Just finished my McKinsey first round and I'm in that weird limbo. Figured I'd write it out and see what people think.
I come from an engineering background, not an MBA, so I'm partly trying to calibrate against people on a similar path. Without going into too much detail — it was a two-interview day, and the two felt very different from each other. The first one was a mixed bag for me. Some parts went smoothly, others I'm honestly not sure about, and I left the room without a clear read either way. The second one felt different. The case was harder, but somehow I felt more locked in, and there were a few small in-the-moment cues from the interviewer that I've been trying not to over-read ever since. The session also ran longer and felt more like a back-and-forth than a Q&A, which I'm trying to figure out whether to make anything of.
A few things I'd genuinely love input on from people who've been through McK rounds:
When an interviewer reacts positively in the moment — specific comments on framework, judgment, that kind of thing — does that actually correlate with the final decision?
Can a strong second interview offset a wobblier first one, or do they need both to be clean?
For anyone who's been through McKinsey first round recently — how long did it take to hear back, and did the timing tell you anything about the outcome? For example, interviewed on last Friday, will I get the result on the same day or next Monday?
Appreciate any honest takes.