S23E5: The Summer Prep Window MBAs Miss – And How to Use It

Strategy Simplified

Strategy Simplified
S23E5: The Summer Prep Window MBAs Miss – And How to Use It
Apr 29, 2026 Season 23 Episode 5
Management Consulted

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Only 19% of McKinsey's new hires today are MBAs. In the mid-90s, that number was over 80%.

The # of spots available for MBAs is shrinking – the competition isn't.

MC coach Catherine Lee – ex-Deloitte, ex-BCG, Harvard MBA – breaks down 3 mistakes that sink most incoming MBAs before they ever reach an interview:

  • Starting too late (fall semester is already too late)
  • Treating prep like a sprint instead of a marathon
  • Practicing cases without a system to track your gaps

Plus: the summer prep roadmap that gets you ahead of your entire cohort before school starts.

Katie Neff (Black Belt Advisor) joins with data from 250+ BB members who landed at McKinsey, Bain, and BCG – including the 22-case benchmark.

Resources:

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