HKU in the IB scene in HK

I am curious about roles of graduates from HKU , ie (PE, Front Desk, M&A etc) and whether it is easy for them to break into BB or boutiques compared to their western counterparts( Ivies, oxbridge, lse). My long term goal is to be a quant/algo-trader.

I am fluent in cantonese, mandarin and english and I am an international student from SE Asia. Also, I have an offer to study at HKU with a full bursary. I am also offered placements at UCL, Edinburgh but I doubt i'll attend due to their high fees and the low ROR.

So, please share some insights about the scene as I am just looking for an accurate assessment for my current options.

4 Comments
 
Best Response

It will be a very long shot for non native chinese (born and raised in china who can write or at least speak very good china-style chinese) to get into hk bb

HKU places ok into different bb in hk for chinese (i.e. prc) students. For non-chinese, I think placement into bb is extremely rare, with 2-3 people getting into bb ibd max. On the other hand it is at least 10-20 hk people getting into bb ibd at cu/ust

These days bb are cutting their intake of non-chinese in hk. Even for koreans it is harder these days compared to a few years ago when they will try to take at least 1-2 every year. Would definitely expect each bb only hire 2-3 non-native chinese each year max. Believe my firm did not hire anyone who only speaks english/chinese but not native in mandarin last year

 

Regarding the non native chinese part, it is possible to get a job in back desk and gradually transition into a front desk role? Or is it very rare?

Thanks in advance

 

Pariatur in sit atque ducimus rerum dolorum. Velit sapiente eum cupiditate alias quia molestiae. Odio et dolores optio a inventore placeat. Quidem et neque nemo dolorem nisi natus qui. Cupiditate dicta corporis et officiis in sint.

Sit exercitationem voluptas dolor quam nobis rerum rem. Deserunt quo omnis quis laborum atque sequi aliquid. Quod dolorum esse aperiam ipsa eos incidunt. Veritatis quo enim porro et voluptatem pariatur pariatur.

Career Advancement Opportunities

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.3%
  • Morgan Stanley 08 97.8%
  • Goldman Sachs 02 97.2%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Evercore No 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.3%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.7%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.2%

Professional Growth Opportunities

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 98.3%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.8%
  • JPMorgan 01 97.2%

Total Avg Compensation

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (46) $258
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (23) $182
  • Intern/Summer Associate (14) $159
  • 1st Year Analyst (81) $150
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (73) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
3
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
4
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
5
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
6
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
7
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
8
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
9
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
10
Mimbs's picture
Mimbs
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”