France

All you need to know about education in France

Known for being the country that has produced the most Nobel prize winners, France is a very desirable study destination.

Students in France must specialize in the relevant field of study from their first year at the university. Hence students need to have a clear understanding of what they want to achieve from the degree, or which future jobs they are interested in pursuing, from the beginning of their degree program.

Compared to the US universities, French universities are not so selective and accept students who attain secondary school education. As a result, class sizes are large in the first year of study. However, in order to progress to the second year, students have to pass very competitive exams and qualify for the limited number of places.

Much like the Ivy league in the US and Oxbridge in the UK, there is an elite group of institutes in France known as the ‘grandes écoles’. These are regarded highly in France and have extremely selective entry examinations. 

Some of these are:

  • Université PSL
  • École Polytechnique
  • Sorbonne University
  • University of Paris
  • École Normal Supérieure de Lyon
  • Sciences Po

The top business schools are:

  • HEC Paris 
  • INSEAD
  • ESCP Europe
  • ESSEC Business School

Language requirement:

  • Many universities offer students the option of a bilingual programme or a programme taught only in English.
  • Proof of English proficiency is shown with IELTS/TOEFL.
  • For programs taught in French, Level B2 is required for admission to 1st year in the framework of the DAP (demande d’admission préalable – preliminary request for admission). Some French institutes of higher education may require a higher level, C1 or C2, for specific programmes.

Cost of education:

Public universities’ fees usually have to be paid in full at the beginning of each academic year.

  • €2770 per year for Bachelor’s programmes
  • €3770 per year for Master’s programmes
  • €380 per year for Doctorate (PhD) programmes

Private universities, who are able to set their own annual fees, charge much higher tuition fees, which often range from €3,000 to €20,000 per year. Some of the top management schools in France charge up to €30,000 as an annual tuition fee.

For living expenses, international students are expected to have funds of €615 per month (€7318 per year). In larger cities, other than Paris, students are able to live on €850 to €1000 per month, including the cost of accommodation. However, if you wish to study in Paris, as most international students heading to France do, be prepared to spend €1250 to €1400 per month.

You require health insurance – national or Private of €300-700

Universities also offer scholarships to international students every year. Scholarships range from being fully funded, partially funded to tuition fee only support. 

Top Scholarships to Apply for in France

Part time work opportunities:

You can work part time 20hours/week during term time and full time during vacation.

Post study work permit: 2 years

France opens doors for Indians:

Indian students in France can now extend their stay in the country beyond completion of their studies. Under this arrangement, Indian post graduate students shall be allowed the benefit of a 2 years special residence permit in France.

MBA, Profile Building

How to demonstrate your leadership qualities

Admission committees look for leadership skills in an applicant, both undergraduate and postgraduate and this can be shown in various ways.

Narrate your achievements as a leader. You may be a team leader within an organization or outside. For example, you could be the leader of an academic project, a sports team captain, organize a food drive or any community service based activity. It could be that you improved the work environment, helped build the brand, streamlined investments, enabled or empowered your team members.
Note, you must mention measurable results, like the size of your team, percentage increase in sales or clients etc.

If you have not been in the role of a team leader, but were an ad-hoc leader for an individual project or perhaps you did not have an official position, but were the driving force behind the project, you could still show your leadership quality. Show individual initiative.
Here it would be useful to have your recommender vouch for your claims.

If you have not led a group of people, don’t loose hope. You can inspire/motivate others/peers or help someone solve a problem, contribute to the growth of an organisation or project to show that you have leadership potential.

Note, it is important to narrate the episode/story rather than just list your accomplishments.

MBA, Profile Building

How to make yourself stand out in an MBA application

Whether it is to advance in your current career, change your career path or do something entirely different, when you are applying for an MBA program, you are competing with others who are perhaps equally qualified if not more and you need to distinguish yourself from them. So instead of making the application about what you want, make it about what you can give, how you can contribute to the school that you are applying to.

As you think about how to frame your essays and prepare for interview, keep in mind to convince the admissions that you will enhance the college experience of your peer students, add knowledge to the classroom learning environment through special skills that you will bring to the table and that you will continue to make a positive impact as an alumnus.

Read here tips on how to do this.

  1. Start with thinking about which of your skills and interests will benefit the program. Think of what you want to give and receive from your classmates. Example: you might have technical experience that can be shared with your cohort.
  2. Connect your past and present experiences. For example, you have worked at a leather export company and bring the knowledge of the leather industry to your classmates.
  3. Research what clubs and societies are there in the school, mention how you can contribute to them or perhaps talk about some club that you would create of your own.
  4. Research the faculty and their work and relate it to your interests. Perhaps you might aspire to assist the professor with his or her research.
  5. Reach out to the current students and alumni to get to know the ins and outs of the school culture. With your research and understanding of the school and it’s mission and vision, establish that their school is uniquely the best fit for what you want to achieve.

By showing that your career will be augmented by their program and that you will augment their program with your presence, you will have satisfied the admission team of your suitability.

For guidance and consultation, please contact us.

Global Citizen, Globe Ed Mentoring Program for High School Students, Profile Building

How can you show you are a global citizen when applying to college?

Who is a Global Citizen?
A global citizen is someone who is aware of and understands the wider world – and their place in it. They take an active role in their community, and work with others to make our planet more equal, fair and sustainable.

Why do you need to show your global citizenship?
To demonstrate your ability to thrive in multicultural environments.

What can you do to be a global citizen?

What can you do to be a global citizen?
The exploration of personal and social responsibility in an interconnected world can be shown through engagement in different activities that involve new situations or cross-cultural interactions.

These activities include:
– cultural exchange programs
– summer programs in other cities or countries
– Model U.N. conferences in your country and abroad
– debates, quizzing, science or other academic competitions, both national and international

For those who cannot easily travel abroad:
– Find ways to connect with diverse groups of people within your local or national communities
– Volunteering at human rights organisations
– Reflect on the world around you through discussions, blogging, TED talks.
– Volunteer within your own community to teach lessons of civility and global citizenship
– Learn a foreign language to understand other cultures
– Connect with people from different countries online through social media.

To be effective Global Citizens, young people need to be flexible, creative and proactive. They need to be able to solve problems, make decisions, think critically, communicate ideas effectively and work well within teams and groups.

To help build your profile for college application, join the Globe Ed Student Mentoring Program.

Videos, Why Study Abroad

One has to be very resilient!

Studying abroad is a change for life. The one common thing all parents experience is how independent their children have become. Living and competing amongst a community of self-motivated students from different parts of the world teaches our young and protected children to stand up and stand out.
Thank you Mrs. Debjani Sanyal for your thoughts!

 

Why Study Abroad

Why every student should consider studying abroad

When we think of studying abroad, what comes to our minds first is – oh that’s going to be really expensive, and there are enough good institutions at less than half the cost in India, why should I go abroad?

Agreed, it’s expensive, but have you considered if it is worth investing in?

With ever increasing competition in the Indian education market, even 90%+ marks don’t get you a place in the top institutions which have limited seats. Many new private institutions have sprung up in India but they too charge you a hefty fee. If by spending a little more, you can study abroad and gain additional benefits of learning to communicate with different cultures, cultivate a culture of openness, acquire ability to overcome challenges in a new environment and developing a greater understanding of the world, why not?

Businesses today are looking for individuals with such traits when hiring and this will only become more and more important. Preference is for someone who has had some global engagement and can work in India and abroad with equal ease.

Surveys show that although fresh graduates with foreign degrees do not command much higher salaries than their counterparts with Indian degrees at the entry level, they are able to get 35 percent to 40 percent higher salaries with faster promotions as their careers progress. India being the fastest growing large economy in the world, seems to offer good jobs opportunities for Indian graduates.

Unconventional methods of teaching help develop independent and critical thinking and problem solving skills. A must for any job today.

Up-to-date programs and curriculums which are developed according to the industry demand give you flexibility and you are job-ready at the time you graduate.

When you travel to different countries, your worldview changes. You have the opportunity to network and develop global connections which lead to possibilities of jobs abroad. Many countries offer post study work permit, making it easier to procure jobs.

With easy bank education loans, university scholarships and opportunities to work part time while studying, the cost of education has become manageable.

Why not distinguish yourself from others and make an investment in yourself to live a quality life in the future?

Art & Design, Events, Videos, Workshops

Saturday, October 12, 4-6pm: Free Workshop “Portfolio Development for Art & Design Students”

Do you want to know what Art & Design schools abroad look for in application portfolios? Come and learn how to build a good portfolio for successful university applications. This workshop is open to all students interested in pursuing Art and Design related courses, such as Photography, Product Design, Architecture, Fine Arts, Film, Graphic Design, Media etc. The Workshop is open to all students interested in pursuing Art & Design related courses. Call or WhatsApp for free registration.

Canada, College Experiences, Videos

College Experiences: BA Astrophysics at University of Toronto, Canada.

Meet our student, Farz Halim, an ex-student of La Martiniere for Boys and currently a 3rd year student of Astrophysics at University of Toronto, Canada.

Farz wanted to quit after the first year because he felt he was failing his parents and wasting their money; his academic performance was not what he had planned. But then he realised where he was going wrong. All he needed to do was to understand the methods of the new system of education, he needed to manage his study plans, decide on which classes to attend, when to study independently and the importance of assignments. In Canada, you design your course and are responsible for your own self, both personal and academic.

Let’s listen to his experiences as he shares his secret to a successful student life at the University of Toronto.

Art & Design, Portfolio Development

Why do a Foundation Course in Art & Design?

Avni Agarwal had won an all-India art competition and thought she’s good and doesn’t need to do a Foundation program prior to her BA Fine Arts program. It was her biggest regret!

At the degree level, Avni tells us, you are expected to work independently. You have 2-3 weeks to work on different briefs, you can’t waste time on learning basic techniques. In order to create her own brief, she had to work very hard to learn things other students already knew. It took her almost a year to start working on her own.

A Foundation program in Art and Design not only makes you more ready for the degree program but gives you time to explore before you decide which creative field is your destination. Make informed decisions!

Art & Design, Portfolio Development, Student Experiences, Videos

Savannah College of Art & Design (SCAD)

Meet our US-bound Art & Design student, Yashvi Goel, 2023 cohort of Savannah College of Art & Design (SCAD).

Yashvi got accepted by Parsons, the #3 design school in the world. But she decided to go to Savannah College of Art & Design where she got admitted to the exact course she wanted to do, Production Design. She chose what was best fit for her.

Yashvi advises future applicants to not wait until the last minute to work on applications, a mistake she made. It’ll save you from much stress and will enable you to submit the perfect application.

Wishing Yashvi an exciting student life at SCAD!

The Globe Ed Team

Events, Workshops

Workshop on Intercultural Communication at Indus Valley World School

On 19th July, the team of Globe Ed organized a presentation on intercultural communication at Indus Valley World School, Kolkata, for students of class 11 and 12. The talk was led by Dr. Hans-Martin Kunz, a former lecturer of Social Anthropology at Heidelberg University, Germany.

Intercultural communication seeks to understand the differences in how individuals with different religious, social, ethnic, and educational backgrounds act, communicate, and perceive the world around them and how they connect and share information across different cultures and social groups. The students learnt that today it is necessary to enhance cross-cultural competence. Models such as the culture onion made them understand different layers of their identities and the cultural iceberg explained that what we perceive of others is only a small part of their culture, the surface. The main parts of culture such as ideas, values, notions of morality or manners, approaches to studying/learning and religion or different communication styles, are lying below the surface and are not easy to identify.

Ms. Amita Prasad, the Director of Indus Valley World School, contributed to the talk and introduced us to the term, “Otherization” as it stands against “Inclusion”. She pointed out that intercultural communication is very important to break down walls, overcome prejudices and build awareness of cultural differences.

We thank the director, Mrs. Prasad for inviting us to her school and hope the morning raised enough questions in the minds of the students.