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

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

From Strategy Simplified by Management Consulted

April 29, 2026 · 34 min · Season 23 · Episode 5

About this episode

Catherine Lee discusses the critical mistakes MBAs make in their job preparation and how to avoid them.

Send us Fan Mail 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 marathonPracticing cases without a system to track your gapsPlus: the summ...

People in this episode

Guest: Catherine Lee

Topics covered

  • MBA preparation
  • job competition
  • interview strategies
  • consulting careers
  • case practice

Keywords

  • MBA
  • McKinsey
  • interview preparation
  • consulting
  • job market

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: McKinsey, Deloitte, BCG, Harvard

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