Why BCG?
How to answer, with examples.

"Why BCG?" asks why you want to do consulting at BCG in particular, in the office and role you have applied to. A good answer gives two or three reasons that come from your own experience and goals, and shows through specific evidence that you have learned how BCG works beyond its website.

This guide covers why the question matters at BCG, how to build the answer, a complete example with the reasoning behind it, the follow-up questions you should expect and how to use conversations with BCG people. The example answers are fictional and written for this guide.

Why the question matters at BCG

BCG's interview process page says its skills interview explores "your experience, skills, and motivation for joining BCG". Motivation is part of the published process, not an optional extra.

Franco Borgonovo spent ten years at BCG, from intern to Principal, interviewing and selecting candidates as a global lead recruiter. From that side of the table, "why BCG" is a question interviewers ask often and listen to carefully, and it is rarely the end of the conversation. A typical sequence is the answer, then "who did you talk to?", then "what else are you looking at?" or "why not McKinsey?". Former BCG interviewers who answer candidate questions on preparation forums describe the same pattern.

The reason is practical. Interviewers meet many candidates with strong CVs and good cases. A clear, personal motivation tells them that you understand the job, that you have made an effort to know the firm and that you are likely to accept an offer. A vague one leaves a doubt, even when the rest of the interview went well.

How to structure your answer

The structure that works best is simple:

1. One line on why consulting. For example: "I want to work on a wide range of business problems early in my career, and consulting is where I can do that."
2. Two or three reasons for BCG. Announce how many, then give the most important first.
3. For each reason, why it matters to you. Link it to something in your experience or to what you want to learn.
4. Proof. A conversation, something you read, a type of work you know. One concrete detail per reason is enough.
5. A short close, if natural. One sentence connecting back to the role or office.

The full answer usually takes 45 to 90 seconds. Shorter answers work if they are specific; longer ones usually mean you are listing rather than explaining.

Motivation, not a sales pitch

A common piece of advice is to pair every reason with proof that you already have the matching quality. Used occasionally, this is helpful. Used for every reason, it turns the answer into a sales pitch, and the interviewer stops hearing why you want BCG.

Keep the focus on motivation. "I want to work with clients rather than present to them, because in my last job the recommendations that worked were the ones the operations team had helped build" is a reason. You do not need to add "and I am an excellent collaborator". The interviewer will judge that from your stories and your case.

Turning BCG themes into personal reasons

BCG describes its purpose as "unlocking the potential of those who advance the world" and lists five principles, including "we bring insight to light", "we drive inspired impact" (which it describes as collaborating closely with clients) and "we grow by growing others". Its interview page lists five qualities it looks for: integrity, intellectual curiosity, creative thinking, a collaborative mindset and drive.

Reading these pages is useful, but repeating them is not a reason. The table shows common BCG themes, how to make each one concrete and what the weak version sounds like.

Learning and development

"Learning" is one of the most common reasons and one of the most generic. It becomes convincing when you say what you want to learn and how BCG does it, based on what people told you. A sentence such as "a project leader described how her first case team leader reviewed every slide with her for the first two months" carries more weight than any statement about investment in people.

Collaboration with clients

Many candidates mention collaboration. It works when you connect it to something you have seen: a project where the recommendation was adopted because the client's team helped shape it, or one that failed because it was imposed. Then explain why that way of working matters to you.

Research and publications

BCG publishes a large amount of research, including through its think tank, the BCG Institute. Mentioning BCG's ideas is a strong reason only if you have read something and can discuss it. Choose one piece linked to your interests, know its main argument, and have a view on it, including a point you are not sure about. Interviewers may ask.

Technology and BCG X

BCG describes BCG X as its tech build and design unit. If technology is part of the work you want to do, say so and explain why. If it is not, leave it out: a reason you cannot develop under questions weakens the answer. If you are applying to BCG X itself, the real question is different; see the section on specialist roles below.

Conversations with BCG people

Conversations with BCG consultants give you the most convincing material for the answer. They also help you decide whether you want the job.

There is no required number. A few conversations with people in different positions give you different views: someone who joined recently, a project leader, and if possible someone who has left and can speak freely. Asking everyone the same few questions makes the answers easier to compare. Alumni of your university, recruiting events and BCG's own case workshops are the easiest entry points. A short message asking for fifteen minutes works better than a long one.

Questions that produce useful answers:

• What surprised you most in your first year?
• How are teams staffed in this office, and how much do people travel?
• Which industries and topics does this office work on most?
• How do you receive feedback, and who helps you plan your development?
• What kind of person finds it hard here?

After each conversation, note one or two specific things you learned and how they changed your view. In your answer, use them as proof: "A consultant in this office told me..." is more convincing than any adjective. You do not need to name the person, but be ready to say their role and what they told you.

Staffing and opportunities depend on the office

How teams are staffed, how much people travel and how easily they can work in other offices vary by office, region and practice. Descriptions on forums tend to summarise BCG's model in one sentence, but what matters for you is how it works where you will join. Ask, and use what you learn: if a consultant told you the office staffs most projects with local clients and that you would rarely travel far, and that fits your plans, it is a real reason.

A complete example answer

The candidate below is fictional. He is a final-year master's student in economics who spent a summer at a renewable energy developer and is applying for a generalist Associate role.

Spoken at a natural pace, this takes about 70 seconds.

The reasoning behind it

1. One line on consulting, then the structure. The interviewer knows within ten seconds that there are two BCG reasons coming.
2. The first reason starts from the candidate's experience. The internship gives a concrete reason to want energy work, and the conversation links it to this office.
3. The second reason is about motivation, not a pitch. He does not claim to be excellent at taking feedback. He explains why that way of learning matters to him, with one moment from his internship.
4. The proof is specific and checkable. A consultant who works with utilities, a project leader met at a named event, a solar site comparison. Each one invites a follow-up he can answer.
5. Reasons left out on purpose. His first draft mentioned the BCG Matrix, global presence and "brilliant people". He cut them because he could not support them with anything of his own.

Run the name swap: replace "BCG" with another firm. The answer no longer works, because the conversations and the event happened at BCG and in this office. That is the point of the check. It does not mean every reason must be unique to BCG in the world; it means the answer as a whole must come from what you learned about this firm.

The follow-up questions, and how to handle them

Talking about other firms

If you are interviewing elsewhere, say so. Interviewers expect strong candidates to apply to several firms, and pretending otherwise rarely sounds credible. What matters is how you talk about the others: never criticise them, and explain what draws you to BCG on your own terms.

The answer is honest, respectful of the other firm and brings the conversation back to the candidate's criteria. If you do get offers from several firms, the same criteria will help you choose.

Using the same answer in every interview

You will often meet several BCG interviewers, and each may ask "why BCG". Giving the same answer each time is fine: interviewers compare their impressions, and consistency helps. Vary your experience stories instead, so each interviewer hears different evidence.

Special situations

Moving from another consulting firm

If you already work at another consulting firm, expect a direct question about why you want to move. Explain what you are looking for that you do not have today, for example a practice, a type of client or an office, without criticising your current employer. Conversations with BCG people who joined from other firms are especially useful here.

Applying to BCG X, BCG Platinion or INVERTO

For specialist units, the real question is often "why this role?" rather than "why BCG over another consulting firm?". The alternatives the interviewer has in mind are other careers, such as a technology company, a start-up or an in-house role. Explain why you want to combine your specialist skills with client work, and why this unit's type of work fits you. The guides to the BCG X interview, the BCG Platinion interview and the INVERTO interview cover these processes in full.

Experienced hires

For experienced candidates, the question becomes "why BCG, and why now?". Explain what your current role does not give you, why consulting is where you can get it, and why this is the moment, ideally with evidence that you have already been moving in that direction. Avoid money and "stepping stone" arguments. The guide to experienced hire consulting covers the full process.

Mistakes to avoid

• "Global reach, great people, variety of projects" with nothing to support it.
• Turning every reason into proof that you are the perfect hire.
• Criticising McKinsey, Bain or your current employer.
• Mentioning research you have not read, or BCG X when you have no interest in technology.
• A polished script that collapses at the first follow-up question.
• Trying to sound clever instead of sounding like yourself.

Preparing with a former BCG interviewer

"Why BCG" is easy to write and hard to judge on your own. Most candidates find out whether their answer holds only when someone asks the second and third question. Practising with a former BCG interviewer shows you which reasons sound generic and which ones carry the answer.

Franco spent ten years at BCG, from intern to Principal, interviewing and selecting candidates as a global lead recruiter, including many interviews for BCG X, BCG Platinion and INVERTO. He still coaches BCG's new hires as an official BCG coach in the Consulting Foundation Training. Sessions use original material, never real BCG interview content. CasePreparation is independent and is not affiliated with BCG.

"I just got an offer from BCG SF! We did it!!!! Thanks for the coaching and feedback."

A Wharton MBA candidate, BCG San Francisco offer. One candidate's experience; results depend on each candidate and process.

Frequently asked questions

Final checklist

Your next step

Write your reasons before reading anything else about BCG, then book two or three conversations to test them. When you have a draft, say it aloud and ask someone to push with follow-up questions. If you want a former BCG interviewer to do that, one session gives you a realistic mock, a debrief and a written plan.

About Franco

Franco Borgonovo

Former BCG Principal · 10-year tenure · Official BCG coach

Franco spent ten years at BCG, from intern to Principal, interviewing and selecting candidates as a global lead recruiter. He is still an official BCG coach for new hires, and today works one to one with candidates on applications, McKinsey Solve and interviews.

More about Franco →