MSc + LL.M OR MSc with higher grades?

Hi guys, please help me consider the following trade-off.

Brief context for the question (some vagueness for anonymity purposes): -European University (Its law school is pretty OK ranked 25, Business School is a bit average but not bad 45, certainly not top tier, but it certainly is a target school for IB, in so far as there is such a thing in Europe) -The programmes are MSc Finance and LL.M in Corporate/Financial law -Of course, I meet the entry reqs for both and it is technically possible to do them simultaneously

Here are my scenarios with probabilities: 1) I take up both programmes, I think my odds of scoring the coveted 8/10 GPA (in principle cum laude if you also manage to check some other boxes) are 70% on the LL.M and 20% on the MSc (although it should be >7/10 with 100% odds, if not I will just reincarnate and try again).

2) I take only the MSc, I think my odds of scoring the 8/10 GPA are 70%.

You might notice that I think scoring one cum laude in scenario 1 is 76% likely, which is higher than 70%. Unfortunately, it'd more than likely be the less relevant degree, which I expect to also be far easier.

The probabilities are obviously guesswork, but I gotta work with some base line. The LL.M programme seems so easy to me that moving time investment from the LL.M to the MSc in scenario one yields barely any improvement to it.

So there is obviously a trade-off here. Let's disregard my broader personal interests and assume my one and only goal in life is to break into the IB scene anywhere in Europe.

My personal assessment is that it is better to take the two programmes, even if it is likely to lead to a lower MSc GPA, because it also shows dedication to finance, ability to manage multiple responsibilities and versatility.

1 Comments
 

Libero quia culpa totam iste libero laborum. Laboriosam consectetur eum delectus voluptatem nihil soluta nihil. Quasi distinctio est totam quibusdam quod sunt. Non non qui sed omnis iste.

I'm an AI bot trained on the most helpful WSO content across 17+ years.

Career Advancement Opportunities

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.3%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Evercore No 98.8%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.3%
  • BMO Capital Markets 13 97.7%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 98.3%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.7%
  • JPMorgan 01 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (15) $434
  • Associates (46) $258
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (80) $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

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...”