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Are you at a crossroads, uncertain about which career path to embark on after graduation? If you’re an undergraduate or pursuing a non-MBA Master’s degree, the BCG Launch Program offers a unique opportunity to learn more about consulting.
BCG Launch is an immersive virtual series that offers a glimpse into the skills and knowledge required to become a BCG consultant.
In this article, we’ll discuss:
- What the BCG Launch is
- Why participating in BCG Launch can quite literally “launch” your career
- How to apply and lock in your spot in the next BCG Launch program
- 4 tips to determine if consulting is right for you
- Other BCG programs, including internships
Let’s get started!
What is the BCG Launch Program?
BCG Launch is a series of (mostly) live virtual events where BCG consultants share their experiences at BCG, and give you the opportunity to ask questions.
The BCG Launch program consists of over 20 sessions about careers at BCG and how to prepare to apply for roles with BCG. This program will demystify how to get into consulting and what it’s like once you’re in.
The BCG Launch program is open to undergraduate and non-MBA Master’s students at universities or colleges in the US or Canada.
The program includes virtual sessions over Zoom covering topics like:
- Intro to consulting tailored for various majors, including special sessions for liberal arts, STEM, and business majors
- What it’s like to work at BCG, including sessions on choosing your office, networks at BCG, and how staffing works
- How to be successful as a candidate, including sessions covering case examples, how to succeed in the math portion of the case, how to ace the behavioral interview
The BCG Launch program is a fantastic way to learn more about BCG and help BCG consultants and recruiters learn more about you. This program will be especially helpful if BCG does not have a strong recruiting presence on your campus.
When you’re exploring a career in consulting, it can seem intimidating to ask many questions. You may feel like you should already know the answer about how big the Chicago office is or what type of work the firm does in the energy sector.
You’re not alone – even BCG understands they need a forum to connect with a wider audience of future consultants. So that’s why they set up the BCG Launch program. This is a fantastic opportunity to learn whether consulting or BCG are right for you.
Attending the BCG Launch sessions and engaging with meaningful questions will make you stand out. When you apply to BCG, the recruiting team will note your interest and enthusiasm based on your participation in BCG Launch. They consider it a positive sign of your excitement about a career with BCG.
How to Register for BCG Launch
BCG offers the BCG Launch program three times a year. You can register for the BCG Launch program now! Registration is typically open twice a year.
Once you’ve registered, you’ll receive a welcome email with more details about the program.
BCG Launch lasts nearly 4 weeks, but there will be a portal you can access for another few months.
About 1 hour before each meeting, you will receive an email with a Zoom link. Be sure to have Zoom on your computer!
Most of the sessions are live. You are encouraged to attend live to participate if you have a question. There will be recordings if you need to miss any sessions. It will not negatively impact future applications if you miss sessions.
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Are Consulting and BCG the Right Fit For You? 4 Questions to Ask Yourself
1. Do You Enjoy Variety and Learning New Things?
Consultants tackle new and difficult client challenges at least every 3 months! As a new consultant, you will have to ramp up on new industries, new clients, and new BIG problems all the time.
This can be exciting or overwhelming.
Take note of what you’ve enjoyed in your studies or professional experiences. Consulting may not be a great fit if you have enjoyed going very deep in one subject.
If you’re equally excited about Bernoulli’s Principle as you are about the origins of the Spanish Civil War, you may have the perfect level of curiosity to be a consultant.
2. Are You Willing to Make Your Job Your #1 Priority?
Consulting careers are demanding. Your clients have high expectations, and the problems you’re solving won’t be easy.
If you join a consulting firm, you will work long hours for at least a few years. Everyone around you will prioritize their career as the most important thing in their lives.
Some people are willing to do that for a few years and see where it gets them. Some people want to maintain more balance between their jobs and other interests like hobbies, friendships, family obligations, etc.
3. Do You Have the Discipline to Succeed As An Applicant?
Getting a job at a top consulting firm is even harder than getting into college or a Master’s program.
The consulting recruiting process is rigorous and requires you to learn new ways to interview, step outside your comfort zone (hello, fast math, and non-stop networking!), and demonstrate enthusiasm for solving tough challenges.
It’s not uncommon for candidates to burn out part-way through the process. One bad case interview can derail your confidence and your motivation.
Before you embark on the consulting journey, reflect on why you want to work in consulting and how important it is to you. Think about how you’ll keep yourself motivated if times get tough during the candidate selection process.
4. Is the BCG Culture a Good Fit For You?
Have you met people you think you’ll enjoy working with at BCG? This is not a dig at BCG. Don’t be overly focused on impressing the people at any firm. As a consulting candidate, you should also be interested in the consultants you are meeting.
As you move through the consulting candidate process, ask yourself:
- Do you like the people you’ve met?
- Can you learn from them?
- Do you respect them?
There are lots of great people who are the heartbeat of every consulting firm. Be sure to prioritize your connection to the people. It’s going to make the most difference in your success and fulfillment.
Other BCG Programs, Similar to BCG Launch
BCG has several programs to help candidates learn more about BCG and be successful:
- BCG Advance is a program for women in the second year of undergraduate studies. The program is invite-only, and some participants will be selected to interview for internships.
- Bridge to Consulting is another program that supports candidates as they learn about consulting and how to succeed as a consulting candidate. This program is open to students who identify as Hispanic/Latino, Indigenous/Native American/Alaska Native, and/or Black/African American.
- BCG Unlock is a program for incoming MBA students. Check out our article about what to expect in BCG Unlock.
- BCG Empower is a subset of BCG Unlock. You must register with BCG Unlock and then apply for BCG Empower. Individuals must be attending one of the eligible two-year MBA programs to apply for a spot with BCG Empower.
- Bridge to BCG is a 3-day workshop for Ph.D. and Advanced degree candidates who are considering a career in consulting. You can read our article about How to Get Accepted into Bridge to BCG.
- BCG Internship programs including the sophomore program, BCG Growing Future Leaders (GFL) Internship Program for high potential future consultants who identify as Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino, or Indigenous/Native American/Alaska Native.
- Pride@BCG is an organization within BCG that supports all members of the LGBTQ+ community.
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In this article, we’ve covered:
- What is BCG Launch? Why should you join?
- How to apply for BCG Launch
- 4 questions to consider if you want to be a consultant
- Other BCG programs for students
Still have questions?
If you have more questions about the BCG Launch program, leave them in the comments below. One of My Consulting Offer’s recruiters will answer them.
Other people prepping for BCG Launch found the following pages helpful:
Help with Your Consulting Application
Thanks for turning to My Consulting Offer for advice on BCG Launch. My Consulting Offer has helped 89.6% of the people we’ve worked with to get a job in management consulting. We want you to be successful in your consulting interviews too. For example, here is how Parth was able to get his offer from BCG.
[EXCLUSIVE FREE TRAINING]
Nail the case & fit interview with strategies from former MBB Interviewers that have helped 89.6% of our clients pass the case interview.