Forum: Application & Admission (5 Comments)
HEC Paris, what are my chances?
Posted by - gemboyrob - on 3 December 2013 - 8:21pm
Hi guys,
I am currently finishing my 3-year undergraduate studies(BSc in Finance and accounting) in Poland(the 2nd best Economics University in Poland - Poznan University of Economics) and I am 100% sure that I want to continue my education somewhere else - UK, France, maybe US or Australia, Germany, Switzerland, Netherlands. Right now I am thinking about applying to HEC Paris in January. I think about MSc in Managerial and Financial Economics.
I took GMAT and IELTS recently(in october and september) - scored 680(Q47 V36), 7.5 respectively. My GPA in June 2014 will be 4.5/6.0(polish scale, which by the way is a disaster because grade 6 is included in the grading scheme but in reality oftentimes the highest grade on the exams is 5), at this moment it is around 4.0. It will go up because of my diploma dissertation.
Regarding my prof. exp. - so far I have had a prestigious monthly(July-August 2013) internship in one of the best banks in Poland - Financial Times awarded it the title of being "Bank of the Year in Poland" a week ago. What is more, last week I got myself a job in the biggest polish online exchange office(the founders of the company received the EY Entrepreneurs of the year awards last month, so this is a highly prospective business) and I will work there until my graduation. There is a chance that after my graduation I will be offered a place in a new branch in London, where they are expanding next summer and I will be working now on setting it up. I have also obtained some certificates/statements of accomplishments(Wharton, Columbia, Un. of Michigan) on the subject of finance, management, marketing etc. + I have obtained BEC Higher and LCCI Lvl 3 certificates last summer. I had been a captain of my class football team in high school in 2010 and I organized the entire tournament for the whole school in the same year. I believe that doesn't look bad, but I am aware that my GPA is my weak spot and this is something that is not so easy to fix. Not to mention that until June, the schools may evaluate my application on the basis of the current grade average, which is not entirely fair if you ask me. Having said that, I would like to know whether there is a chance that I will be offered an interview and eventually get in.
I do not know whether I should add it, but my languages are polish and english. I know some german(I have classes now) and only a bit of french(I had french classes in high school but I have forgotten almost everything since then). Is it a disadvantage?
Thank you in advance for the reply.
Robert
Posted by - Thomas Graf - on 5 December 2013 - 12:32pm
Hi Robert,
thank you for your post. Overall, I think you have a great CV and should find a program at a school that satisfies you.
It is true that HEC Paris weights a lot the gpa. But, first, this does not mean that you have no chance. At the end of the day, also the HEC sees the whole picture and your cv as a whole is very interesting. Don't mention something like "I know that my GPA is my weak point". Just make sure that HEC understands the scale of your education system. You should also mention your other experiences in a similar way as you described them above. Keep me updated about the application process, please.
If you get a job offer in London, however, I would consider this first. You can do a Master at any time in your life later on, may it be as a full-time or a part-time program, if you think you need or want it.
I would also consider alternatives to HEC, just to be save. If you like finance, for instance, you may want to have a look at the FT MIF Rankings.
best wishes
Thomasby Thomas Graf
Posted by - gemboyrob - on 17 December 2013 - 11:10pm
Ok, I received a reply from HEC and they believe that I should apply, because I have a chance to be accepted.
In addition, I got an e-mail from ESADE as well some time ago, it said that I am eligible and they would love to have me there. It is a difficult situation, where I need to decide between these two.
However, today I received a game changer - conditional offer from Warwick Business School for the MSc Management and I think that I should pursue this option because I do not know if I will be accepted by HEC or ESADE.
What do you think, Thomas?
The last call to apply to ESADE or HEC is at the beginning of January for me.
Posted by - Thomas Graf - on 19 December 2013 - 11:32am
Hi there,
thank you for your message. My first question would be: Where do you WANT to study (as opposed to where I am able to study)? Do you have a clear and well-argued preference or are these 3 different schools in 3 different countries with 3 differet class portfolios, curricula, career services, international reputation, and employers in campus "all the same" for you?
In the latter case, you can answer the offer from WBS. If you prefer HEC or ESADE, for instance, what then? Well, there are several opportunities.
- You may ask WBS if it was possible to extend this offer
- You may inform yourself about the conditions involved if you accept it. For instance, can you accept it and quit without a lot of extra costs? ( I don't think so but it would be good to hear the details).
- You could let HEC and ESADE know that you have an offer and whether it would be possible to know before your WBS's deadline
If nothing of this works, then it depends on the strength of your preferences :
- If WBS is not your favorite school but more or less "ok" for you, you may accept that offer and be happy.
- If you would strongly prefer ESADE or HEC, I would not accept WBS now and wait for ESADE and HEC. In the worst case that both deny you (but it does not sound like that) you can still apply at WBS and likely they would be happy to accept you.
Best wishes
ThomasBy Thomas Graf
Posted by - gemboyrob - on 5 December 2013 - 10:19pm
Thank you so much for your reply Thomas.
I decided to e-mail HEC admission office and talk to them about my eligibility. Now they are looking into my cv and maybe they will decide to give me the green light to apply.
Of course I will keep you posted.
Kind regards,
Robert
