Who we look for

Candidates who are expecting to get interviews at McKinsey, Bain and BCG within the next 18 months are eligible to apply for the Ascent Program. Applications will only be considered from candidates who meet the basic qualification criteria and have completed the minimum core preparation.

Basic qualification criteria

• For those currently studying / who have graduated within the past 4 years: minimum GPA >3.5 or WAM >75; outstanding records of professional, co-curricular or managerial achievement.
• For those who graduated more than 4 years ago: management or leadership experience in a reputed organization, with a proven record of high performance in their position.
• For those with a non-academic or non-commercial background: national or globally recognized standing and/or achievement (e.g. Olympic team selection; Pulitzer Prize).

Minimum core preparation

• Candidates are more than 3 months out from their projected interview date, and
• Have begun actively preparing for casing and behavioral interviews, and
• Have finalized their resume for submission, or know what their resume will look like upon submission.

Whilst there is no fixed criteria, successful Ascent Program candidates generally embody 4 defining qualities:

• 1.Visionary impact: Track record of outsized success in all areas of life they have devoted their attention to. Natural inclination towards taking personal ownership of collective outcomes and initiative via tangible actions.
• 2.Inspiring, empathetic leadership: Capacity to form authentic and meaningful relationships with others. Instills a constant sense of purpose and motivation within their team. Role models and inspires care, kindness and respect in challenging team environments.
• 3.Incisive decision making: Remarkable ability to remain composed, distill core issues and provide certainty when facing time-pressured decisions or conflicting stakeholder perspectives.
• 4.Enterprising curiosity: Innate desire to grow and learn more about themselves and the world around them, with evidence of unconventional or innovative approaches to decision-making.

In addition, successful candidates generally have:

• A clear and nuanced understanding of the nature of management consulting work as well as the preparation required for McKinsey, BCG and Bain interviews.
• The ability to share distinctive and reflective insights when articulating their rationale for applying to MBB and their tailored preparation approach to each firm.
• A unique thought-partnership perspective through the ability to contextualize, apply or challenge feedback by examining its implications and limitations across their personal and professional life.

Applications for the Ascent Program Feb-2027 cohort are currently open. Candidates applying for earlier cohort dates who are successful will be waitlisted on a rolling basis.

At this current stage, we only accept referrals from Ascent Program members, select individuals at McKinsey, BCG and Bain, or evaluative faculty members at a partnered university.

Please call us directly via the number provided by your referee to discuss next steps.

Directed referrals accepted from:

• Ascent Program: current / former members of the program.
• Current / ex-firm members: McKinsey (EM+), Bain (Snr Mng+), BCG (PL+).
• Partnered university¹: personal recommendation from your MBA Career Advisor, Dean or Head of Faculty.

¹ If you are uncertain as to whether your current academic program is part of a Partnered University, please reach out to your Career Advisor to confirm.

To maintain the integrity of the Ascent Program, By Intuity has a lifetime limit of two applications for each candidate.

Unsuccessful candidates are required to observe a minimum 12-month period before their final attempt. This ensures sufficient opportunity for the necessary personal development and growth to meet the standards of the Ascent Program.

• Yes. Applicants who were unsuccessful in securing scholarships, internships or full-time roles at McKinsey, BCG, or Bain are not precluded from applying for the Ascent Program.
• One of the objectives of the Ascent Program is to prepare candidates during the final stages of their preparation journey. In many cases, candidates who have previously interviewed, or reached the final stages of the process, have clearer insights into their current strengths, gaps, and areas for development.