Should I be gunning for masters in finance program in University of Bocconi if I want to get into IB in London or Frankfurt as an Indian?

So I had a initial plan to pick WHU as a backup plan if getting into HEC paris or LBS doesn't work out. But it seems like that University of Bocconi has much greater to deliver in terms of IB. That's why I want to apply there instead of WHU but still want to land a IB job either in London or Frankfurt. My profile is given below 

CGPA 3.81/4

ECA: Was a president of the finance club, Conduct many events, and participated as well as won some competitions.

Internship: At a local bank and at a growing startup as a growth manager

Expected GMAT score: 700+ (Let's have hope for it)

Language: Bangla, Hindi, English, German (B2), French (A1)

I know a lot of asians do not get into IB from many european top business schools because they don't know the language but I have good command is German and that's why I am counting on University of Bocconi. Is this a good idea? 

19 Comments
 

Yes I heard it is pretty hard to get a single job in Italy without knowing italy especailly after some govt restrictions. But my target is not Italy actually. I want to move in Frankfurt or London and hopefully securing a intership there. Does bocconi have recognation in Frankfurt? 

 

Well, clearly aim for HEC or LBS/LSE, if not then Bocconi could work out for London but much less for Frankfurt. WHU works better for you as it places in both. Also isn't it cheaper.... ??

 
boib_1

Well, clearly aim for HEC or LBS/LSE, if not then Bocconi could work out for London but much less for Frankfurt. WHU works better for you as it places in both. Also isn't it cheaper.... ??

Bocconi is a target for Frankfurt and a better one at graduate level than WHU. Definitely harder to practice German in Italy tho.

 

I checked out WHU but when I checked their student placement rate  I found out that they have poor results in placing  international students in IB roles. Maybe that's for the reasons that they do not have well command over the language which I have yet I don't want to take risk. The other thing is I don't have any IB releted experience right now and comparing to Bocconi, WHU is less reputable

 
Most Helpful

Hello!

I’m an Italian Bocconi student majoring in finance, currently in my final year of studies.

I am going to begin my M.Sc. in Finance at Bocconi in September 2023.

I think you will benefit from attending the Master’s in Finance, as Bocconi has a vast representation of alumni in London.

I am not implying it will be easy, as you still have to put in the work, maintain a decent GPA, practice hard for interviews, etc. but this master’s in finance is extremely well regarded in Europe.

It is one of the most rigorous, analytical, and quantitative courses pre-experience that you can find; employers know that, Bocconi students know that, and even people from the other side of the ocean do - to a lesser extent.

It is not a golden ticket to investment banking, but with the right mindset and effort you can land a summer offer and “make it”.

I hope this helps :)

 

Other side of the ocean - they might not even know where Italy is situated on a map. Apart from LSE and LBS none will be known there and they might even be intertwined for one another... 

 

Plenty of friends in the program and everyone says the same thing: it’s hell on earth.
It is extremely rigorous and tough, and some courses are PhD level.
If IB in London is your goal, then there are programs that open more doors (and at a lower cost in terms of mental health) than Bocconi’s.

 

I maybe a bit late to the party but hey I had a question. I know that Bocconi's msc in finance program is quantitative but upto what extent? I mean content wise. Becuase I had taken course or probability and stats but nothing on calculus. Are topics like calculus and trigonometry quite frequent in the course? Let me know please

 

There's quite a bit of calc, linear algebra going on for a course that intends to place you into IB lol. 
Not saying its inherently difficult but the breadth of the program in addition to sheer quantity is the hard part from people I've spoken to. 
If you go on instagram and look for the students union, I think it's called BOIB or something, they post mock exams, study guides etc and that could show you what it looks like. 

 

I know people in Germany who are not fluent in German, you can land a job but work/social life/culture would imply that you become more fluent or very fluent going forward. It's a cultural requirement more than a hard skill for jobs in finance. Same for other EU nations and their respective local languages.

Clients will also prefer to deal with staff who understand their language/culture/habits, ..

 

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