Updated June 2026 · By Florian Smeritschnig, former McKinsey Senior Consultant If you are an Arabic-speaking student weighing the McKinsey EDAD program, you have probably seen two flatly contradictory claims: that EDAD guarantees a McKinsey interview, and that it guarantees nothing. Getting this wrong costs you, because it changes how hard you should fight to…
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By Florian Smeritschnig, former McKinsey Senior Consultant. Updated July 2026. Can AI do consulting work? Not yet, at least not the whole job. The most rigorous test to date, Mercor’s 2026 APEX-Agents benchmark, dropped leading AI models into realistic consulting tasks and found that the best of them finished fewer than 25% correctly on the…
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By Florian Smeritschnig, former McKinsey Senior Consultant. Updated July 2026. Will AI replace junior consultants? No, not the role, but yes, much of the old entry-level task list. AI handles the research, data work, and slide drafting that once filled a junior’s first year and built their judgment. Firms still hire juniors, but they expect…
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Updated July 2026 · By Florian Smeritschnig, Former McKinsey Senior Consultant The McKinsey Keep In Touch Program (KIT) is a re-engagement invitation McKinsey extends to candidates who came close to an offer but did not make it, typically due to a near-miss case, a borderline PEI, an experience gap, or timing within the recruiting cycle.…
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Updated July 2026 · By Florian Smeritschnig, Former McKinsey Senior Consultant The practical consulting GPA requirement for McKinsey, BCG, and Bain in 2026 is 3.5 / 4.0 at a US target school, with the competitive zone for interview invitations starting at 3.7+. McKinsey publicly guides candidates toward “top decile of your class,” which translates to…
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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.
