Hey everyone, I’m looking for some advice about the Bain interview process. After my first round interview, the interviewer mentioned I’d get matched with someone for case practice before the second round. I already got my scheduling info for the next interviews but my practice partner hasn’t reached out yet. Is this normal or should I contact the recruiting team? I’m interviewing with a west coast location if that matters. Anyone else experiencing delays with their case practice setup?
Same thing happened to me last year! My practice partner waited until 2 days before my final round to reach out - I was panicking thinking something went wrong. Turns out they were swamped with regular work and had to squeeze me between meetings. Actually worked out better since I got more solo prep time. Don’t stress - these people are doing this as a favor on top of their real jobs. But if it’s been over a week since you got your interview details, send a gentle follow-up.
Timing varies a lot by office and season. West coast Bain offices usually schedule practice sessions 3-5 days before second rounds, but busy recruiting periods can push things back. Since you’ve already got your scheduling info, the recruiting team is handling your process. Practice partners are current employees who volunteer, so it depends on when they’re free. I’d wait 48-72 hours from when you got your second round details before reaching out. When you contact recruiting, just ask about logistics instead of sounding worried. The practice session will happen either way, even if it’s closer to your interview than planned.
lol welcome to Bain where everything runs on consultant time (whenever they feel like it). Your practice partner’s probably buried under client work and forgot you exist until HR sends another reminder. I wouldn’t sweat it - these practice sessions are mostly small talk anyway. If you’re really anxious, shoot recruiting a casual message but don’t sound desperate. Worst case you wing it like half the people who get offers.