In this article
- The official winter session calendar for 2027-2028
- What Bocconi actually evaluates: 55 percent test, 45 percent grades
- Bocconi test, SAT or ACT: decide early
- Your countdown to 26 January
- Do not face the calendar alone
Bocconi University’s early session for the 2027-2028 intake closes today, Tuesday 29 September 2026 at 3pm Italian time. If your application is in, results will arrive in mid November. If it is not, the door is far from shut: the winter session opens on 25 November 2026 and closes on 26 January 2027. It is the final standard round for international applicants; other applicant categories and programmes with separate procedures have their own rules. Focused preparation can strengthen an application without guaranteeing admission. Here is how to build that plan B, with every date checked today on Bocconi’s official pages.
The full session calendar, the GPA conversion and the portal steps are set out in our Bocconi application guide.
For the wider picture, see our bachelor admissions coaching page.
The official winter session calendar for 2027-2028
According to Bocconi’s official admissions page, the winter session runs from 25 November 2026 to 26 January 2027 at 3pm Italian time, with results published in mid March 2027. The application fee is 100 euros, non refundable. Within a single application you can rank up to 4 program preferences in the Undergraduate School, and up to 2 preferences for the Law School, which requires a separate application.
One point matters especially for early session candidates: an applicant who is not admitted in the early round can apply again in the winter session. A no in November is not final, provided you improve the one element that can still move, your test score.
What Bocconi actually evaluates: 55 percent test, 45 percent grades
The official weighting is unusually transparent: your selection test score counts for 55 percent and your GPA from the second-to-last and third-to-last years of high school counts for 45 percent. Bocconi states explicitly that nothing else is assessed: no motivation letter, no recommendation letters, no CV.
The strategic consequence is immediate. By the time the winter session opens, those two years of grades are already set in stone, so the 45 percent is fixed. The only lever left in your hands before 26 January is the 55 percent that comes from the test. Every hour of preparation should go there, and that is exactly why the winter session rewards late discoverers of Bocconi: the test format is known, stable, and two focused months are enough to make real progress. If you are weighing your options, our comparison of the Bocconi online test versus the SAT is the right starting point.
Bocconi test, SAT or ACT: decide early
Three tests are accepted for the Undergraduate School: the Bocconi online test, the SAT and the ACT (the Law School also accepts the LSAT and uses a dedicated Law version of the Bocconi test).
The Bocconi online test is taken remotely and consists of 50 multiple choice questions in 75 minutes: 24 in mathematics, 11 in reading comprehension, 6 in numerical reasoning and 9 in critical thinking. Scoring rewards accuracy: a correct answer earns 1 point, a blank earns 0, and a wrong answer costs 0.2 points (0.33 on the three option critical thinking items). You need at least 17 points for the score to qualify. Each attempt costs 60 euros and you may take up to 4 attempts in the year, with only your best score counting, which allows a genuine build-up strategy. International winter-session applicants must book by 19 January 2027 to sit the test by 21 January, subject to availability and at least 48 hours’ notice. The test is available in English or Italian.
On the SAT side, two dates fit the calendar neatly: 7 November 2026 (register by 23 October, late registration until 27 October) and 5 December 2026 (register by 20 November, late until 24 November), both checked today on the College Board website. Upload your SAT score report and proof that Bocconi is a score recipient with your application by the deadline. Only electronic delivery through College Board may arrive later. See the official Bocconi procedure.
Which test should you pick? If you are already preparing the SAT for US applications, pool your effort: one strong SAT serves several files. If Bocconi is your main target, the in-house test is often the shortest path, since 24 of its 50 questions are mathematics and the 4 attempts smooth out test day nerves. Our 6 week Bocconi test preparation plan maps the work week by week.
Your countdown to 26 January
October: sit a full length mock under real conditions to choose your route (Bocconi test or SAT) and identify weak areas. If you aim for the 7 November SAT, register before 23 October.
November: take your first real test, either the SAT on the 7th or a first attempt at the Bocconi online test. As soon as the platform opens on 25 November, create your application file immediately: administrative documents always take longer than expected.
December and January: use your remaining attempts to push the score up, with the 5 December SAT as a fallback. Lock in any Bocconi test booking by 19 January and submit your complete application well ahead of the 26 January 3pm deadline, without gambling on time zones.
Results arrive in mid March 2027, which leaves time to prepare the financial side and scholarship applications while you wait.
Do not face the calendar alone
The winter session is a real second chance, but it punishes improvisation: a poorly chosen test or a wasted November attempt is paid for in January. To understand the university, its English taught programs and its positioning, see our dedicated Bocconi page, and if you followed the early round, our guide to the early session 2027-28 covers what has just closed.
At Your Dream School we guide candidates into Bocconi every year, from test strategy to the final ranking of program preferences, backed by 160+ Google reviews. Book a strategy call: in 30 minutes we will build your personalised countdown to the winter session.
Author
With a Bachelor's (LLB) from UCL and Assas, and the Grande Ecole program at HEC Paris, Adam co-founded Your Dream School in 2018. Since then the company has coached more than 1,000 students through university admissions and interview preparation for top global institutions.
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