HEC Paris isn’t just one of the top business schools in Europe, it's among the best in the world. The school's MBA program ranked 12th in the Financial Times’ Global MBA ranking in 2024, finishing among the top five European programs.
In addition to the school's strong reputation for academic excellence, it’s also renowned as an entrepreneurship hub, with 25% of students starting their own businesses after graduating.
The school’s location in one of Europe’s most buzzing capitals comes with myriad benefits, too. Home to some of the world's most recognizable brands including the likes of Louis Vuitton and Chanel, HEC Paris boasts strong ties to France’s luxury sector. 
Unsurprisingly, this means it’s also highly competitive. The HEC Paris MBA attracts over 2,500 applications each year, yet just 20% make it to the final round of interviews. Successful applicants have an average GMAT score of 690 (equivalent to a score of around 635 to 645 in the updated GMAT scoring system), which underlines its rigorous academic environment.
So, how you can you improve your chances of application success at HEC Paris? BusinessBecause spoke to Sara Vanos (pictured) executive director of marketing and admissions at HEC Paris, to find out how you can ace your MBA application.
What do you look for in your MBA applicants?
We look for overall excellence in our candidates—well-rounded, high-achieving candidates, who have at least two years of professional experience and have shown career progression. In addition, we take into consideration their international exposure, academic background, goals and what they do outside of work.
What is your advice for planning your MBA application?
Take the time to connect with us. If you reach out, you will be contacted by one of our marketing and recruitment managers who specializes in your region. They will give you feedback and coach you through the application process, ensuring that your application is done correctly and in the most complete way possible.
What are the main things candidates can do to write a better MBA application?
1. Be clear about your goals
We want to know why the candidate wants to do an MBA and why now? And we want to hear about how the HEC Paris MBA in particular will help them achieve their goals.
2. Have an open mind
As the HEC Paris MBA is one of the most diverse programs in the world, we also look for demonstration of open mindedness, such as having lived, worked or studied abroad, or having worked with different cultures. We want our students to learn from their peers, both on a professional level and on a personal level.
3. Make the most of your essays
Review the essay questions carefully before responding to ensure you have the best response. When planning your essay responses, you should also look at each question and make sure your responses complement each other in order to avoid too much repetition. But most importantly, you should write from the heart and present your true self.
4. Show off your experience
When assessing the quality of a candidate’s work experience, we look at what exceptional projects have they worked on and what have they achieved so far in their career. CVs should include details on these projects, including the tasks and results.
5. Study!
Doing well on the GRE or GMAT shows us that a candidate has already invested time in their wish to do an MBA. It is a great indicator for how well a student will do within the program and how they will perform during their MBA.
6. Impress our alumni
Top candidates are given the opportunity to interview with two alumni. We choose alumni because no one knows the HEC Paris MBA program better than them! Just like with essays, candidates should be true to themselves and speak from the heart.
What is unique about the HEC Paris admissions process?
Our whole application process takes five weeks before candidates know if they have been accepted into the program. In addition, we offer coaching throughout the admissions process—if you are working on your application, your marketing and recruitment manager is happy to set up a call to answer any questions you might have.
What should candidates expect in their admission interview?
The interviews are conducted by two MBA alumni and each interview is about one hour. During this time candidates meet with an alum from their city of their choice. They will share a presentation on a topic they have chosen and have time to ask the interviewer about the program and its culture. Interviews can take place in-person or virtually.
Our interviewers assess if the program is right for the candidate and if both interviewers feel it is not, then a candidate is not admitted to the program. We believe that our alumni know best who will succeed and fit at the HEC Paris MBA and we put our ultimate trust in our past students.