Polish High School Student Aiming for London IB/PE – Path Advice
I’m a high school student from Poland with a goal of breaking into EB/BB IB in London, eventually transitioning to UMM/MF PE. I’m passionate about finance and attend one of Poland’s best public high schools, where I’ve earned a very strong GPA. I’ve attended corporate finance lectures at a local university and, while it’s not a game-changer, I did rank in the top 0.1% in a couple of national academic contests (e.g., statistics, economics, entrepreneurship). I come from a middle-class background with limited financial resources and no established network, so I’m seeking advice on the most practical path forward.
I speak fluent Polish and English, and I’ve been working on my German (currently around B1/B2, aiming to improve over time). Funding an undergrad at Oxbridge or LSE isn’t feasible, so I’m considering two options. One is attending SGH (Warsaw School of Economics), Poland’s top school but a complete non-target for London recruiting. I could gain experience in Warsaw (e.g., MBB, Big 4, or lower-middle-market IB) and later pursue a top MSc (HEC, Oxbridge, LSE, LBS) with loans to target London IB, but this would require significant debt and feels less direct, with uncertain recruitment odds. The other option is a European semi-target like RSM, SSE, or Bocconi for my BSc. Even with scholarships, my family would struggle to cover costs, so this option might require some debt, but it might unlock spring weeks or summer internships in London, Poland, or the host country - though I’d face stiff competition as a non-local and an unpredictable internship market.
After a BSc at a European semi-target, I’m unsure I could take on more debt for an elite MSc at LSE, Oxbridge, or HEC. I’d likely be limited to more affordable programs like RSM’s MSc - respectable, but possibly less competitive for non-natives aiming for London IB with visa sponsorship. I know I have some time to prepare, but this industry is incredibly competitive, and I want to maximize my chances early. Which route - SGH + MSc or a European target BSc - offers the better shot at London IB? How should I approach extracurriculars and early experience to build a strong profile? Grateful for any guidance!
Bocconi bachelor is absolutely target (although I heard there is some form of disadvantage for non-Italian students). Some schools would be called "target" for bachelor but not master and opposite, eg UCL master is nowhere while their undergrad places well.
Are you fine staying in Poland? If so go to SGH. If your goal is 100% London, it is advisable to go to a more known school. My point is that you're better taking the safest option from the start rather than taking a risk. Idk about Polish market and internship opportunities through your UG but an Msc won't change much if you don't have prior experience
Well, my ultimate goal is to work in London. However, if I don't get a high scholarship from Bocconi (their tuition is quite high), I'd likely have to choose between RSM and SSE. Most IB/PE jobs in Poland are back office, but I could still secure internships at Big 4 or even MBB and try to leverage that experience.
Another option I’m considering is taking a gap year after my BSc at SGH to complete two off-cycle internships - at least one in IB (BNP Paribas, Santander, DC Advisory, Rothschild, and Morgan Stanley each offer around one spot in Warsaw per year). If I can’t land a second IB internship, I’d aim for something in MBB or a LMM/MM PE fund.
Given this, would RSM still be the better choice over SGH, considering SGH might offer more internship opportunities in Warsaw (and I could save some money for top MSc)?
Honestly if you are able to land an MBB internship you will be in an excellent position for recruiting. Idk about RTH/MS activity in Poland but I would very likely take an MBB over IB (can be argued if you consider the possibility to be recommanded internally for London). Reasoning is that with local IB you can end up doing very light "actual" IB work
bump, also from CEE region with simillar situation (not OP)
Your best bet would clearly be to attend an EU semi-target BSc (RSM, SSE). It will give you a tiny (but still present) chance to land a London gig before even entering a Master's program. Then you would be in an ideal position to land a target UK/EU MFin, possibly with some scholarships, which would make tuition costs much more affordable.
Attending SGH would also be a decent option as you'd also be able to land target UK/EU MFin (or at least strong semi-targets) provided you obtain decent results during your undergrad.
Bump
bump, hoping someone more senior can share their perspective and valuable insight
@Pan European Monkey
@Pan European Monkey help this kid
@Pan European Monkey
I’m just a student, so I don’t have deep insights to offer, but I noticed an interesting trend: for BSc programs, Bocconi’s acceptance rate is ~13% and RSM’s ~20%, both dropping each and every year, while Oxford (~17%) and Cambridge (~18%) remain steady. Most of my ambitious finance-focused friends in Continental Europe stay local or target these schools - unless they’re from extremely wealthy families aiming for the UK or US. As they get harder to get into, Bocconi and RSM could become more prestigious and start closing the gap with UK targets for finance recruiting over time!
The intellectual capacity of students in a university aren't entirely determined by the acceptance rate of the school. The Norwegian School of Economics has a 9% acceptance rate. Yet can you even begin to argue that the students there are thus more competitive than Oxbridge students?
Students applying to Oxbridge are already the best of the best. To even apply, you need to meet very stringent predicted grades and prerequisite courses, e.g. 7, 7, 7 predicted HL courses in the IB Diploma system, with HL Math as one of them. The same cannot be said for Bocconi/RSM/SSE.
However, I do agree that over time, Bocconi/RSM/SSE will become more and more competitive and prestigious as interest in finance grows and more smart kids apply to these schools for their lower fees, increasing the calibre of accepted students.
I just wanted to highlight that for now, Oxbridge and these other schools... let's not even compare them in terms of difficulty in admission. Especially not by something as arbitrary as acceptance rates.
I am currently pursuing a target master.
If you‘re able to get good grades in Warsaw and some IB/MBB Experience, you will be able to recruit to London from a target master and be in a real good position to do so.
For 1Y Master’s the most important thing is to have had some pre-experience in finance, if you are confident to land something Warsaw isn’t too bad for London recruiting together with a MSc from HEC/LBS/Ox
Also interested - following
Nie ma sensu starac sie o Londyn, jak zarobki mamy przyblizone do nich a mamy koszt zycia o 50% nizszy. MBB z tego co widzialem w Warszawie placi tylko 15-20% mniej niz w Londynie, ale porownuj koszt zycia w WWA do Londynu. Nie ma sensu jechac za granice, juz nie lata 90.
Dzięki za opinię – zgadzam się, że Warszawa ma swoje atuty, zwłaszcza krótkoterminowo, z niższymi kosztami życia i solidnymi zarobkami w MBB. Jednak Londyn, jako unikalne miasto (moim marzeniem jest spędzić tam chociaż kilka lat) i globalne centrum finansowe, oferuje cenne doświadczenie i znacznie lepsze perspektywy długoterminowej kariery, nie bez powodu przyciągając osoby nawet ze znacznie bogatszych krajów od Wielkiej Brytanii (np. z Niderlandów).
Haters gonna hate haha Please follow your dreams and don't get discouraged. You'll meet a ton of Poles saying it's not worth coming to London, but life is not just about money, it's about life experiences and other things, and London is unbeatable in this regard compared with Warsaw. Warsaw is indeed cleaner and safer, but the central districts of London are also nice.
If I were you, I'd apply for some non-business degree at Oxford, say Sociology or History or Politics in addition to your plans. Trust me, a degree from Oxford will take you much further than others. Everything is possible, I also didn't study at Oxbridge, but having to choose again, I'd do many so things differently and would go for BA at Oxbridge in the blink of an eye. You just recruit from Oxford, apply for spring weeks etc. Alternatively, there are Poles who did SGH + top masters, so it's also doable. Your huge advantage is being already aware of what you want to achieve, not many people know. The later they decide, the more grind it takes to get to high finance.
Fajnie byloby sie sprawdzic w Londynie i popracowac pare lat, moze pomoc mocno w rozwinieciu kariery ale powiem ci osobiscie ze ten caly zachod to tez nic takiego. Sam wlasnie sie bede przeprowadzal juz ostatecznie z Chicago do Warszawy bo po prostu jest wyzszy poziom zycia. Sadze ze byloby najlepiej SGH undergrad i mega sie starac, i mozna byloby study abroad albo eramus czy jakis inny program czy praktyki szukac w Londyniu i sprawdzic czy pasuje. Magistra zawsze spoko mozna zrobic, SGH tez jest w czolowce najlepszych szkol magisterskich CEMS, co umozliwia roczna wymiane np z LSE czy HEC
bump
So I’ve two other options I think are worthwhile considering given your situation:
(1) Apply to Irish Universities (Trinity, UCD, UCC Finance). Cheap option compared to studying in the UK, which programmes that are well connected to London. Very doable to get SW, with the opportunity to gain work experience through summer internships and some degrees offer year-long work experience (UCD Commerce)
(2) Apply to German Unis (Goethe, Mannheim). These will be in German, but given your German is B1/B2, it is doable. You will need a certificate of B2 to get in, however, it is a good option as it’s cost efficient (public unis are nearly free and plenty of scholarships available for international students (DAAD)) and well-connected to banks. Lastly, Germany provides a lot of options to gain work experience with plenty of boutiques.
Welcome to pm on this for more info
Hi, I'm in a similar situation - also from CEE, and dreaming about getting a job in London BB/EB IB. My family can likely afford Bocconi, but I’m wondering if it’s the best option for me. How does it stack up against universities like RSM or Trinity College Dublin/UCD in terms of reputation and recruiting for IB? Also, as an international student from Bocconi, is it realistic to break into IB in London? Appreciate any insights!
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