8 Real Questions About HEC Paris MiM, Answered by an Alum

I get questions about HEC Paris constantly. From applicants, from prospective applicants, from people just curious about what living in a French business school is like. Here are eight of the better ones I’ve been asked, with answers based on my actual experience in the MiM. No marketing spin, no diplomatic vagueness. The honest take.

How international is HEC, really?

Very. Over 100 nationalities on campus across all programs. My MiM international cohort had students from more than 40 countries, with no single nationality dominating. Every group project mixes students from three or four countries. Every cohort event surfaces ten different perspectives.

The deeper question is whether students mix across nationalities or stay in bubbles. The honest answer is that the default is bubble. Most stick to their own nationality at the start. I broke out by going to events alone, sitting with random people in the cafeteria, and joining activities that pulled in different crowds.

One quirk: HEC’s French students do a different program from the international MiM. Their classes are mostly in French, their schedule starts a year earlier, and they socialise mostly with each other. The academic separation is real.

What were some unique M1 subjects you actually enjoyed?

A few stood out.

Statistics. Hands-on and applied. One problem we solved was estimating what percentage of a public figure’s Twitter followers were fake using sampling and inference. Practical and weirdly fun.

Leading Organizations. Office politics, power dynamics, networking, organisational structures, identifying good and bad company cultures. The most directly useful course I took at HEC.

Strategy. The professor was the difference. He flipped the classroom: we watched his video lectures before class, then debated cases in the class hour. The format pushed us to come prepared and defend positions against pushback.

Most classes at HEC are discussion-based and case-driven. That’s the value over learning the same concepts on YouTube.

How hard is it to get a gap year internship?

Hard. Variable in a way that surprised me.

In a master’s program, especially a business master’s, the spread is enormous. Some students arrive with two years at McKinsey. Others come straight from undergrad. Some speak three European languages. Others only English.

The first gap year internship is the hardest. France hires slowly and prefers French speakers. Expect to apply to 50-plus positions, get five to ten interviews, and convert one. The second is significantly easier with a French CV and a real network.

The HEC Paris gap year post has the full playbook: start early, network hard, take whatever interview offers you can, and don’t compare yourself to the friend who landed Goldman in week two.

Have you faced discrimination in France?

Three parts.

Outright racism? Personally no. I have heard ugly incidents from Chinese friends, particularly during the pandemic. So it exists, but in my experience it’s not pervasive.

Linguistic preference? Yes, and unapologetically. Life in France improved dramatically once I could hold a conversation in French. Strangers help instead of brushing you off. Job interviews go differently. The French love their language and expect you to meet them halfway.

Cultural coldness mistaken for racism? Often. The French don’t smile at strangers or make small talk with cashiers. New arrivals from warmer cultures mistake this for hostility. It isn’t. The same French person who seemed cold becomes a warm friend after the third encounter.

More in feeling at home abroad and real Paris life.

How much can you travel during the academic year?

More than I expected. The M1 first semester is intense. Weekend trips within France only. The two-week December break opens up. I went to the Netherlands and cycled to Kinderdijk on Christmas Day.

The M1 second semester is loaded with breaks: ten days in January, a week in February, ten days in April. The catch is that you’re internship-hunting at the same time, so applications eat the energy you’d spend planning trips.

The gap year is when you really travel. French internships give you one paid leave day per month. Between two internships, you can take three to four weeks. I did my second internship in Los Angeles, which was its own travel.

Paris to New York or LA flights run 300 to 400 euros if you book ahead. Weekend trips to Lisbon or Amsterdam can be done for under 150 euros total.

What about working in France long-term?

If you want a sharper view from a few years in, I’ve written about working in France and reasons to move to Paris. The short version: it’s hard to land the first job, but once you have one, the system rewards you. Permanent contracts (CDI) come with strong protections. The post-study work permit (APS) gives you a year to job hunt. Visa renewals after that are routine, unlike the lottery-based system in the US.

The downsides: salaries are lower than in the US or UK, and the bureaucracy is exactly as exhausting as the stereotype suggests.

Is making friends on campus difficult?

It depends on you. I’ve written about struggles at HEC Paris and the social side in more detail.

The short answer: the M1 batch is around 250 international students. That’s too large to know everyone, so you’ll have a core group and a wider acquaintance circle. The M2 cohort within a specialisation is much smaller (mine was 34 in marketing) and feels more like a family. If you’re outgoing, you’ll have a strong network. If you’re introverted, you’ll need to push yourself in the first few weeks.

Would you do it again?

Yes, even with the parts that didn’t go well. I’ve written about whether the MiM is worth it and whether HEC specifically was worth it. My answers in both cases are nuanced but lean yes. The credential opened doors. The network has paid off year after year. The years in Paris reshaped how I think.

If you want more candid answers to questions you have, the next post to read is the HEC Paris Instagram Q&A. Different questions, different parts of the experience.