Help me with my university choice. (Mainland Europe)

Hello fellow monkies! 

I am currently in my final year of high school in an Eastern European Country. In my country there is no such thing as "Target Universities"..I don't even think that the investment banking industry is present here. We only have commercial banks.. However, even tho this industry is not present here I am very passionate about finance, investment banking and technical analysis. I would love to have a job in either IB(as an Analyst) or Sales and Trading as a Trader. I know these two are quite different but I also like Trading and Technical Analysis as much as I like the IB lifestyle. So , I have applied to universities abroad. I couldn't apply to UK because of the very expensive tuition fees but I have managed to apply to some universities in The Netherlands. I have so far been admitted to Tilburg University(The Economics Bachelor), and University of Groningen(The Economics and Business Economics Bachelor). No answer yet from Erasmus University Rotterdam but the competition is quite high this year and I might not make it. I think that I am going to chose Tilburg University. The question is , is Tilburg University good for a career in IB/S/T(Benelux region/London)? Keep in mind that I plan to do a Master's degree in finance at Erasmus University Rotterdam or any other Target Uni after my Bsc if my grades are good enough. So, should I go to Tilburg University or try to apply to more unis like KU Leuven in Belgium or ...? What are my chances in the Benelux region with a bachelor's degree from Tilburg University? What are my chances in London with a bachelor's degree from Tilburg University? Mention must be made that I will also try to learn Dutch while I am studying there.

8 Comments
 
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As a U.K. grad, I can’t say I’ve heard of Tilburg, doesn’t mean it’s not a good place but definitely not well represented. 
 

Erasmus is really the only Dutch uni with any presence in the London finance scene, and even then it’s pretty limited compared to HEC, Bocconi, and a couple of other continental schools. Leuven I am familiar with and believe it’s a good feeder for Brussels MBB, but again imagine it’s very difficult to do London finance out of.

Realistically, you’re not going to get London finance out of Tilburg and even Erasmus will be an uphill struggle. If your heart is set on London, you will probably need to do an MSc after UG at a U.K. target, HEC, or Bocconi. I have no idea how U.K. universities will view Tilburg, but I would say that Leuven is actually somewhat known in the U.K. among academics and may be a better bet.

 

If I were you I would aim to do at least two decent internships at a Dutch banks (Kempen, ING, ABN Amro etc) or a PE fund, try to secure a FT offer and try to lateral to London after one year. Consider that the Netherlands is actually a great country to live and work in, including the college life. You probably won’t regret your bachelors being done over there.

 

I am not opposed to the idea of working in The Netherlands full time..  or Benelux region.. Yes, I will try and get internships at dutch banks during summer. Right now I am oscillating between Tilburg and Ku Leuven. Which one would you say that would be better for my undergraduate? I plan to do a Master's degree at a target for sure(UK/RSM/St Gallen/Bocconi)

 

Cannot really speak for Belgium, as I live in the NL, but I think UT will give you plenty of networking opportunities, however much less than the universities in Amsterdam or Rotterdam simply due do the higher distance to the financial center of the country. Still, the quality of education is relatively similar across the Dutch schools. I think with a GPA higher than 8.0/10.0 and one or two decent internships will definitely set you up for getting accepted in the targets that you've mentioned. Perhaps you could also try to apply for a "Working Student" position during your university years to get some exposure to the corporate world and the local network, this concept is quite popular across the country.

 

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