Prepare for your McKinsey scholarship interview

Problem-solving, leadership potential, and vision articulation designed for McKinsey scholarship and fellowship programs.

Socratify AI

The Interview

What McKinsey is looking for

Problem-Solving Interview

Strategic Thinking

01Issue Decomposition

02Data-Informed Analysis

03Business Acumen

04Creative Solutions

Personal Narrative Interview

Vision & Goals

01Career Vision Clarity

02Leadership Potential

03Problem-Solving Mindset

04Impact Orientation

Behavioral Interview

Leadership & Resilience

01Leadership Examples

02Adaptability & Learning

03Collaboration Skills

04Driving Change

Leadership development focus//Emerging markets talent pipeline//Strategic thinking culture

Practice Library

McKinsey exercises

Ready to ace your McKinsey scholarship interview?

Prepare for your McKinsey scholarship interview

Problem-solving, leadership potential, and vision articulation designed for McKinsey scholarship and fellowship programs.

Socratify AI

The Interview

What McKinsey is looking for

Problem-Solving Interview

Strategic Thinking

01Issue Decomposition

02Data-Informed Analysis

03Business Acumen

04Creative Solutions

Personal Narrative Interview

Vision & Goals

01Career Vision Clarity

02Leadership Potential

03Problem-Solving Mindset

04Impact Orientation

Behavioral Interview

Leadership & Resilience

01Leadership Examples

02Adaptability & Learning

03Collaboration Skills

04Driving Change

Leadership development focus//Emerging markets talent pipeline//Strategic thinking culture

How It Works

Master McKinsey Scholarship Interviews

Problem-solving, strategic thinking, and leadership rounds evaluated on McKinsey scholarship criteria. · Click to expand

Narrative Structure

Practitioner

Impact Articulation

Practitioner

1Your Scholarship Goals

2Scholarship Case Prep

Where do you see yourself in 10 years and how will a McKinsey scholarship accelerate...

LEARNMedium

Scholarship · Vision & GoalsMcKinsey

3Frameworks

Framework

Is your personal story compelling and goal-focused?

Goal clarity and how the scholarship enables it?

Long-term vision specific to your field: 3–5 year roadmap articulated clearly

Connection between funding and goal achievability: 1–2 concrete examples

Authenticity and personal resilience demonstrated?

Specific adversity overcome with measurable growth: 78% committees cite resilience as top factor

Self-awareness reflected in personal growth narrative: candidates with reflective interviews score 34% higher

Financial need and sustainability messaging?

Need articulation balancing vulnerability with agency?

Specific financial gap quantified: avg gap $12K–$25K for scholarship candidates

Context provided (family situation, work obligations, education access): 82% of winning narratives include context

Post-graduation sustainability plan credible?

Debt management plan articulated: loan projections and payoff strategy

Career trajectory supports financial independence: 3–5 year salary/career progression realistic

Leadership and community impact demonstrated?

Concrete evidence of leadership outside classroom?

Community leadership documented: led 2+ initiatives with measurable outcomes or participants reached

Scale and sustainability of impact: 65% of award-winning candidates show multi-year engagement

Commitment to future social/professional contribution?

Specific "give-back" plan: fellowship programs created by recipients show 44% higher board interest

Industry/sector alignment with mission: 71% of scholarships prioritize mission alignment

Narrative Clarity

Distinctive

Financial Clarity

Strong

Leadership & Impact

Meeting Bar

Authenticity & Presence

Strong

4Feedback

How It Works

Master McKinsey Scholarship Interviews

Problem-solving, strategic thinking, and leadership rounds evaluated on McKinsey scholarship criteria. · Click to expand

1Your Scholarship Goals

Narrative Structure

Practitioner

Impact Articulation

Practitioner

2Scholarship Case Prep

Where do you see yourself in 10 years and how will a McKinsey scholarship accelerate...

LEARNMedium

McKinsey

3Frameworks

Framework

Is your personal story compelling and goal-focused?

Goal clarity and how the scholarship enables it?

Long-term vision specific to your field: 3–5 year roadmap articulated clearly

Connection between funding and goal achievability: 1–2 concrete examples

Authenticity and personal resilience demonstrated?

Specific adversity overcome with measurable growth: 78% committees cite resilience as top factor

Self-awareness reflected in personal growth narrative: candidates with reflective interviews score 34% higher

Financial need and sustainability messaging?

Need articulation balancing vulnerability with agency?

Specific financial gap quantified: avg gap $12K–$25K for scholarship candidates

Context provided (family situation, work obligations, education access): 82% of winning narratives include context

Post-graduation sustainability plan credible?

Debt management plan articulated: loan projections and payoff strategy

Career trajectory supports financial independence: 3–5 year salary/career progression realistic

Leadership and community impact demonstrated?

Concrete evidence of leadership outside classroom?

Community leadership documented: led 2+ initiatives with measurable outcomes or participants reached

Scale and sustainability of impact: 65% of award-winning candidates show multi-year engagement

Commitment to future social/professional contribution?

Specific "give-back" plan: fellowship programs created by recipients show 44% higher board interest

Industry/sector alignment with mission: 71% of scholarships prioritize mission alignment

4Feedback

Narrative Clarity

Distinctive

Financial Clarity

Strong

Leadership & Impact

Meeting Bar

Authenticity & Presence

Strong

Repeat

Practice Library

McKinsey exercises

How would you approach understanding why a retail company's customer retention has...

LEARNHard

Consulting · Problem DecompositionMcKinsey

Where do you see yourself in 10 years and how will a McKinsey scholarship accelerate...

LEARNMedium

Scholarship · Vision & GoalsMcKinsey

Tell me about a time you led a team through a complex, ambiguous challenge. What was the...

BEHAVIORALHard

Behavioral · LeadershipMcKinsey

How would you measure the success of a diversity scholarship program like McKinsey's?

LEARNHard

Consulting · Strategic ImpactMcKinsey

What adversity have you overcome and how did it shape your leadership approach?

BEHAVIORALMedium

Behavioral · ResilienceMcKinsey