Study in France

If you are interested in attending college in France but do not currently reside in the European Union, below are the procedures that should be followed in order to attend a college in the country.

First, an application to the school that you wish to attend should be completed. Since you are not in the country it is pretty difficult to attain an application from the school; however, you can find the appropriate application on the website of the college that you wish to attend. You will need to download and print this application and mail it back in with the documentation required to be considered for admission into the college.

Transcripts must be provided from all institutions that you have attended in the past. This includes both high school transcripts as well as those from any colleges that you may have attended in the past.

International students wishing to attend a university in France must also provide a copy of their passport as well as a photograph of passport size to the school in which they are applying for admission into. If the college that you are attending is for a duration of longer than three months you will also need to apply proof that you have a Visa in addition to the passport.

Some colleges require that essays be written. If this is a part of the application process, ensure that you write the essay to the best of your ability as it is a critical part of your acceptance or denial into the college. You are required to complete the essay on a various topic, although you should always do research. State facts in your essay and prove that you can write well thought out information. This will do well in your favour when you want to get into a college.

You will also be required to submit proof of English proficiency. This can be obtained through a TOEFL test. This test can be completed online, on the computer or through a printed exam sent via postal mail. You should complete this test well in advance of applying for college. The results of this exam should be submitted along with your application. Do keep in mind that there is a cost to take this exam.

A copy of your birth certificate is needed when you apply to a French university, as well as a certified translation showing the birthplace of both of your parents. This is something that all international students are required to have regardless of their country of origin.

As with those who want to apply to college that already live in Europe, some colleges may require that applicants complete additional steps in order to be considered for admission. It is vital that you follow all of the requested procedures from the college that you want to attend to ensure that you are submitting all of the information they require for admission.

It is also a requirement of French law to provide proof that you have enough money to cover all of the expenses you will incur while attending college. They want to make sure that you attend college and can live comfortably. It is just not worth it to come to the country and be unable to stay due to a lack of finances. With this requirement in place you can find yourself more prepared as well as there for the long haul, and since you are trying to earn a degree this is just what you want.

When you are applying ensure that you have all of these items readily available and on hand to submit. This will make the entire application process so much easier for you. All of the documents should be given to the appropriate personnel when you complete the application. If you do not have all of the documents that you need it can delay the process of getting into college.

In France, the academic year begins on 1st October and ends on 30 June, and it is divided into two semesters:

• First semester: runs from early October through late January
• Second semester: runs from early February through late May

At the end of each semester, students are called to take their exams.

If you would like to study in France, you should initiate the application process already in January.

The Eiffel Excellence Scholarship Programme was established by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Development to enable French higher education establishments to attract top foreign students to enroll in their master’s and PhD courses.

It helps to shape the future foreign decision-makers of the private and public sectors, in priority areas of study, and encourages applications from emerging countries at master’s level, and from emerging and industrialized countries at PhD level.

Applicants from outside the Europe:

• The application procedure will vary depending on whether or not you are from one of the 31 countries in which CampusFrance runs the CEF procedure. If you are from one of these countries (listed on the CampusFrance website), then you are obliged to use this online application system, which takes you through the entire application procedure, including obtaining a visa, telling you what you need to do and which documents you require. The CEF system can be accessed through the CampusFrance website.
• If you are not from one of these countries then you will need to submit an application for preliminary application at your local French embassy before applying, after which you may apply for your visa. How you will have to apply will depend on your previous qualifications and where you are applying. Contact the establishment(s) you’re thinking about attending to find out the correct procedure to follow.
• The visa you will need – which also includes a residence permit – is called the VLS-TS, which is valid for a year at a time. In order to obtain this visa you will need to present a completed application form and OFII (the French Office of Immigration and Integration) passport photos, your passport, proof of your previous qualifications, a police certificate attesting to your lack of a serious criminal record, proof you can speak French to an appropriate level (if your course is in French – see above) and proof you have sufficient financial means. You will, of course, also need to prove that you’ve been accepted to a university.
• When you arrive in France you will need to contact the OFII, who may request that you undertake a medical examination.

It is estimated that you will need around 430 EUR per month to survive while you attend college in the country, but this is a low figure and it never hurts to have a little more. All of the things that we’ve talked about above do not include that many things that will be needed while you study, such as clothing, entertainment, school testing fees, etc. So, having more than what is recommended will ensure that your college days in France are spent far more enjoyably.

Also keep in mind that these amounts do not include the costs of your tuition at university.

If you are going to be in France for a period of more than three months it is a good idea to open an account with a French bank. Having a bank account, such as a savings account, can help you build interest on all of the money that you are depositing, as well as help you keep better track of how much money you have, the amount that is being spent and so on.

French used to be the language of the nobility and diplomacy all across Europe and in the Ottoman Empire, then the world’s first real international language until English replaced it in the mid-20th century.

The variety of French spoken in Quebec, Canada, is a distant dialect from the French spoken in Europe, and sometimes hard to understand for French people.

Metropolitan France counts several native regional languages : Alsatian and Lorraine German (both High German dialects), Occitan (incl. Gascon and Provençal), Oïl dialects (such as Picard and Poitevin-Saintongeais), Basque, Breton, Catalan, Corsican and Franco-Provençal.

1. Ecole Normale Supérieure, Paris
2. Ecole Polytechnique ParisTech
3. Université Pierre et Marie Curie (UPMC)
4. Université Paris-Sud 11
5. Université Paris Diderot (Paris 7)
6. Sciences Po Paris