Bocconi vs. King's College London for undergraduate degree
Hello,
That's the first time I'm posting something and I'm not sure in which forum I should post my question.
I've used WSO for information purposes before. I feel like I'd need help from some students who are familiar with schools like Bocconi University in Milan or KCL.
I hold an unconditional offer from King's College London for the BSc in Economics & Management. (I've been told that King's is in the process of building a business school in the newly acquired Bush House and that it is a good time to start such a degree there)
In case I get accepted at Bocconi ( International Economics and Management/Finance) which one should I choose?
Quality of the course, study abroad opportunities, employability, name recognition in terms of I-Banking recruiting and teaching quality are all important factors for me but of course a decent social scene would be great as well. (Obviously Bocconi would be the cheaper option!? living expenses etc. - I think it's important to mention that I will finance my whole undergraduate experience by myself.)
Maybe some other students are facing similar situations.
(Also, I hold a Business Management offer from Durham University in case anyone thinks that this option is worth considering )
Thank you so much for your advice.
-Moritz
Bocconi has traditionally done well; however, I'd lean towards KCL. It has a solid reputation in a number of fields and places decently into the City. Happy to discuss further...
Thank you for getting back to me! :) I really appreciate it!
I'm leaning towards KCL too. I think the Econ & Management course has a bright future ahead especially with the new business school.
I've heard a lot of bad stuff about student life at Bocconi. Not sure about that though.
For me getting into a top notch graduate program is the ultimate goal (either US or UK ).
Bocconi is a lot of work but people that I know who went there spoke well of the instruction. The real question for you is Do you speak Italian? If not, this should be KCL all day.
No I don't speak any Italian but I'd imagine a lot of international students there don't?
In terms of grad school placement would give me KCL the edge?
It will severely limit how much you actually enjoy the university/surrounding area if you don't speak Italian. Networking will be much more difficult and most banks recruit Bocconi to get Italian speakers/people familiar with the Italian market. Also Milan is probably the ugliest city in Italy.
KCL won't be as great as Bocconi on a resume but its probably better for your situation.
You are saying that Bocconi would look better on my CV than King's ? That comes as a surprise to be honest.
I'm living in Vienna, Austria and in comparison I'd agree that Milan is not the best student city (obviously one can't compare it to London). I think living in London for networking purposes might be an advantage
I'm of the mindset that King's has a great reputation in Europe?
Also, I think it is not necessarily easier to be successful at schools like LSE (or Bocconi for that matter) where tons of student try to get the same interviews (or try to break into banking generally) Might be easier to stand out at King's .. Just a thought though.
What speaks for Bocconi is its massive exchange network ( Ivies etc. for studying abroad )
It depends on your career and life objectives.
If you plan to get a job after your studies in London, KCL. Network like there is no tomorrow and land a job in London. The location of you undergrad studies is crucial to your job hunting chances. It will be a good investment (Long Term) even if it's more expensive than Bocconi.
If cost is an issue, Bocconi.
That makes sense of course. I think a degree from King's would also make sense in case I decide to go back to Vienna for work.
Would you say that KCL could get me into top tier graduate programs?
In terms of grad program, you mean MBA, MSF? If it's MBA, MSF I think either will be fine, plus it depends more on your GPA, references and work experience.
Potentially an MBA or a MSF yes.
BUT I'm also really interested in behavioral economics / the psychological aspects of economics as well as decision sciences so I want to keep every door open! (I'm obviously a world away from a PhD but I wouldn't rule it out! )
I have studied at the American University of Paris before and I really enjoyed academics so far. I'd restart at King's because it was always my goal to get a degree from a globally known school.
Bocconi is a great school, but if you want to work in London, KCL hands down. Moreover, you would probably have a more unusual background compared to the tons of Bocconi/HEC/others students that flow into London every year.
In addition, Milan is imho a great city and Bocconi has a fair share of internationals, but nothing compared to London.
In terms of grad placement, Bocconi probably has the upper hand as it's a stronger brand for business and its programmes are really known (it places undergraduates everywhere from MIT and LSE to HEC and Princeton), while KCL may be more known for other subjects (I'll leave this topic to someone more familiar with the school).
By the way, I have many friends at WU Vienna (which is supposed to be the Austrian Bocconi) and they told me that from their POV Bocconi is LSE/Oxbridge level, so I don't think having Bocconi on your resume will be a problem if you want to come back home.
Disclaimer: yes, I am a Bocconi alumnus
Thank you so much for that extensive response. Really happy to talk to a former Bocconi student. Is it true that profs at Bocconi can't communicate the content very well because of language barriers ? (just a question - have heard these rumors before)
Also, how realistic is it to study abroad at a great school for a semester as a Bocconi student? (I have friends at Duke / Dartmouth / Harvard and would want to study in the US to give my CV a boost )
It was a mistake, actually I'm still a student here in Milan :)
I've heard this rumor before but to be honest I'm not sure about it. While there is some prof which has some problem speaking english, the majority speak english as good as their italian, so I don't believe it will be a big problem.
Well, the undergraduate Exchange Program of Bocconi is huge (maybe the best in Europe, dunno how that is possible for an italian school), so it really a matter of what you consider a great school. For schools like Wisconsin-Madison, Virginia or Boston College a 28+ will give you concrete chances, while if you want absolutely Wharton, Stern or Berkeley be prepared to work a lot as you will need at least a 29.5.
Talking about undergraduate vs graduate, for sure Bocconi is more known for Finance, ESS and CEMS, but I know there are students who secured position at top BB with only the bachelor, so it's possible. They were all top notch though.
Reputation in London Finance Bocconi wins. Quality of teaching Bocconi wins too (by a wide margin). Bocconi is a great school. I think that it is not even as reputable as it should be (although it already has a strong reputation in Europe). All people I have met from Bocconi seem to be really smart and generally Im very impressed by them. I dont have that at all with the people I know who come from Kings.
That said, Kings wouldn't be a bad choice either and would give you a good degree, but personally I am way more impressed with Bocconi.
Are we talking about the reputation of their grad school or their undergraduate program? I was of the mindset that only Bocconi's advanced degrees are considered elite.
Both. The people I know who went there were from the undergraduate program, but their grad programmes are also really high quality.
I think you are probably slightly better positioned going to KCL than Bocconi. While I agree that in general in finance Bocconi is a top school and better positioned than KCL, more than 90% if not close to 100% of the people that are working in London in Finance and that studied at Bocconi are Italian, work in an Italian team, cover Italy etc. so you are already in a more difficult spot coming as a non Italian.
Being in the city you want to work in is a HUGE advantage that many students that do not study in London do not have - there are so many networking events, people you randomly meet, opportunities to catch up for beer / coffee that no campus recruitment on continental Europe can compensate for.
Also Kings has a great reputation globally (albeit for their IR and war studies) and you can easily get into a top US school from there if thats what you want and you have good grades.
Also the life around Uni, being able to speak English etc. beats Milan (albeit weekends on Lake Como and the food are pretty amazing in Milan)
Its a close call and if you were Italian I would probably recommend Bocconi
Can't believe how nice everyone is up here! Thank you so much for your input!
KCL just leased the Aldwych Quarter next to its Strand campus and will build a new business school there. I think the Econ & Management degree from King's will gain more recognition in the years to come wouldn't you agree?
In terms of getting into an US school for graduate work I'm just not sure how a 3 year UK degree compares to a 4 year degree as it is the norm in the US. Do you have any insight in that regard?
As you said, I think it can be a disadvantage to go to a school where all the kids compete for full-time/ internship spots in London.
Again, thank you for your advice! :)
Bocconi beats KCL hands down for finance (and really any business course), KCL's reputation isn't from its business degrees. Don't get me wrong, KCL is still a great school but Bocconi wins academically imo.
That being said, I would probably opt for KCL for the same reasons as mentioned above: networking, studying where you want to work afterwards and student life.
However, as you can get into Bocconi I would assume you could get into Imperial or UCL - why not go to one of those instead of KCL/Bocconi?
I realized late in life what I wanted to do which resulted in having a weak high-school transcript. Therefore I applied via my college credentials ( close to a 4.0 GPA from 2 different colleges ) I got accepted at King's but the other schools did not make any exemptions. I couldn't stand a chance against the applicants fresh out of high-school with great marks.
I hope this answers your question. Do you know anything in terms of graduate placement assuming I'll graduate from King's with a first ?
( Thanks for your input :) )
Sorry, I can't really advise in terms of graduate placements, someone else might know better but I would assume KCL places decently in IB (possibly a low semi-target). Most likely below Bocconi, however as others have mentioned most people who go into IB from Bocconi speak Italian which is their main advantage.
In my opinion, having KCL will not put you at a significant disadvantage to anyone else. What will really matter is what you do outside of studies and who you are (internships and other positions held, and your knowledge of the industry, ability to network, performance in interviews..) What I would advise is: join a relevant student society and take a committee position, network a tonne, know the industry inside-out (even better learn a couple of financial models) and be 100% prepared for interviews/AC.
Also, I don't think having a first is worth that much more than a 2:1. For example, a guy with a 2:1 and who was head of the uni's finance society is much better off than a guy with just a first. It could be anything, as long as you have a 2:1 it'll come down to experiences and knowledge. Obviously get a first if you can, but don't do so at the expense of networking or building you CV.
That's just my 0.02, it might not be all that accurate.
I've received an acceptance letter from Bocconi today! ( no scholarship at all - would have to pay the full price )
Any last thoughts on either King's or Bocconi ? I have until June 8th to reply to my offer from King's.
Thank you so much in advance!
If still relevant, feel free to PM re Bocconi
If you are looking to work in the City, I think that Kings would be a better choice hand down.
I'm not sure where I'd want to work.. Maybe London maybe Vienna or even in the States. What is your take on King's ?
Kings has a good rep. As someone said earlier I think it's low semi-target, but if you are a hard worker that really won't matter. It depends on where you want to do your internships ect, in my opinion if you want to do your internships in London, then your choice should be Kings. But if you aren't sure then its all up to you. In the end it won't be that important, what will be important is how hard/smart you work to turn yourself into someone that will be as competitive as possible in the application process.
UPDATE:
I have visited Bocconi yesterday and tbh I can't see myself living in Milan for 3 years. Coming from a city like Vienna, Milan really doesn't offer much in terms of quality of life. The school offers a lot though but it just isn't doesn't for me I guess.
Thank you all for helping me out with your much appreciated advice!
-Moritz
should PM him, but afaik he did
Bocconi vs King's (Originally Posted: 07/07/2016)
Hi,
I am an italian student and I have an offer from Bocconi and a conditional one from King's College in London. At Bocconi it will be in Economics and Finance, in London in Mathematics with Management and Finance. The goal is to get a Master in Financial Engineering and I am worried that at Bocconi there is not enough Mathematics, resulting in a struggle then to apply for such Master. What do you suggest me to do? Best regards. Davide Martinoni
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