Sciences-Po Paris

Hi I'm Jana Sweeney, I'm currently studying at Sciences Po Paris in Menton! I created this thread to allow anyone who had any sort of questions about applying or the university in general to ask me here!

(edited 10 years ago)

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Reply 1

bishbash72

Original post by jana_sweeney

Any tips for the oral exams? I'm studying at the Aix campus atm and I have no idea what to expect.

Reply 2

jana_sweeney

The oral exams, for entrance? They ask a lot of questions on your reason to applying to sciences po, why you chose the campus you chose and some questions about your past and your knowledge of the area of study. They (three people normally two from Sciences po and one random guy) give you an article too and they will ask you to synthesise the arguments in the article and give your own opinion. It isn't too bad normally though they can ask some random questions (I got asked about the Falklands even though I'm at the Middle Eastern campus) which campus are you going up for?

Reply 3

bishbash72

Original post by jana_sweeney

Actually I'm there at the moment, in Aix-en-Provence, for Erasmus. No entrance interview for me :biggrin:

. I was referring to the regular exams for the first semester, know anything about them?

Reply 4

PPEist2003

Hi Callum. As I pointed out in your other thread, Aix is an Institut d'Etudes Politiques and is not part of Sciences Po Paris which is the only institution that has a right to use the name Sciences Po. It's a bit like Oxford and Oxford Brookes... same name but not same reputation....

Reply 5

Charlotte_Mander

Hi Jana! I'm planning on applying to Sciences Po in Menton this year (2012 entry). Could you just tell me a bit about how you find the university (academic and social) as I don't know anyone whose actually been there to ask? Thanks for your help :smile:

Charlotte

Reply 6

jana_sweeney

Hi Charlotte, the university is a very particular one its like nothing you'll ever be able to experience anywhere else! The work load is pretty heavy 35hours of class a week is the norm + lots of reading and essays on top of that but the classes are fascinating and most of the professors are incredible. The student population is pretty small (there are 17 people in the English class 1st year) so we are pretty tight-knit... Menton doesn't have any clubs and only one or two bars so we only get to go out properly every once in a while (theres no freshers week like the UK has) the social life is mainly based around house parties and university societies, lots of sports (anything from arabic dancing to rugby) and arts clubs (music, theatre anything of the sort) plus MUN/Amnesty International/Environmental awareness. Menton is very small and for most of the time we are here it becomes a retirement home. Nice and Monaco are a €1 bus ride away so you can get out and enjoy yourself really easily when Menton gets too much. Its an incredible but unique place to live and the university is something you have to be prepared for... Any other questions? Need a help with anything (even applications) and I'll be here to help!

Reply 7

-raisa

Hey,

I'm thinking of applying to Sciences Po and I'm undecided about whether I should pick the Menton or Reims campus. What's the courses/programme at Menton like?

Reply 8

JetLeechan

Dear Jana,

as I wrote here before I'm very interested in the double degree masters program in International Relations ans Business with St. Gallen in Switzerland. Actually, I still didn't graduate but since I'm studying neither politics nor economics or business St. Gallen told me it would be impossible to apply there.
I studied Sciences pos website and wrote Emails to the program advisor but still I couldn't obtain a concrete answer on wether Sciences po admits students into there Master courses who didn't graduate a Bachelors program in the respective fields. Do you happen to know somebody who was able to get into, say politics without doing political science or something as a undergraduate student?
Another question would be, is there any kind of opportunity to spend the first semester/year studying french directly at the university or do they only admit students who already speak fluently. They say a French B2 certificate is required but that is not sufficient to study courses which are a 100% in French I'm afraid.

Thank you and greetings

Reply 9

jana_sweeney

Dear Raisa, at first I actually applied to the Reims course and was transferred on to the Menton course so I had your exact same problem! You have the same basic courses no matter which you pick but at Menton you'll have to learn arabic and french whereas Reims you can just learn french, so already thats a lot more work. If you'd like I could maybe put you in touch with someone who started here and transferred to Reims? I think the most important thing is wherever you go you have to be passionate about the region and want to learn about it, being here I've learnt a history of a region I knew nothing about whereas Reims I guess you've done transatlantic history before. There really isn't much difference between the classes they take and the classes we take apart from our focus is different as we need the same classes to graduate plus coming here you'd have to go to an arabic speaking country for a year whereas Reims you could go to America (but not Canada cause you can't go back to your home country). Here you'll do Islamic studies, look at Sharia law plus Common and Civil law, you'll do some basic European history and politics course, a lot of history of the Med. and Arab peoples, still do the same micro/macro economics/sociology and political theory courses as a base as all sciences po campuses have common courses which we take the same exam. Yet above that ours all go into depth on the Middle East, currently there are many about the Arab Spring so some pretty relevant and interesting subjects and they always say to us that we are the ones that are going to have to help sort it out! I'm sorry I can't give a more concrete answer but basically you have to ask yourself which you can study for the next 3 years and which you would enjoy studying more? Can you cope with memorising every name in Arab history since the 600's?
Dear JetLecchan I'm sure it isn't quite impossible as International Relations is similar to some of the course but I'm really not sure I can try and find out for you but anyone accepted to sciences po undergraduate is accepted to the masters at the same time. I'll ask my tutor and see what he says!

Reply 10

Charlotte_Mander

Hi Jana. Thanks for answering my questions; it sounds intense but really interesting! How're you finding learning Arabic? If you don't mind me asking... where do you come from/did you speak French fluently before you joined Sciences Po? I'm a little worried that my French (mainly speaking) wouldnt quite be up to scratch :/ Also perhaps a little premature but accommodation - I read on the website that there are dorms (villa Jasmin and forty I think) are they catered dorms or is it basically rooms 'rented' from Sciences Po instead of a landlord in Menton? Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions, I really appreciate it. Charlotte

Reply 11

jana_sweeney

Hey, it's no problem Charlotte! It is pretty intense but the subjects are fascinating. I'm finding arabic is quite hard in the fact its nothing like any language you've ever learned before but we have 4 lessons a week + Lamiss (our teacher) is incredible so you end up progressing and understanding pretty easily its not too much of a worry and if you do struggle she gives you a lot of extra help to make sure you are where you are meant to be! I don't mind at all I was born near Preston but I spent the last 10 years of my life in Italy, where are you from? I went to a bilingual school so I'm fluent in French but there aren't many in the class that actually are bilingual yet so do not worry about your french, some kids turn up here not knowing any french and the most important for now is that you can speak it and sort out buying telephones and that sort of thing you'll do 2 or 3 hours a week to catch up anythings you have been missing. I'm currently living in Villa Jasmin, they are rooms (not ensuite) rented from the town we have a shared kitchen, tv room, study hall and shared bathrooms but they have some pretty strict rules on visitors and usage of kitchens and common rooms so what I'd say is if you really want dorms try and come here only for a month and then find somewhere to rent start october or already look for a place to rent straight from the beginning, later in the year the BDE (Bureau d'Eleves) will open a Facebook group (you could even join the one from this year if ever) and on there you should be able to find a roommate! It's not a problem at all, Jana.

Reply 12

Charlotte_Mander

Hey Jana. That all sounds really good (and reassuring)! I'm from North Yorkshire :smile:

About accommodation so it's similar to a self catered hall of residence I the UK? Do you like the accommodation? Also does the Menton campus have a cafeteria or something or do you have to find your own food for each meal? It's not that informatIve on the website unfortunately about all this :/
Also regarding entrance: had you studied politics/economics/history etc before you came or are the first year/first semester classes pretty introductory? They didn't offer politics or economics (unless you'd done GCSE) so my knowledge is just what I've read about. Finally how much focus do they put on extra curriculars/work experience when assessing the applications (as far as you could tell when applying!)?
Thanks for your help. Charlotte

Reply 13

jana_sweeney

Hello! Ah good another northerner then, there aren't many brits here at all so its always good to have another one! Its pretty similar apart from the facilities are of a lower quality and its not quite as nice, personally I didn't really like the accommodation but I think you have to start here to meet more people and socialise more but apart from that the rented accommodation in Menton isn't bad. The Menton campus has some vending machines that have some food in them and there are cafes not far from campus but apart from that you have to provide your own food. Don't worry I understand I had the exact same problem last year! I had done history and political philosophy before I came here but all the courses are introductory the only thing you are expected to know is the geography of the region (which country is which) and have a pretty good knowledge of the current situation (which you will be talking about a lot as time goes by). Don't worry about it a lot of us come not having knowledge in most of the subjects but you learn quickly! Extra curriculars and work experiences are pretty important they like it if you've done anything different and they ask a lot about what that has given you, the interview is mainly about your motivations and your history rather than your academic knowledge. When applying the more interesting you are the better chance you stand! Did you finish school last year and already have your marks? Because normally they make unconditional offers so marks aren't quite as relevant..
No problem, Jana

Reply 14

Charlotte_Mander

Haha yes another northerner! Oh right okay. So youre living in uni accommodation now but planning on finding an apartment soon then? I know I've already asked this before but how do you find the work/life balance? Do you have much free time? If so, what is there to do in it? Ah okay I'll remember that when completing my application :smile:

Yes I finished the International Baccalaureate this summer (July '11) but I am currently taking a gap year. Thanks Charlotte.

Reply 15

JetLeechan

Original post by jana_sweeney

Dear JetLecchan I'm sure it isn't quite impossible as International Relations is similar to some of the course but I'm really not sure I can try and find out for you but anyone accepted to sciences po undergraduate is accepted to the masters at the same time. I'll ask my tutor and see what he says!

Thank you! :smile:

Reply 16

username848421

Original post by PPEist2003

Aix political sciences is very well renowned just after Paris one. When you do the entrance contest you have one contest for every "Sciences po" in France but the Paris one which yo uhave to do a special contest for it.

Hey Callum, I'm in Aix uni also. What are you studying?

Reply 17

jana_sweeney

Yeah, me and some friends are moving out of accommodation at the beginning of the next semester. I find the work/life balance pretty good, there is a lot of work so you only really have the weekend to go out and do things but during the week there is various societies each night (I'm in Amnesty, Environmental Awareness, Theatre and Rugby) so you have enough time to do a lot you just have to make sure you are good at time management. Over the weekend we go to the cinema, most weekends there is a party at someones house or we go to Nice, Monaco or Italy, have meals, go clubbing or explore the area... Have you started your application already?
No problem JetLeechan
Just as a note this thread is specifically for people to ask questions about Sciences Po Paris or the sub-campuses, if you are discussing anything else please can you do it elsewhere. And I'm sorry for the previous comment by PPEist2003 if it caused any offence!

Reply 18

katharina.l

Hi jana, I have a few questions regarding science po... first of all, does the paris campus offer their undergraduate program in english? I didn't really find any clear information on the website! Also, if I apply to one campus can i apply to any of the others as well? And how do I actually apply?

Reply 19

jana_sweeney

Hey, the Paris campus runs in English if you follow the Europe-Africa track but if you choose the plain Paris track it would be in French and you'd have to sit the concours instead of the interview (not recommend unless you've been preparing to sit that).... You can only apply to one campus at a time, and to apply go to this website and create an account http://www.topapply.com/ta_schools/apps/99/register_scipo_under.php?otherimage=1&url=sciencespo.topapply.com/undergrad&uid=0b54801a73b7fc99db1637a8538e49c4&displaylogin= You need to write a motivation letter (however long you want it to be), have two references who will fill out some forms about you (teacher and counselor), fill out which dates you can interview on (depending on which city is closest to you) and pay the application fee (which I remember to be 90€). You can only apply to one campus (but as in my case they can swap you between the campuses if they believe you are better suited to one than the other) Which campuses are you thinking about?