Ding!
Finally got the McKinsey call an hour ago, and it's a "no". Wasn't surprised, since I figured they'd have called a lot earlier if it were good news. The feedback was semi-helpful; it sounds like I missed something significant in one of the three case studies, but the partner calling me wasn't able to say exactly *what*, which is frustrating.
What surprises me is that I'm less sad about it than I expected to be. This is something I've been working towards for a year now, and I should be pretty bummed to come this far and then miss the mark at the last minute. All things considered, I feel fairly calm. Maybe it's the fact that I have two more firms worth of interview still to go. More likely, I think it's a recognition of a pattern that keeps happening in my life: I keep trying to be one place, ending up in another, and finding that the second-choice place is actually much better. You can call it fate, divine guidance, or dumb luck, depending on your preference. All I know is, so far, it's worked, and I think I've finally learned to accept it.
What surprises me is that I'm less sad about it than I expected to be. This is something I've been working towards for a year now, and I should be pretty bummed to come this far and then miss the mark at the last minute. All things considered, I feel fairly calm. Maybe it's the fact that I have two more firms worth of interview still to go. More likely, I think it's a recognition of a pattern that keeps happening in my life: I keep trying to be one place, ending up in another, and finding that the second-choice place is actually much better. You can call it fate, divine guidance, or dumb luck, depending on your preference. All I know is, so far, it's worked, and I think I've finally learned to accept it.