Building and Supporting Excellence (BASE)
Building and Supporting Excellence (BASE)
The BASE program was originally established as an avenue to provide initial exposure and a chance to learn about a career in professional services to MBA students whose backgrounds are often underrepresented in the profession.
This is designed to help you succeed in your MBA and beyond
We welcome Black, Hispanic/Latin American and Indigenous pre-MBA students to join us for a weeklong immersive look inside the exciting world of strategy consulting.
BASE Camp is an in-person experience where you’ll receive plenty of support before and after to ensure you get a good sense for what this work is like. You’ll participate in a full day of training and be staffed to a case team, handling a component of a client consulting project. It’s an opportunity to sharpen your business acumen and see what you could gain from a career at Bain.
It's a great start to your business school experience and whatever lies beyond. Upon completing the program, if you are excited to further explore consulting as a career path, you will have an opportunity to learn more about joining as a Summer Associate.
Spend "a week in the life" as a Bain consultant to understand if this career is for you.
Meet Bain’s leaders and learn what decisions led them to where they are today.
A Bain consultant will coach you through solving problems and presenting your findings.
Meet Bainies in person and virtually, before and after BASE Camp.
Build a community of peers and mentors
Befriend like-minded individuals in your program.
At the end of the program, you'll have an opportunity to learn more about joining as a Summer Associate.
Create relationships across the firm that you can enrich throughout your time in business school.
How to apply for this program
We are hoping to connect with individuals whose perspectives and experiences are historically underrepresented in our industry. This program is for individuals who are Black, Hispanic/Latin American, or Indigenous (Native American, Alaska Native, Inuit, Métis and First Nations), and who have accepted an offer to start a full-time two-year MBA program in the fall. We currently do not accept part-time or Executive MBA students.
International students are eligible and welcome to apply.
Apply to BASE
2024 applications are now open with a deadline of May 5th, 2024 at 11:59pm PST. BASE Camp is scheduled for either the week of July 22nd - 26th or July 29th - August 2nd. Join us at one of our marketing events or feel free to reach out to our BASE team!
If you might be considering our Summer Associate internship program following your BASE experience, you should apply to the offices in the US or Toronto that are of interest to you for next summer when you apply to BASE.
After you apply, you’ll hear back shortly after applications are closed and interviews will take place towards the end of May.
Application format
- Resume
- Test scores if applicable (not required)
- Bain office(s) of interest
The BASE Experience at firsthand
Register for one of our upcoming fireside chats to meet former BASE Scholars, learn about the application and how to effectively prepare for the BASE case interviews.
Everything you need to know
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Will BASE Camp be in person?
Yes, BASE Camp is hosted in person. We’ll cover all travel-related expenses.
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Do I need to be available during both BASE Camp weeks?
No, you only need to be available for one of the options (July 22nd - 26th or July 29th - August 2nd). You will note your availability in the application.
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Can I apply to both BASE and ExperienceBain? How are they different?
Yes, we encourage you to apply for BASE and ExperienceBain if you are eligible and interested. They are similar in that both programs introduce you to consulting and Bain before starting business school. But here’s how they differ:
- BASE is a highly selective exploratory program that is for recruits who are Black, Hispanic/Latin American, or Indigenous. BASE Camp is for one immersive week.
- ExperienceBain is a larger program open to all incoming MBA students heading to eligible schools. It features periodic programming throughout the year.
If you are selected for BASE, we’ll help you navigate any overlaps with ExperienceBain. -
How are BASE participants selected?
After an initial application review, select BASE applicants will participate in an interview process that includes case interviews, where you will work through the type of problems our clients face. Don’t worry, there are no wrong answers—these questions are meant to tease out your unique strengths and help us both understand if you’d likely be successful in a consulting role. Keep an eye out for an email with more details after you apply!
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Which offices host the BASE program?
BASE is only available in our North American offices right now. When applying, please make sure to only apply if you are interested in the US or Toronto locations: Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco/Silicon Valley, Seattle, Toronto and Washington, D.C.
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If I am not selected for BASE, can I still apply to Bain in the future?
Absolutely, and we encourage it. BASE is a highly selective program. If you are not selected for BASE, we would love to keep in touch and reconnect on campus. In the past years, we have hired several BASE applicants as summer associates and our full-time roles even though they were not selected for the BASE program. Sometimes, those extra few months of case prep can help.
