Updated July 2026 · By Florian Smeritschnig, Former McKinsey Senior Consultant The MBB target schools for McKinsey, BCG, and Bain in 2026 fall into three tiers: the core MBA target schools (Harvard, Stanford GSB, Wharton, Booth, Kellogg, MIT Sloan, Columbia, INSEAD, LBS, plus Tuck, Yale SOM, Ross, Stern, Darden, Haas, Duke Fuqua), the core undergraduate…
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Updated July 2026 · By Florian Smeritschnig, Former McKinsey Senior Consultant The most common consulting exit opportunities are private equity, corporate strategy, and startups/tech, with roughly two-thirds of post-MBA consultants leaving for one of these three within five years. Less common but premium paths include growth equity, venture capital, big tech product and BizOps roles,…
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The “Great Resignation” or the “Big Quit” refers to the idea that many people have become disengaged and disenchanted with their jobs and employers. Some experts believe that the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated this trend, as many people have been forced to work from home and have become disillusioned with the traditional 9-to-5 workday. Additionally,…
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By Florian Smeritschnig, former McKinsey Senior Consultant. Updated July 2026. Up or out in consulting is the principle that you either get promoted to the next level within a set window, usually two to three years, or you leave the firm. It sounds brutal, and the phrase scares almost every new joiner at McKinsey, BCG,…
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One of the most common concerns I currently read across all consulting job boards and discuss with my clients is that everyone feels the slowdown in hiring with firms such as McKinsey, BCG, and Bain. On top of that, I see decreasing activity in article views, and coaching requests (not just myself but colleagues as…
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Florian spent five years at McKinsey as a Senior Consultant and is a highly experienced consulting interviewer and problem-solving coach. Having conducted interviews with hundreds of candidates, he understands exactly what top-tier firms look for in successful applicants.
He founded StrategyCase.com to make top consulting careers more accessible by providing tailored, up-to-date insights into the recruiting process. Recognized as the most successful case and fit interview coach, Florian has helped his clients secure 700+ offers at MBB, Tier-2 firms, Big 4 consulting divisions, in-house consultancies, and boutique firms over the past four years.
He is the author of “The 1%: Conquer Your Consulting Case Interview,” “The 1%: Case Interview Workbook,” and “Consulting Career Secrets”, all available on Amazon.
