Dear HEC MBA aspirants,
Are you curios to understand the key differences between the Sep and Jan MBA intakes?
Please view our complete blog article covering the commonalities and differences between the two intakes at
https://admitstreet.com/blog/hec-paris-mba-september-vs-january-intake/Some key points/ excerpts from the article are noted below:
Key differences between the two intakes1. Recruitment activitiesIn Europe, September to December is the main recruitment season. Hence, if you join the September intake, you get to participate in the main recruitment season twice during your MBA, while only once for the January intake. This can be helpful if you want to ‘Explore & Learn’ during the Fundamental phase and leverage these learnings to find a job during the Customized phase. However, this can also be a bit fatiguing for some people.
If you are part of the January intake, you can take more time to settle-in, acquire the relevant skills from your MBA courses and eventually leverage them to target companies and find jobs.
2. Nature of internshipsThe number and duration of internships is different between the two intakes. For the September intake, there are 2 windows when you can intern: Summer and Winter. For example, if you join the September 2024 intake, you can potentially intern during May-August 2025 or January-June 2026. This can particularly help if you want to explore multiple industries or sectors through internships.
Particularly, for Investment Banking (IB) internships at large banks, the application and selection process happens between September-December. This means, if you seek to do a summer internship in IB from May-August 2025, the application and the selection process happens September-December 2024. Hence, being part of the September intake can be beneficial if you want to apply for such internships at large banks. One can still do an internship in small banks or boutique advisory firms by applying later though.
In this context, the advantage that the January batch offers is the opportunity to do a long internship (upto 6 months) after completing your MBA course-work in 12-13 months. For example, if you join the January 2025 intake, you have the option to complete the MBA course-work by December 2025 and intern from January-June 2026, with the possibility of joining the same company full-time post graduation (i.e. July 2026). This can particularly benefit candidates who are keen to explore a certain sector/function. By leveraging your MBA learnings, you can do a 6-month internship in that domain and eventually join the same (or similar) company/ role post graduation.
3. Campus LifeThe September intake coincides with the Masters in Management (MiM/ Grande Ecole) intake for HEC. Hence, the overall induction event is a bigger affair compared to the January intake when only the MBA intake joins. This means that several allied activities offered by the mayor’s office, language and cultural exchanges etc. are offered in the September intake.
The January batch also enjoys these activities but in the next September induction week, which is 8 months after you join the program.
4. Class sizeThe September intake is typically larger in size than the January intake, with a broader range of nationalities and professional backgrounds represented. This can provide a richer learning experience through exposure to varied perspectives.
However, if you prefer a smaller batch size and deeper relationships with your classmates, the January batch may suit you better.
5. Sequencing of Terms in the Customized PhaseCertain parts of Terms 3 & 4 (i.e. Customized Phase) are swapped between the two intakes. For details, please view the complete article at
https://admitstreet.com/blog/hec-paris-mba-september-vs-january-intake/6. International exchangeThe catalog of universities can be different for both intakes depending on the availability of the university’s exchange programs at that time. However, this does not necessarily mean that one intake is better than the other in this context.
To summarize, both the intakes offer unique advantages and disadvantages. The choice between the two largely depends on your career goals, preferences and personal circumstances. While we hope these pointers give you an indication of the key commonalities and differences between the two intakes, make sure to consider and weigh in your goals and priorities to determine which intake suits you best.
Regards,
Arvind
HEC Paris MBA alum, Admissions interviewer
W:
https://admitstreet.com | E:
consultingteam@admitstreet.com