The 2027 CREW program
A short in-person program to explore consulting and meet Women at Bain.
- When
- February 18 to 19, 2027
- Length
- 1.5 days
- Where
- Bain offices in the US and Canada
- Travel
- Bain supports travel within the US and Canada
Bain CREW program: what it is and how to apply
CREW, short for Connecting and Resourcing Empowered Women, is Bain's 1.5 day in-person program for second-year undergraduates in the US and Canada who want to explore consulting and meet Bain's Women at Bain affinity group. The 2027 program runs February 18 to 19 in Bain's North American offices. Applications close November 30, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. PT, followed by HireVue video questions and no formal interview. CREW includes case discussions, and consulting interviews test cases. Soreno, an AI voice interview practice app for consulting, investment banking and other finance candidates, runs Bain-style cases and fit questions with follow-ups and scored feedback.
Updated
- Sophomores only. Second-year students finishing a four-year degree in the US or Canada by winter 2028 or spring 2029.
- 1.5 days, in person. February 18 to 19, 2027, across Bain's US and Canada offices.
- Deadline November 30, 2026. 11:59 p.m. PT, through one application shared with BEL and First Forward.
- HireVue, no formal interview. After the deadline, every applicant answers video prompts on HireVue.
- Not an internship. Bain points people who aren't selected to its Associate Consultant Internship, a separate 10 week role.
What is the Bain CREW program?
CREW stands for Connecting and Resourcing Empowered Women. Bain lists it as one of three North America undergraduate exploratory programs, with BEL and First Forward. Everything below is from Bain's own CREW and exploratory program pages, read on October 28, 2026.
The application
One application covers BEL, CREW and First Forward.
- Deadline
- November 30, 2026, 11:59 p.m. PT
- You send
- Resume, transcript, education details
- Then
- HireVue video prompts
- Interview
- No formal interview
What happens at CREW4 parts
Bain says CREW runs on interactive sessions, case discussions and professional development workshops. Its page lists four parts.
Part 1
See what a consulting career looks like
Interactive sessions and candid conversations with Bain professionals about teams solving big business problems.
Case interview preparationPart 2
Connect with the Women at Bain community
Networking, small-group workshops and social events with members of the Women at Bain affinity group.
Part 3
Get a feel for life at Bain
Time in one of Bain's offices to see its culture in action.
Part 4
Shape your future
A clearer sense of the career paths open to you and how your perspective adds value in consulting.
Who can apply4 points
From the eligibility answers in Bain's CREW FAQ, read October 28, 2026.
Year
Second-year (sophomore) undergraduates
You are on track to finish a four-year degree in the US or Canada by winter 2028 or spring 2029.
Interest
Want to connect with Women at Bain
Bain describes CREW as for students with an interest in connecting with its Women at Bain affinity group.
Citizenship
International students can apply
Non-US and non-Canadian citizens are eligible if they attend a university in the US or Canada at the time of the program.
Location
Be in the US or Canada for the dates
Bain doesn't cover international travel, so you must be based in the US or Canada on February 18 to 19.
Where CREW runs14 offices
Bain lists 14 North American offices for CREW. You are placed in one of your top office preferences.
US East
Atlanta, Boston, New York, Washington, DC
Bain suggests choosing offices where you would most like to live and work after graduation.
US Central
Austin, Chicago, Dallas, Houston
Selected candidates get their office and logistics closer to the program date.
US West
Denver, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle
If your first choice is Denver, Los Angeles or Seattle, you attend CREW in the Seattle office.
Canada
Montreal and Toronto
If your first choice is Montreal or Toronto, you attend CREW in the Toronto office.
From Bain: CREW and Bain: exploratory programs.
Does Bain CREW lead to an internship or offer?
Here is what Bain says, then our own advice, labeled as ours.
Bain: CREW is highly selective
Its FAQ calls CREW highly selective and says students who aren't selected should stay in touch and apply for the Associate Consultant Internship.
Bain: the internship is a separate role
The Associate Consultant Internship has its own application. Bain says success in it may lead to interviews or an offer to join as an associate consultant.
Bain: no published offer link
As of October 28, 2026, Bain's CREW pages don't say CREW leads to an internship interview or offer. Treat it as a way to learn and meet people.
Our advice: use the case discussions
CREW includes case discussions. Practice a few cases out loud before February so you can focus on the people, and on what the work is like, not on the format.
Our advice: follow up within a week
Write down who you met and one thing each person said. A short thank you note now makes the internship application next year easier to talk about.
CREW vs Bain's other early-career programs
CREW is one of several Bain programs for undergraduates. Each row is from Bain's own page, read on October 28, 2026.
CREW1.5 day in-person program
For second-year students who want to explore consulting and connect with the Women at Bain affinity group. Held across Bain's US and Canada offices.
Bain: CREWBEL (Building Entrepreneurial Leaders)1.5 day in-person program
For second-year students who want to explore consulting and connect with the Black at Bain and Familia at Bain affinity groups. Same application and deadline as CREW.
Bain: BELFirst Forward1.5 day in-person program
For second-year students who are the first in their family to attend college or identify with growing up in a lower socioeconomic household. Same application and deadline as CREW.
Bain: First ForwardConsulting KickstartVirtual series
For second-year students at four-year universities in the US or Canada, with Bain recruiters and consultants on the recruiting process. Bain says 2026 applications are closed.
Bain: Consulting KickstartAssociate Consultant InternshipA paid internship
For students with one full summer left before graduation, staffed on a real case team after training. The US posting gives a monthly base salary of $9,000.
Bain: Associate Consultant InternshipOur Bain internship guide
How do you apply to Bain CREW?
Bain uses one universal application for BEL, CREW and First Forward. You can mark interest in one or all three, but you can only be selected for one.
Six steps, from intro session to February
Now
Check you qualify
A sophomore finishing a four-year degree in the US or Canada by winter 2028 or spring 2029, and in the US or Canada on the program dates.
From Bain: CREW.
Nov 5, 2026
Join the virtual intro session
Bain lists a 2027 CREW intro session on Zoom, 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Eastern, with past participants. RSVP by November 4.
From Bain: CREW intro event.
By Nov 30, 2026
Submit the application
Pick up to three office preferences and send your resume, education details and unofficial transcript, plus test scores if you have them. A cover letter is optional.
From Bain: CREW.
After Nov 30
Answer the HireVue prompts
Every applicant records answers to video prompts on HireVue. Bain says there are no formal interviews for CREW.
Before February
Get your office and details
Bain places you in one of your top office preferences and shares logistics closer to the program date.
From Bain: CREW.
Feb 18 to 19, 2027
All steps from Bain's CREW page, exploratory programs page and CREW intro event, read October 28, 2026.
12 questions to practice for CREW and after
As of October 28, 2026, Bain's CREW pages don't list its HireVue prompts. These are our own picks and wording: fit questions to rehearse on video, then case starters to practice before CREW's case discussions. Each has what a strong answer does.
Video prompts6 questions
Short recorded answers. One clear point and one real example each.
Walk me through your background.
What a strong answer does
About a minute, in order, each step leading to the next, ending on why you are curious about consulting now. Practice it, see a model answer
Why are you interested in consulting?
What a strong answer does
Two reasons tied to things you have done, not to the job title. It's fine to say you are still exploring. Practice it, see a model answer
- “What would you want to learn in your first year?”
Why Bain?
What a strong answer does
Something you learned from Bain's own people or pages, tied to the kind of work or team you want. Practice it, see a model answer
Why CREW, and what do you hope to get from it?
What a strong answer does
What you want to learn and who you want to meet, linked to a choice you are facing in the next year.
Tell me about a time you led a group to a result.
What a strong answer does
Your role, the one decision that mattered and the outcome with a number if you have one. Practice it, see a model answer
- “What would the group say you did best?”
Tell me about a time you took initiative without being asked.
What a strong answer does
What you noticed that others didn't, what you did first and what changed because of it. Practice it, see a model answer
Working with people3 questions
Teamwork stories, our picks. Have one ready for each.
Tell me about a time you worked with someone who saw things differently.
What a strong answer does
Their view stated fairly, how you found common ground and what the team did in the end. Practice it, see a model answer
Tell me about a time you received tough feedback.
What a strong answer does
The feedback in plain words and the specific change you made after. Practice it, see a model answer
Tell me about something difficult you achieved.
What a strong answer does
Why it was hard for you, the steps you took and what you'd keep doing. Practice it, see a model answer
Case starters3 questions
Our picks, to practice before CREW's case discussions and the internship cycle after.
Your client is a regional grocery chain. Profits are down 20% over two years. How would you structure the problem?
What a strong answer does
Splits profit into revenue and costs, asks a sharp question or two, then picks a branch to test first and says why. Practice it, see a model answer
- “What data would you ask the client for?”
Should a new coffee shop open on this corner? When would it break even?
What a strong answer does
Lays out fixed and variable costs and price per cup, then does the math out loud and checks it. Practice it, see a model answer
How many coffees are sold in New York City each day?
What a strong answer does
States a clear method before any math, rounds to easy numbers and sanity checks the result. Practice it, see a model answer
- “Which assumption moves the answer most?”
Myths and how to prepare
Myths about Bain CREW
"CREW is an internship"
It is a 1.5 day in-person program. Bain's paid internship for students with one summer left is the Associate Consultant Internship.
"There is a CREW interview"
Bain says there are no formal interviews for CREW. Applicants answer HireVue video prompts after the deadline.
"You can attend CREW and BEL"
You can mark interest in BEL, CREW and First Forward on one application, but Bain selects you for only one.
"Not getting in ends your Bain chances"
Bain's FAQ says it encourages students who aren't selected to stay in touch and apply for the Associate Consultant Internship.
Preparing for CREW and the Bain internship, in our words
Our advice for sophomores who want both.
Before Nov 30
Record yourself twice
Answer the video questions above on your phone, watch it back and cut anything over a minute. A recording has no one nodding along, so clarity matters.
Dec to Feb
Learn the case basics
Practice structuring two or three cases out loud so the case discussions at CREW feel familiar.
After CREW
Plan for the internship cycle
The Associate Consultant Internship is for students with one full summer left, so as a sophomore your cycle is next year. Check your office's dates.
CREW opens the door, practice gets you through it
Soreno's AI interviewer runs Bain-style cases one question at a time, asks follow-ups on your fit stories, then scores the session. Start your free week. Soreno is not affiliated with Bain & Company.
Questions people ask
What is the Bain CREW program?
Connecting and Resourcing Empowered Women (CREW) is Bain's 1.5 day in-person program for second-year undergraduates in the US and Canada. It mixes interactive sessions, case discussions and workshops with members of the Women at Bain affinity group.
When is Bain CREW 2027?
February 18 to 19, 2027, across Bain's US and Canada offices. Applications close November 30, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. PT.
Who is eligible for Bain CREW?
Second-year (sophomore) students finishing a four-year degree in the US or Canada by winter 2028 or spring 2029 who want to connect with Women at Bain. International students at US or Canadian universities can apply.
Is there an interview for Bain CREW?
No formal interview. After the deadline, every applicant answers video prompts on HireVue.
Does Bain pay for travel to CREW?
Bain provides travel support within the US and Canada. International travel isn't covered, so you must be based in the US or Canada on the program dates.
Can I apply to CREW, BEL and First Forward?
Yes. One application covers all three and you can mark interest in each, but Bain selects you for only one program.
Does CREW lead to a Bain internship?
Bain doesn't say it does. Its FAQ points students who aren't selected to the Associate Consultant Internship, which has its own application and can lead to a full-time offer.