Every year more than 300 000 international students choose to study in France which, according to UNESCO, makes us the 4th most attractive country and the 1st non-English speaking destination for incoming foreign students.
The recognised excellence of the teaching and specialised courses, free University education and the generally moderate cost of schooling (unlike in Anglo-Saxon countries in particular) are real assets that attract students to France.
However, for a young person wishing to study in France, the procedure for applying to a French University, a Business School or other professional training course can prove to be problematic. There are various difficulties, for example, the registration procedure in an educational establishment, access to the APB platform (Post-Bac Admission), a compulsory path towards pursuing higher education in France, social cover, visa requests, looking for a scholarship, etc., etc.
How to come to study in France?
One way to come and study in France which facilitates the pursuit of your studies and represents an assured passage, is to take the Baccalaureat exam in France.
This obligatory pathway to pursuing Higher Education studies, the Bac, is taken in the last two years of Lycée:
– At the end of the first year, Première, initial exams are taken in written and oral French
– At the middle and the end of the last year, Terminale, the final exams are taken with the subjects studied in the chosen stream.
Seven advantages of taking the Bac in France before seeking to pursue higher education here
The advantage of being in France before coming to pursue further studies is that the students who are already here:
- are informed and have the opportunity to visit colleges and universities on their open days,
- are able to sit the entrance exams of Specialist Schools which take place during the year,
- are able to find out about the various options in higher education,
- are able to access the online « Parcoursup' »portal to make choices for further educational studies,
- have already integrated the norms of French culture,
- have achieved a sufficient level of French to envisage further educational studies
- and finally, have been able to make friends before continuing their education which is always an asset for integration and social life and in obtaining help with the administrative procedures.
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