IE MIF 2018 vs Possbly HEC 2019

I've been accepted at IE MIF for both 2018 and 2019 intakes. At the beginning, I decided to go for the 2019 intake, as I tried HEC MIF but it was the last round and they didn't accept me. However, I wrote them asking if they would recommend me to apply again this year and they told me "If you were to improve your GMAT score and acquire further work experience in top Financial firms we strongly encourage you to apply again next academic year". However, until today I didn't secure a place for the September-December period.

I believe that my current options are: 1) Accept IE offer and attend MIF this year (pro: I do not risk wasting 5 months or more without doing any working experience // cons: definitely worst placement for IB compared to HEC or most of the other good universities in Europe)

2) Turning down IE offer to go for the 2018 intake. (In July I decided to go for the gap year, as I believed that finding internships would have been easier and that even if HEC rejected me again, my placement after IE would have benefited as well my acquired working experience). Retake GMAT in early October, do applications on a regular basis every day until I get a position, (currently looking at BB, EB, MM, consulting and tech). Apply at HEC first round, even without working experience, hoping they will accept me. Going to IE MIF in 2019 I have reserved a spot as a backup plan but I would feel like I completely wasted a year If I neither get admitted to HEC nor I gain practice on the field

What would you do and why?

Also if you have another option let me know

(I will graduate in 2 weeks at Bocconi, BSc economics and finance and I have 690 GMAT. 27/30 or around 3.6 GPA)