HEC Mim vs Bocconi Mfin (URGENT)

Quick background info. Italian, 22, no-name undergrad in business administration, no relevant work experience, no international experience (almost perfect gpa and high gmat however). Somehow (don’t ask me how) I got an offer for hec mim. Still waiting for Bocconi, even tho I’m kinda confident since they weight a lot gpa (results in may but don’t know when, I’ll probably email them to ask for early decision since I have to pay 5k hec deposit before April 30th). I don’t know really know what I wanna do after my master ( for sure something finance related probably ib or am) so I want to go to the uni that opens me more doors ( even tho in the long run PE would be nice). For sure I don’t want to work in Italy.
Now my problem:
HEC
Pros
1)Possibility to take gap year to do internships (extremely important for ib, especially since I don’t have work experience), and specialize in third year in finance
2) easier program, so I have more time to prepare for internships interviews
3) my first international experience
Cons
1) more expensive ( considering fees, cost of life etc like 20k more expensive than Bocconi). In either case I will take a loan, but 20k is still something relevant.
2) don’t speak French ( I can study it but reaching c1 in 2 years seems kinda impossible to me.
BOCCONI
Pros
1) cheaper
2) mother tongue
3) stronger in London for finance? (I don’t really know but I saw that it palaces Italian students really well).
Cons
1) much more difficult and quantitative program, which leaves me with little time to prepare for internship interviews
2) I essentially have only one shot for summer internship (vs gap year at hec), and many other students who already have work experience will surely take my spot
3) I can try to apply to exchange programs/double degrees in order to have an international experience, but same argument as internships applies here
Please help me since I have 2 weeks to pay the deposit to hec.

 
Most Helpful

I'm final year undergrad at Bocconi rn and going to LBS MFA without looking back. The feeling I got from Bocconi is that it prepares you very well in the technicals but the courses are often unnecesarily intense with one mostly having to spend countless hours memorizing every single concept for exams (90% of which you quickly forget and will never see in your life again, the 10% however is where Bocconi excels and that is why bocconians are known for being very prepared candidates). I can't speak much for the masters in finance although I have multiple friends who did it. Most of them got good internships (some BB and MBB) but all in their respective home countries. One thing I can say is that Bocconi only cares about your GPA when selecting internal candidates for their masters, so the people that get selected are your typical anti-social Italian course hardos with 0 work experience and extracurriculars but perfect GPA. Bocconi is very Italian in this sense, the brain drain is crazy and the brightest minds in undergrad with good internships and who have participated in the fin/consulting associations often don't even apply. I know people who got in to MIT, Princeton, LBS, LSE and got rejected from Bocconi Mfin, just so that you see how clueless they are. Furthermore, it is considerably easier for external candidates to get in, so the caliber of internationals in the masters tends to not be as high as the students from undergrad they lose to other top-tier Europeans schools. My two cents is that if you are coming from an already very technical undergrad it would be better to pursue the HEC MiM as there you will have a more international and career-focused program.

 

Confirm this. I also did bocconi and the courses are too complex and exams extremely difficult (not to pass but to get a high grade).
Moreover Bocconi in my opinion is not as strong as hec because you need to consider that while for London they are equal, no one wants to work in Italy hence HEC strength giving you more optionality in Swiss ans France in my opinion.
Courses are easier at hec (good) so you can study what matters and have a life!

Not hating on Bocconi but I had cum laude and was quite tough

 

Well, you don't have work experience but need one... Choose a place where you'll more easily get an off cycle because with summer internships the competetition is crazy and you might not get it. If you are a woman, SEO helps out diversity candiates in France vs Bocconi has a strong alumni network and some 1:1 career mentorship scheme with industry professionals for everyone. 

 

If you are interested in a career in finance, I would advise you to choose the Master in Finance. At HEC MIM you can choose the finance major for the second year, but basically you have to do a different selection with the top performers from HEC, so it's not easy... Moreover, recruiters like people with clear goals and a coherent development, so a MIM might be less attractive than an MIF (still, MIM is not an "application killer").

I'm an undergrad from Bocconi and what others said about very technical courses is true but if you're a hard worker and you manage to get a decent GPA it could be an advantage for you. in finance especially IB the technical interviews are though and Bocconi courses for sure give you as solid base to build on...

Both Bocconi and HEC are quite strong in London, although some of my friends from these universities told me that local universities (LBS, LSE...) are generally preferred also because since the brexit you need a visa and local uni gives you one... other than London they are both quite good. in France of course HEC is unbeatable but you often need some French to work in France. 

 

Thx for the reply. What worries me the most about Bocconi is not being able to find a decent internship(like ending up in a no-name place in Milan), since I have only 1 summer and I will be competing against better profiles. With hec I have one full gap year, and I could always explain to recruiters why I chose a MiM instead of a mif (I could explain that I needed more time since I wanted to do more internships etc.. which is the truth after all). Only in the (very remote) case of a full tuition I think Bocconi would be a better choice for me.

 

If you are looking for flexibility, HEC MIM is definitely more flexible.

As for the internship in Milan, even if you have less time, consider that in Milan you're basically only competing with other Bocconi students... As you know, there is no other university in Italy that comes close to Bocconi, you can't say the same for Paris or London.

If you choose HEC, my advice is to really focus during the first year to achieve an outstanding GPA and try to go for a major in finance or a DD in finance with a cool uni. 

 

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