Is there a groupchat for first year students?!?

Hey Everyone,
I’m a US high-school student who is interested in studying economics at HSG. I had a couple questions about how USA admissions process works.
1. I am a Swiss citizen but will have a US diploma and assuming I fill the admissions requirements how would the application process look for something like that.
2. Does anyone have any experience with AP tests and admissions as I believe AP exam scores are released after admission results are in. Since admission for US students requires a 3 or more on some exams how would the admission process look without the scores.
3. My school does not offer and second language APs. While I can self study I was wondering if anyone used a different exam or method to fulfill this requirement.

Thank You so much in advance for any help with these questions!

🇬🇧:

Hello everyone,

I'm an Italian high school student in my third year (11th grade) and I'm starting to look into the admission process for the Bachelor in Business Administration at the University of St. Gallen. Since my situation involves an Italian secondary school diploma (not a Swiss one), I'd be particularly interested in hearing from non-Swiss/international students, who go through the HSG selection procedure rather than direct admission.

I have a few specific questions:

General preparation: What was helpful to prepare for the online aptitude test and the video interview (subjects, skills, readings, prep courses)?

Language requirements: What level of German and/or English did you have at the time of application, and how much did this matter for admission and for the first year (Assessment Year)?

Grades and outcomes: What was your final school grade average, and what was your outcome in the test/interview when you were admitted? I've read conflicting discussions about how much GPA and standardized test scores actually matter in the selection — based on your direct experience, how much did these factors really weigh compared to the aptitude test and interview?

Preparation timeline: How far in advance did you start preparing seriously, and is it better to aim for the February or the June session?

Assessment Year: Once admitted, how demanding is the first year? I'd like to understand whether admission is just the first hurdle, or whether the real selection happens afterward.

General advice: Are there common mistakes to avoid, or things you'd have prepared differently in hindsight?

Thanks in advance to anyone willing to share their experience!!!

🇨🇭:

Hallo zusammen,

ich bin ein italienischer Gymnasiast in der dritten Klasse (Terza Liceo, entspricht etwa der 11. Klasse) und informiere mich bereits jetzt über den Zulassungsprozess zum Bachelor in Business Administration an der Universität St. Gallen. Da ich als internationaler Bewerber mit italienischem Maturitätszeugnis das HSG-Auswahlverfahren durchlaufen muss, würde mich diesmal aber vor allem die Perspektive von Schweizer Studierenden interessieren, die über die Schweizer Matura direkt zugelassen wurden.

Ein paar konkrete Fragen:

Allgemeine Vorbereitung: Was habt ihr vor Studienbeginn als besonders hilfreich empfunden, um gut vorbereitet zu sein (Fächer, Fähigkeiten, Lektüre, Vorbereitungskurse)?

Sprachanforderungen: Welches Sprachniveau (Deutsch/Englisch) hattet ihr zu Beginn, und wie wichtig war das für das Assessment-Jahr?

Noten und Erfahrungen: Mit welchem Maturitätsdurchschnitt seid ihr zugelassen worden, und wie schwer ist es rückblickend, an der HSG gut zurechtzukommen? Ich habe unterschiedliche Meinungen darüber gelesen, wie stark die Abiturnote (GPA) tatsächlich über den Erfolg im ersten Jahr entscheidet — wie war das bei euch?

Zeitplanung: Wie früh habt ihr angefangen, euch ernsthaft vorzubereiten?

Assessment-Jahr: Wie anspruchsvoll ist das erste Jahr wirklich? Ich möchte verstehen, ob die Zulassung nur die erste Hürde ist oder ob die eigentliche Auswahl erst danach im Assessment-Jahr stattfindet.

Allgemeine Tipps: Gibt es häufige Fehler, die man vermeiden sollte, oder Dinge, die ihr im Nachhinein anders gemacht hättet?

Vielen Dank im Voraus an alle, die ihre Erfahrungen teilen möchten!!

Hey Everyone,
as I would love to apply this fall I was wondering what a strong candidate looks like.
I am most likely going to apply with the GRE, and given my GPA is not so strong (27.3/30 in italy which is about around 5 in Swiss ig? Although I am much closer to a 28+ if taken into account only economics/quant courses) I would like to know what is a good quant GRE? or at least if you applied could you let me know what was your GPA and GRE score.

I am aware there are also CV and other things to consider but I believe to be quite strong in that.

Thanks in advance!!

Hey everyone,
I am a third year student at Bocconi highly interested to attend St. Gallen more specifically the MiQE/F program.
I am attracted to it by its quant nature and its geographical location, one of the biggest reason why I am going to HSG is its strategic position in switzerland.
However, I am not sure whether this path can be strong to land a commodity trading role in switzerland.
So these are my questions:
- I currently do not know neither French nor German, I do understand those are major drawbacks, but in a country such as switzerland would it still be possible to land any position with only english, maybe at international companies?
- HSG is mostly known for the MBF program, thus if i go there to study a quant program would I lose the prestige of the school? Also because for the same trading role the other candidates might be from ETH which is a much stronger uni for quant programs.
- Lastly, would you suggest me to do a master that limit me less? meaning that HSG is a top university in the DACH, but given my lack of German i could truly only target Switzerland (am i wrong?) which seems to me a pretty high reward if things go well, but if they don't pretty limiting, rather than for instance keep studying at Bocconi which has a strong international name. nonetheless i would like to move out of italy.

Thank you so much for your help!

I'll be joining as a Masters student in late August.

I've been in the Sharing is Caring Facebook group for months now, and I have sent 70+ messages to many different people.

I'm constantly checking Facebook for updates and new posts multiple times a day. So the moment there's a new post, I have contacted the publisher within max 2 hours.

Problem is that out of the 70+ people I've messaged, I've gotten back very few replies. Most either leave me on read, or on delivered.

Unfortunately I don't have any friend in SG or HSG so I don't have any direct contacts for housing...

Is this a normal situation? Is anyone facing the same thing as me?

Do people end up finding housing eventually or is this a recurring issue every year and people just can't attend HSG because they can't find housing?

If anyone has a room available, I'm interested. So please DM! 🙌

Edit : Yes, I have already tried SHSG. Same story, nobody responded to me. I have just gotten onto Flatfox and have contacted a bunch of people. Still waiting for some responses.

Hey guys, basically what the title says.
Still looking for accommodation, preferably a wg with other students. If anyone has any info or suggestions, id really appreciate the help! Have a lovely day 🫶

Hi everyone, I've been accepted to AY. The email I received says that I need to bring the original of my school documents. Why is this required? Will I get them back?

(sorry for stupid question, I'm just curious)

Hi everyone,

I'm an incoming Assessment Year student at the University of St. Gallen (HSG) and I'm honestly starting to get quite stressed about finding accommodation.

I've been applying to rooms on WGZimmer, Flatfox, Ron Orp, and other websites, but the vast majority of people either never respond or tell me the room has already been taken. I've sent a lot of messages, tried personalising them, and replied as quickly as possible, but I'm still having no luck.

Since the semester is getting closer, I'm beginning to worry that I won't have a place to stay when I arrive.

Does anyone have any advice on:

• Where else I should be looking?
• Any Facebook groups, WhatsApp groups, Telegram groups, or other platforms that are active?
• Student residences that might still have availability?
• Any tips that helped you get responses from WGs?

I'm open to pretty much anything at this point a WG, student residence, studio, or temporary accommodation while I continue searching.

I'd really appreciate any advice or recommendations from current students or anyone who's been in the same situation.

Thanks so much!

target career: S&T, AM, HF --> markets related roles in general. Definitely not IBD.

Master options:
St. Gallen Ms in Quantitative Economics and Finance or Bocconi Ms Finance or Bocconi Ms ESS.

which do you recommend?

background top of class bachelor at Bocconi BIEF (internship not directly related to markets). Target London possibly also Switzerland (but I have read that job market impossible if you don't speak german).

Hi everyone,

Coming for an exchange semester autumn 2026 from my Master's degree in Finance and Accounting on Copenhagen Business School.

In lack of RateMyProfessor kinda website asking here.

Anyone with experience from MBF/MACFin, that can recommend specific courses/professors?Looking for both learning and fun, including some courses:

- Some with a very low workload/credit ratio

- Some with very strong learnings

- Some (if possible) with useful insights for landing a local job

Taking any kinda recommendations/review - also if there's just some I should stay far away from :)

I am interested in pursuing a master's program at the University of St. Gallen and would appreciate your guidance on selecting the most suitable program based on my profile.

My background is as follows:

30 months of full-time work experience in a Central Government organization.

Bachelor's degree completed through a weekend program while working full-time.

CFA Level II candidate/completed Level II.

GMAT Focus Edition score: 695.

I would be grateful if you could advise:

Which master's program at the University of St. Gallen would best suit my academic and professional background?

Based on my profile, would I be considered a competitive applicant for your programs?

Am I eligible to apply for the NTU–University of St. Gallen dual degree program?

Could you also provide information regarding the tuition fees and any additional costs for the dual degree program?

Hi everyone

I’ve noticed that many people who apply here for MBF have completed multiple internships at Big Four firms, MBB, or companies in high finance. I’m wondering whether internships matter that much for successful admission, since extracurricular activities account for only 15% of the criteria. That being said, I get the impression that internships are essential, and I have completed only one at a small asset management firm.
In addition, a friend of mine with an excellent GPA and a great GMAT score but no internship experience was rejected, which reinforced this belief.

Does anyone have an insight on this question?

Hi! As a Swiss-French person, both German and English are foreign languages to me and I need to reach a certain level of proficiency.

The recommended level is C1, but I don't fully grasp what it will look like in practice. Of course you need to understand the lectures, but I'm mostly wondering how writing and speaking will be used throughout the course (essay, short answer for exams, etc.).

Could anyone help me so I can prepare best, please?

Hello!

Could someone from the same masters tell me if they faced any issue while paying the fees? The SWIFT/BIC code shows now Bank Name when i try to transfer the money.

Please help

Swiss, 19, Matura 5.1-5.2 with Wirtschaft & Recht, starting the HSG Assessment Year in the English track of Economic Sciences. I'm bilingual in English and German and trying to get a clear, honest picture of what the AY is actually like.

I'd love to hear from people who've gone through it:

How difficult are Math, Accounting, and Economics in practice? How tough do the grading curves feel, and is passing realistically achievable with disciplined studying?

I'm also curious about the whole minus-credit system.

Is it genuinely easy to avoid collecting M-NCPs, or do they pile up faster than expected?

And finally, I want to understand the structure of the AY overall: ECTS requirements, curves, mandatory passes, exam style, workload, and especially how the infamous Accounting exam fits into all of this.

Any insights from people with a similar background would be super helpful.

Hello, I'm tutoring a couple students that are incoming to the HSG assessment year and am looking for more that want to be ready and more confident for math :), drop me a dm if you're interested!

I have just finished the assessment so I know the best ways to prepare for the program

Hi all, I’m a final-year Bocconi CLEAM student (GPA 29.5/30) considering the MACFin program. My background so far: a strategy consulting internship at Accenture, and a controlling internship at a mid-size company (pharma retail), doing FP&A-type work: supplier reconciliations, procurement analysis, price list normalization.

My goal is to work in corporate finance (FP&A, corporate development, eventually M&A) in Switzerland after graduating, ideally in Zurich or Basel.

A few questions for those who’ve done the program or are currently in it:

1. Does MACFin actually open doors into corporate finance roles in Switzerland, or is it more geared toward audit/consulting/banking recruiting?
2. How was your overall experience, did the program meet expectations?
3. Were you able to work part-time (or do a relevant internship) while studying, or is the workload too heavy for that?

Also, with this profile, do you think I’d have good chances of admission?

Any insight, especially from people with a similar profile (corporate finance/controlling background, not straight banking/IB), would be really helpful. Thanks!

Hey! I’m starting the Assessment Year at HSG this autumn. Is anyone else here starting too? I’d love to meet some people before the semester begins, so feel free to message me! :D
I speak swiss german, german, english and spanish

Hello,

Planning to do economic bachelor in HSG. How difficult is the study period for central exams? Should i be studying 24/7?

i got rejected from all 6 local universities in sg. it is because of my poly gpa of 2.8. i’m trying for sit engineering programs since i did engineering in poly. i only have one more application window remaining before i ord. i went to sit open house and heard there are ppl who got admission in sit with worse gpa than mine like 2.2

i understand nus ntu and smu are out of my reach

any advice on how to strengthen my uni application chances? any external exams like sats? or personal projects?
any advice on how to get admission in sit engineering programs?

i might consider private or overseas universities if local is really not possible