McKinsey 2028 application guide

For
2028 summer analysts
Sources
18 cited

Applying to McKinsey & Company for summer 2028? McKinsey calls its undergraduate internship the Summer Business Analyst, posted as Business Analyst Intern. Check your resume below, then read when the US window opens, what the form asks and what happens after you submit.

A student in a light blue shirt working on a laptop, a printed resume beside it, at a long window counter in a bright university student union in early spring.
US offices of McKinsey usually run one campus application window a year, so your resume has one shot per cycle.

Key facts

  • When it opens: For summer 2027, the US Business Analyst Intern window ran from Jan 1 to Mar 29, 2026, and applications were still reviewed on a rolling basis after the deadline.2,8,9
  • Windows a year: US offices typically have one campus application window per year. Miss it and your application is considered in the next cycle, or you are invited to reapply.3
  • Office choices: You can share up to three preferred office locations on one application. Use the deadline for the office you most want.3
  • Documents: A resume is required, in PDF or Word. The form also asks for your education history with any SAT, GRE or TOEFL scores, and may ask for a transcript; an unofficial copy is fine. A cover letter is optional.4
  • Who it is for: For summer 2027 the role was for undergraduate and non-MBA master's students graduating Dec 2027 to Aug 2028. McKinsey's fall 2026 Edge series for the next cycle is open to students graduating Dec 2028 to Aug 2029.2,1
  • Internship: Business analyst interns join a client service team for 8 to 10 weeks. The posting spans many countries and lists US offices from Atlanta, Austin and Boston to Charlotte, Chicago and Cleveland, among others.5
  • Next step: After a review of your application, most consulting roles get an invitation to Solve, McKinsey's gamified assessment. Depending on the role and office, it can be a phone screen or a test instead.3,6

The name changes by page: the US Undergraduate & Masters page says "Summer Business Analyst (Intern)", the job posting says "Business Analyst Intern". It is the same role. The separate Sophomore Summer Business Analyst track was listed for Canada, on a rolling basis, in fall 2026.1,5,10

Check your resume before you apply

Summer Business Analyst at McKinsey & Company

Check your resume

Read against the Summer Business Analyst role at McKinsey & Company, Consulting, the way the first screen reads it.

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What the McKinsey & Company online application looks like

  1. Know which window is yours

    McKinsey runs two undergraduate windows in the US. For summer 2027, the Business Analyst Intern window ran from Jan 1 to Mar 29, 2026, and the full-time Business Analyst window from Jun 1 to Aug 11, 2026. Your graduation date decides which one you apply in: for summer 2027, the intern role was for students graduating Dec 2027 to Aug 2028.2,8,9

  2. Pick up to three offices

    One application can name up to three preferred offices. Follow the deadline for the office you most want, and note that most offices ask for the local language and work authorization. If your preferences change after you submit, your recruiter can update them.3,4

  3. Fill in the form

    The form asks for your preferred office, your education history, including SAT, GRE or TOEFL scores if you have taken them, and your work history. Upload a resume in PDF or Word; transcripts and a cover letter go in as other attachments. If you do not remember a score, you can say you have not taken the tests and still apply.4

  4. Straight after you submit

    McKinsey reviews your experiences, skills, background and eligibility. Next comes a phone screen, a test or a gamified assessment, depending on the role and office; for most consulting roles that is Solve. You can upload an updated resume later from your profile in the candidate portal.3,4,6

  5. Then the interviews

    For most client-facing roles, the interviews pair a personal experience interview (PEI) about your background with a problem-solving case interview. In the summer 2027 cycle, intern first and final rounds ran in April and May 2026, weeks after the March deadline.3,6,13,18

What the form asks

Office choices Up to 3
Up to three preferred offices. Most need the local language and work authorization.
Education history Required
Your schools and degrees, plus SAT, GRE or TOEFL scores if you have taken them. You can say you have not taken any.
Work history Required
Your jobs and internships, which should match your resume.
Resume Required
PDF or Word, not password protected. You can upload a new version later from your candidate portal profile.
Transcript Depends on the role
An unofficial scanned copy or a PDF you make yourself is fine.
Cover letter Optional
There is a place to attach one. Put your effort into the resume first.

These fields come from McKinsey's own online application FAQ. The form itself sits behind a login, so check each field when you open it.4

McKinsey resume checklist

  • One page, saved as a PDF (PDF or Word is accepted), and no password on the file.
  • Education first while you are a student: school, degree written out, graduation month and year.
  • GPA as 3.81/4.00 if it helps you, and the same test scores you will type into the form.
  • Experience newest first, every bullet starting with a verb and ending with what changed.
  • One number per role where you have one, or an honest proxy for scale.
  • Two leadership or initiative stories you could talk about for 10 minutes each, for the PEI.
  • No objective or summary line, and no case vocabulary like MECE used as keywords.
  • Skills and interests last, with interests you could talk about for a minute.
  • Office choices settled before you submit: up to three, in order of preference.

What to put on it

The resume carries the first screen, and it comes back in the PEI, where interviewers dig into the experiences on it. Put Education first while you are a student, then experience, then leadership and activities, then skills and interests. The examples below are Intervyo rewrites of common resume lines, not questions from the form.4,6,11

  • Education: School, degree, graduation month and year, GPA and any strong test scores. First on the page while you are a student.
  • Experience: Internships and jobs, newest first, with bullets that say what changed because of your work.
  • Leadership and activities: Roles where you set direction, persuaded someone or built something. These become your PEI stories.
  • Skills and interests: Languages, software and a few real interests, last on the page.

Example questions and how to answer them

Experience bullet"Rewrite this bullet: "Responsible for research on a market entry project.""11
  1. 1Start with a verb for what you did yourself: sized, interviewed, built, recommended.
  2. 2Name the question you were answering, not the topic.
  3. 3Add scale with one defensible number, or an honest proxy if the number is confidential.
  4. 4End with the decision your work fed: what the client or team did next.

Tip: Use your own numbers. If a line could not hold up to five minutes of follow-up questions in a PEI, cut it.

Example answer, written by Intervyo (not a real candidate)

Sized the US market for a regional meal-kit startup ($1.2B, 3 customer segments) through 25 customer interviews and public data; founders used the sizing to pick the Midwest as their first expansion market.

Education line"Rewrite this education line: "Penn State, Econ & Math, 3.8, 2029""1,4,11
  1. 1University and location on the first line.
  2. 2Degree written out, with the expected graduation month and year.
  3. 3GPA to two decimals with the scale, and any test score you would also type into the form.
  4. 4An optional line for honors or relevant coursework.

Tip: McKinsey's outreach for the summer 2028 cycle is aimed at students graduating Dec 2028 to Aug 2029, so most will show a 2029 date.

Example answer, written by Intervyo (not a real candidate)

The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA Bachelor of Science in Economics and Mathematics, expected May 2029. GPA: 3.81/4.00 Honors: Schreyer Honors College; Dean's List, all semesters

Leadership and activities"Rewrite this activity: "Member, Consulting Club.""11,6
  1. 1Lead with your role: what were you responsible for?
  2. 2Name the client and the question, in plain words.
  3. 3Show one moment where you led or persuaded, since that is what a PEI will ask about.
  4. 4Close with the result.

Example answer, written by Intervyo (not a real candidate)

Project Lead, Consulting Club (60 members): led 4 students on a 10-week pricing project for a local nonprofit theater; changed the team's plan after member surveys showed price was not the main barrier, and the theater adopted our weeknight bundle, lifting ticket sales 15%.

From resume to PEI"Tell me about a time you worked hard to achieve excellence in tough circumstances."6,7
  1. 1Pick an experience from your resume that genuinely mattered to you.
  2. 2Set the scene in two sentences: the goal and what made it hard.
  3. 3Spend most of the time on your own reasoning and actions, step by step.
  4. 4Finish with the result and what you would do differently.

Tip: This is the theme McKinsey calls Drive. Build each resume entry so it could carry a 10-minute conversation.

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How long to hear back after the online application

US offices run one campus window a year, and applications are reviewed through it and on a rolling basis after the deadline. In the summer 2027 cycle, the window closed on Mar 29, 2026 and intern interviews ran in April and May.2,3,13,18

  1. Apr 2025

    Summer intern, New York

    Applied online, passed the resume screen, then went on to a series of game-based tests. The process ran two to three months.12

  2. Apr 2026 (summer 2027)

    Summer Consultant, Chicago

    Got prep resources and some of the behavioral questions ahead of time by email, plus an interview "mentor" to case with. Less than a month in all.18

  3. May 2026 (summer 2027)

    Summer intern, Chicago

    A fairly simple first round, then a much harder final round with partners, all in less than a month.13

  4. Oct 2026

    Summer Associate intern, Detroit (MBA track)

    Solve in three sections, then virtual back-to-back first rounds, then an in-person final round. One to two months in all.14

  5. Oct 2024

    Sophomore Summer Business Analyst, San Francisco

    Two 45-minute first-round interviews, then three 45-minute final-round interviews, in less than a month.15

  6. Nov 2017

    Summer Business Analyst, Washington DC

    An interviewer called within two weeks of the first round with the result and feedback. The final-round decision came by phone the same evening.16

If you miss the deadline, McKinsey considers you in the next cycle or invites you to reapply.3

Best guessInside the window, expect a Solve invitation within a few weeks of applying. If the deadline passes with no word, check your status in the candidate portal before you assume the answer.

What happens after the online application

  1. Online applicationYou are here

    This page. One application, up to three offices, a resume and your education history with any test scores.3,4

  2. Solve

    For most consulting roles, McKinsey's gamified problem-solving assessment. Some roles and offices use a phone screen or a test instead.3,6

  3. First-round interviews

    Usually two back-to-back interviews, each a personal experience interview and a case.6,14,15

  4. Final-round interviews

    Usually three interviews with partners, in the same PEI and case format.13,14,15

Summer Business Analyst vs full-time Business Analyst

The two undergraduate roles run in different windows months apart. Your graduation date decides which one you apply to.

Window last cycle

Summer Business Analyst (intern)

Jan 1 to Mar 29, 2026 (summer 2027), still reviewed on a rolling basis after.2,8

Business Analyst (full-time)

Jun 1 to Aug 11, 2026 (2027 start). It was first published with a Jul 1 opening.2,8,9

Who it is for

Summer Business Analyst (intern)

Undergraduate and non-MBA master's students graduating Dec 2027 to Aug 2028 (summer 2027 cycle).2

Business Analyst (full-time)

Students graduating Dec 2026 to Aug 2027 (2027 start).2

Next window, expected

Summer Business Analyst (intern)

Around January to March 2027 for summer 2028, going by the last cycle.2,10

Business Analyst (full-time)

Around June to August 2027 for a 2028 start, going by the last cycle.2

The role

Summer Business Analyst (intern)

An 8 to 10 week internship on a client service team.5

Business Analyst (full-time)

A full-time analyst on a client service team.3

After you apply

Summer Business Analyst (intern)

Solve for most consulting roles, then PEI and case interviews.3,6

Business Analyst (full-time)

The same: Solve, then PEI and case interviews.3,6

2028 summer analyst status

For summer 2027, McKinsey's US intern window opened on Jan 1, 2026 and closed on Mar 29, 2026, so expect the summer 2028 window around January 2027. Its Connect with McKinsey program runs to Jun 30, 2027 for roles starting in 2028.1,2,10

FAQ

When do McKinsey 2028 Summer Business Analyst applications open?

Expect around January 2027. For summer 2027, the US window ran from Jan 1 to Mar 29, 2026, so the summer 2028 window should fall around January to March 2027. US offices usually run one campus window a year, so have your resume ready before it opens.1,2,3,10

What is the McKinsey Summer Business Analyst internship?

McKinsey's undergraduate internship: 8 to 10 weeks on a client service team. The US page calls it the Summer Business Analyst (Intern), and the job posting calls it Business Analyst Intern. It is for undergraduate and non-MBA master's students in the year before they graduate, and it leads toward the full-time Business Analyst role.1,2,5,17

How many offices can you apply to at McKinsey?

Up to three preferred office locations on one application. Follow the deadline for the office you most want. Most offices ask for the local language and work authorization.3

Does McKinsey ask for a cover letter?

It is optional. The resume is the one required document; a cover letter and transcripts go in as other attachments. Put your effort into the resume first.4

Does McKinsey ask for SAT or GPA?

The form asks for your education history, including SAT, GRE or TOEFL scores if you have taken them, and you can say you have not taken any. Put your GPA on your resume as well.4,11

What happens after you submit your McKinsey application?

McKinsey reviews your experiences, skills, background and eligibility. For most consulting roles you are then invited to Solve, its gamified assessment; some roles and offices use a phone screen or a test instead. After that come the personal experience and case interviews.3,6

What if I miss the McKinsey deadline?

Your application is considered in the next cycle, or you are invited to reapply. For summer 2027, McKinsey also kept reviewing intern applications on a rolling basis after the Mar 29, 2026 deadline.2,3

Online application at other firms

Sources

Firm pages first, then dated candidate reports. Last checked Nov 4, 2026.

  1. 1McKinsey & Company: US Undergraduate & Masters schools
  2. 2McKinsey & Company, via the Wayback Machine: US Undergraduate & Masters schools (Jul 2026 capture)
  3. 3McKinsey & Company: Campus application deadlines
  4. 4McKinsey & Company: McKinsey's online application FAQs
  5. 5McKinsey & Company: Business Analyst Intern, Job ID 15275
  6. 6McKinsey & Company: Interviewing at McKinsey
  7. 7McKinsey & Company, on Ceros: Careers interviewing module (PEI themes)
  8. 8Yale Office of Career Strategy, via the Wayback Machine: McKinsey, Bain, and BCG Application Deadlines for 2027 Summer and Full-Time Roles · prep site
  9. 9Road to Offer: McKinsey Application Deadlines 2026: Every Date and Program · prep site
  10. 10Management Consulted: MBB 2026 Application Deadlines: McKinsey, Bain, BCG · prep site
  11. 11Road to Offer: Management Consulting Resume: Examples + Free AI Review · prep site
  12. 12Candidate report on a public forum: Summer intern interview, New York (Apr 2025)
  13. 13Candidate report on a public forum: Summer Intern interview, Chicago (May 2026)
  14. 14Candidate report on a public forum: Summer Associate intern interview, Detroit (Oct 2026)
  15. 15Candidate report on a public forum: Sophomore Summer Business Analyst interview, San Francisco (Oct 2024)
  16. 16Candidate report on a public forum: Summer Business Analyst interview, Washington DC (Nov 2017)
  17. 17Road to Offer: McKinsey Internship 2027: Summer Associate, Pay, Deadlines · prep site
  18. 18Candidate report on a public forum: Summer Consultant interview, Chicago (Apr 2026)

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