A well-trodden post-business school career path, high-flying students typically land roles within the industry’s leading firms. These include the MBB consultancies: McKinsey, Bain, and Boston Consulting Group (BCG); and the Big Four accounting and professional services firms: Deloitte, PwC, KPMG, and EY.
However, entering consulting after business school isn’t simply a case of sending off an application and hoping for the best; there is an established process that takes place each year and differs depending on your degree type and chosen path into the industry.
Business school students who aspire to land a full-time role or a place on a consulting summer internship must be aware of the set timeline for 2025. So, what are the consulting recruiting timelines?
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Consulting recruiting timelines: Breakdown
Across the industry there are established hiring periods throughout the year.
For those studying on business master’s programs, the application period lasts from June to October. At the MBA level, it’s typically between November and December for first years looking to join a consulting summer internship, and August to September for second years applying for full-time roles.
Each year, consulting firms recruit for the year ahead, that means MBAs looking to join the industry in 2026, for example, should be applying in 2025.
Many firms—particularly the MBB—offer a variety of recruitment pathways, which often have different deadlines. So, while you need to know the consulting recruiting timelines, you should also have an idea of the consulting application deadlines at your target firms.
So, here’s what we know about consulting application deadlines for 2025 so far.
READ: How To Get Hired By The Big Three Consulting Firms
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MBB application deadlines
The MBB firms—also referred to as the Big Three—rank as the largest employers of MBA grads each year.
The numbers speak for themselves: there were 78 INSEAD MBAs who joined McKinsey in 2024, while 48 grads from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business MBA secured jobs at the Boston Consulting Group (BCG).
McKinsey application deadlines
All of the MBB welcome MBA students onto summer pre-MBA exposure programs before they even begin their studies, offering a taste of what to expect in a consulting career.
At McKinsey, the Early Access pre-MBA program runs to an application deadline of May 12th. McKinsey Inspire, a similar diversity-based program for applicants from Black, Hispanic, and Latino backgrounds, runs to the same deadline.
MBA students graduating between December 2025 and Fall 2026 can apply to McKinsey’s associate role by September 4th 2025. Those graduating earlier can apply anytime, with rolling admissions.
Students currently enrolled in business master’s degrees can apply to join McKinsey at the business analyst level, with the 2025 deadline set for July 10th. Meanwhile, the deadline for the summer business analyst internship is July 17th.
Bain application deadlines
The Bain recruiting timeline ends slightly earlier than McKinsey in 2025 when it comes to the pre-MBA exposure schemes.
ExperienceBain, open to all incoming MBAs, has a May 4th deadline this year, according to Management Consulted. BASE Scholars—a similar program for MBAs from underrepresented backgrounds—shares the same deadline.
MBAs interested in working at Bain can apply to join the firm at the consultant level. For business master’s students, it’s necessary to apply for associate consultant roles at Bain, which target both masters and undergrad students. There are two Bain application deadlines for associate consultant roles in 2025: July 6th and September 2nd. These deadlines are the same for students applying for the associate consultant internship program.
BCG application deadlines
Applications for BCG’s pre-MBA programs—Unlock and its diversity-focused counterpart, Empower—are due in May. To be considered for Empower, candidates will need to apply via the BCG Unlock form by May 12th. BCG encourages all Unlock registrations by May 19th, though later submissions will be reviewed on a rolling basis.
Deadlines for MBA-level consultant roles have not yet been announced for 2025. For business master’s students applying to associate roles, the 2025 timeline is still unconfirmed, but the 2024 deadline was in August.
Big Four application deadlines
Each of the Big Four firms hire graduates into consulting and professional services roles annually, as well as into accounting and audit jobs. They tend to hire at lower numbers than the MBB, however they still rank among the largest employers of MBA grads.
Exact dates for the consulting application deadlines at the Big Four are currently to be determined, however Management Consulted projects that the months will be the same as last year for applications to PwC and EY or EY Parthenon.
At PwC, the Advisory MBA full-time role closed on September 24th 2024, and the Advisory MBA internship closed on November 26th 2024.
At EY and EY-Parthenon, most consulting and internship roles are listed as rolling, but early deadlines for diversity programs such as Emerging Leaders and Women’s Connect are expected around October 2025, according to Management Consulted.
As deadlines can vary and roles may fill early, MBA students aiming for Big Four consulting positions in 2025 should be prepared to apply between September and November, and ideally as early as possible in that window.
Boutique consulting firm MBA deadlines
Outside of the MBB and Big Four, there are a number of other large consultancies that hire from MBA cohorts each year. These companies are often well regarded and offer strong earning potential to new hires, with some even paying salaries equal to the MBB.
Accenture is a firm that ranks among the most prolific employers of MBA graduates. In 2024, the firm recruited 23 MBA graduates from INSEAD and eight from London Business School (LBS). First year MBAs looking to land summer consultant roles at Accenture can expect applications to close in December 2025, according to Management Consulted.
Like Accenture, Kearney employs many new MBA hires each year and offers salaries that are above the industry average. At INSEAD, 25 MBAs landed jobs at Kearney in 2024. Those first year MBAs looking to join Kearney on the summer associate program should note that the most recent deadline was December 5th 2024, and future cycles are likely to follow a similar timeline.
For graduating MBAs, Kearney’s full-time associate role in Strategic Operations is open year-round with rolling applications.
For more info on how to launch careers in consulting, finance, technology, and more, plus free advice from b-school careers experts, download our Business Careers Guide: Expert Advice On Your Job Options After Business School
