Any non-EU Bocconi grad in London?

It is too early to stress about this, I know, but after some conversations with Bocconi grads, I'm really starting to get nervous.

I'm from a non-EU country (which is in the EMEA region), and my goal is to get into IB in London. Unfortunately, I couldn't afford 3 years of a UK bachelor’s degree, so I decided to go with Bocconi, and I'm probably going to get in. But I'm starting to stress about the fact that the school is in Italy and I don’t know Italian.

Now, I’m willing to learn Italian, and I think I can learn it in 3 years, but this will not change the fact that: 1) I’m not Italian. 2) The school is in Italy.

  1. Some people say that Bocconi has good placement for only Italians, and most international students don’t get into London. Is this true? Is it about knowing Italian or citizenship/ethnicity?
  2. The fact that the school is in Italy is scary because most students are competing for London, and if I fail, staying in Italy definitely is not something I want. I'm planning to do my master’s in the UK, but still, the possible downside is scary.

Overall, are there any non-EU Bocconi grads in London? How hard was it? Any advice?

For EU/Italian Bocconi grads, I would like to get your advice as well. What makes you guys unique? How did you manage to get good internships? I'm open to any kind of advice.

3 Comments
 
Most Helpful

There's no need to stress. There are many non-EU Bocconi grads in London. The reason you see a higher number of Italians is simply because the majority of Bocconi's student body is Italian.

Nonetheless, learning Italian is probably one of the smartest moves you can make. It will not only help you integrate better at the university but also add a language to your CV, which is always a plus in Europe.

Lastly, as you already mentioned, if you struggle to secure a job during your bachelor years, you can always do a one-year master's programme in the UK. I know a few people who followed this path from Bocconi to programmes like the MSc in Financial Math at Oxford, Finance and PE at LSE, or the MIF at LBS

 

Officiis necessitatibus provident dignissimos dolores est molestiae quos. Amet corporis maxime praesentium incidunt totam asperiores maxime dolore. Tenetur voluptate inventore voluptatem natus rerum modi corrupti facilis.

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 97.2%

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 97.1%

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 97.2%

Total Avg Compensation

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (46) $258
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (14) $159
  • 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

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
3
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
4
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
5
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
6
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
7
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
8
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
9
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
10
numi's picture
numi
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...”