring a coach to get ready.
4. Understand your “Why”
Why do you want to do a consulting internship with McKinsey? What do you hope to get out of the experience? Improve your leadership and problem-solving skills? Make your story clear, concise, and memorable to stand out from the crowd.
- A good story: “Through my academic experience studying engineering and economics, I realized that I thrive on solving new and diverse problems. One particular example of this was when… [share a short, compelling story that illustrates your point]. Consulting at McKinsey is the best place to apply my interests and skills.”
- Not-so-good story: “I want to travel and work on new projects every few months.”
5. Show energy and excitement
Very few people get the chance to improve their leadership skills and be exposed to management consulting at an early stage of their careers. The opportunity can set you up for future success in management consulting or in another career. Make sure to express your excitement for the opportunity.
“McKinsey’s SSBA program gave me the confidence to set my ambitions higher and the skills to realize them in a way I could not have gotten anywhere else or so soon in my career.” – former SSBA. Source: McKinsey.com
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In this article, we’ve covered:
- Overview of McKinsey’s Sophomore Summer Business Analyst program.
- Profile of ideal candidates.
- The application and interview process.
- What it takes to get into the program.
Still have questions?
If you have more questions about the McKinsey Sophomore Summer Business Analyst program, leave them in the comments below. One of My Consulting Offer’s recruiters will answer them.
Other people prepping for consulting internships found the following pages helpful:
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Nail the case & fit interview with strategies from former MBB Interviewers that have helped 89.6% of our clients pass the case interview.
