Sciences Po Paris - any opinions?

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OK, who cares? He wasn't fired for anything. Would you not like Bill Clinton as a teacher just because of Monica Legwinski? He's reformed the IMF, is a great economist. Sciences po also have other great teachers...

Reply 21

izoar

And he's much better than Sarkozy

Reply 22

Anatheme

izoar

And he's much better than Sarkozy

Reply 23

rango

EarlyFatima

Hey,
I am thinking of applying to Sciences Po, but I dont't know much about it apart from the information on their webpage.

Is there any French people around?
What do you think about the place?

I also have a very reasonable offer from University of Warwick, UK (for law), so if anyone is informed enough to compare them a bit, I would appreciate it :smile:

hey,

i have been to a french international high school...so, i am pretty clued up about french unis and promise you that Science Po Paris is really worth every single penny! not only it is probably one of europe´s best school for political studies (as the name suggests), but they are pretty strong for econ, business, journalism and many other related subjects too, you should check out their alumni list on wikipedia. furthermore, i have several friends there (incl my best friend) and they all absolutely love it (they are in their 2-3 undergrad-year though) but science po and the french system in general are very very hard work...i didn´t know that they offered a LLM or MA/MSc in Law, just know about a degree in Business Law the double Master´s with Georgetown in Intnl Affairs and Law...oh, and while we´re here, science po has double degrees and exchange schemes with columbia, lse, st gallen, FU and Humboldt in Berlin, Georgetown, HEC (France´s best business school) etc., which is a proof for its excellence...i haven´t started undergrad yet (starting at SOAS in 1 month), but am really looking forward to do a science po-LSE double degree MSc.

for a legal education, as one of the other guys in this thread said, assas ( http://www.u-paris2.fr/ ) is better, but then again it is a mass-universty, whereas science po is probably better organized and more elite, and science po might as well be more internationally known than assas. also, a friend of mine started his LLB at assas and dropped put after 1 semester because he didnt like it, but i guess that´s an individual thing.

warwick is a great school, don´t know how it is for law, but if you wouldlike to become a barrister and practice law in the UK maybe warwick would be a better choice...if you would like to go into diplomacy, politics, lobbying or global/european business, than science po would serve you well.

hope that helped,
good luck and don´t worry, either choice is excellent

Reply 24

rango

oh and btw, they have great lecturers at sciences po like amartya sen amongst many more, and my friend there told me that the next year one of their lecturers is going to be the leader of the opposition in georgia

Reply 25

Breadster™

can anyone make sense of the sciences po application process for studying there as an international student for one semester?

Reply 26

Anatheme

Breadster™

can anyone make sense of the sciences po application process for studying there as an international student for one semester?

Link?

Reply 27

Breadster™

I think it's too late to apply ?? http://admissions.sciences-po.fr/?q=en/node/560

Reply 28

Anatheme

Breadster™

I think it's too late to apply ?? http://admissions.sciences-po.fr/?q=en/node/560

If you want to go there in Sept 2009, it is (the year starts in 4 days). Can I ask what are you currently studying, where and in what year are you in?

Reply 29

Breadster™

I'm studying BSc Accounting and Finance at LSE, just finished my second year, deferred a couple of exams to May 2010 due to personal reasons. I've decided against it now anyway, think I'm going to go to Sorbonne and take their french language course instead for a semester then get some work experience/internship here in the UK.

Reply 30

Anatheme

Breadster™

I'm studying BSc Accounting and Finance at LSE, just finished my second year, deferred a couple of exams to May 2010 due to personal reasons. I've decided against it now anyway, think I'm going to go to Sorbonne and take their frence course instead for a semester then get some work experience/internship here in the UK.

Have you tried having a look at Paris Dauphine? They're supposed to be really good for Finance/Economics/that kind of stuff. Otherwise, I guess you could try and see if schools like HEC offer programmes, but they're probably stupidly competitive :s-smilie:

Reply 31

Breadster™

thanks I'll check it out, I think HEC is mostly postgrad

Reply 32

Anatheme

Breadster™

thanks I'll check it out, I think HEC is mostly postgrad

Yeah, most Grandes Écoles are postgrads, but like EDHEC isn't and other schools like ESSCA, IESEG, or ISEG, ISG, ESC, Sup de Co (École Supérieure de Commerce) would let you do a term at their school?

thank you so much!

Breadster™

thank you so much!

No problems, if you have any other questions with education and uni in France, I'd be happy to help :smile:

Reply 35

rango

Breadster&#8482

hey breadster,
anatheme made good suggestions, i´ll just add my jam if i may:
if it´s business/finance you´re interested in, then go for the elite-unis HEC, ESSEC, Dauphine and EM Lyon (this one is not in paris though, but in lyon). you could compare each of them to LSE and LBS, but don´t exclude science po (also sc po gives you a broad eduction at undergrad level in the social sciences)
if it is french language than especially sorbonne or any "normal" uni would be good too...but have a look at ecole normale superieure (they offer everthing from the arts to the sciences).
and while i´m here i´d ask you as LSE a&f student if you could give me ur opinion on this (PM me if possible)---> http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=989059
good luck and enjoy paris!

Reply 36

Hugo-M

Hello everyone,

I am international student admitted by Sciences Po for its Master Economic law.

I understand that Sciences Po is a very prestigious school, but, as many people say here, Assas or even Sorbonne may be better in Law. That may be true since the law school of Sciences Po doesn't have a very long history yet.

My question is; how about Paris 10 or Paris 5? Compared to Paris 10 and Paris 5, other not-too-bad law schools in Paris but less prestigious than Assas or Sorbonne, the Law school of Sciences Po is better?

I ask this question because I was refused by law departments of Assas and Sorbonne, but received by those of Sciences Po, Paris 10 and paris 5...(my major is the international commercial law)

The master program of Sciences Po takes you 2 years, while that of Paris 10 and Paris 5 takes you only one year (I was admitted by Master 2). Other point may be the budget (Sciences Po costs much), but I won't think about money too much.

I am thinking to work in Paris after the graduation since I already have my family here (one child). For my family, it is very important for me whether I can find a (good) job in Paris soon after the graduation.

Opinions of people who know about the after-graduation situation of those schools will be especially welcomed, but any opinion will be great for me. So please! Help me.

Thank you very much in advance.

Reply 37

Noonuch

Hi Hugo-M, I plan to do my master in Economic Law from Sciences Po, but before I venture into such a huge investment, I just want to know if it has actually been worth it? Have you had the satisfaction of being sure that once you graduate, you'll be easily able to find an employment after this 2 year course. I cannot apply to Assas because I am not that good at french. I am sorry instead of replying to your Query I am asking you a question but I could find no one else I could get in touch with who has experienced this very thing him/herself.

My preference would be a good job and as long as I can get a secure job, place doesnt matter for me. So, be it anywhere in europe, asia or americas- i am fine as long as my pocket aint empty!

Please suggest me what should I do? Should I go ahead and study at Sciences Po for this master degree! :woo:

Also, once you are in there, please keep in touch. thanks :-)

Reply 38

ninetydegrees

Original post by Anatheme

No problems, if you have any other questions with education and uni in France, I'd be happy to help :smile:

Hi do you know if french unis accept the IB?
I know Sciences Po offer undergrad courses in english, do u know if ecole normale superieure does as well?

Thank you

Reply 39

Anatheme

Original post by ninetydegrees

Hi do you know if french unis accept the IB?
I know Sciences Po offer undergrad courses in english, do u know if ecole normale superieure does as well?

Thank you

Unis should accept the IB as I think most will accept any higher education diploma. That said, they are also likely to ask you to have a good level of French. As for ENS, it's a different matter altogether.

French students applying for ENS will have done two years of intensive "prépa" (think 40h of lessons a week, exams every week, not counting the homework to be done) in Sciences, Economics or Humanities. Doing this prépa allows you to then try for ENS or just go straight into the 3rd year of a degree at university.

International students are therefore asked to have completed 2 years of an undergraduate degree when they apply (so in essence you wouldn't even finish the degree), or the 1st year of a masters degree (masters in France are 2 years long. I think it's ok to apply if you've only got a year-long masters).

You would therefore not be able to apply with just your IB, and an application only leads to a selection that will then lead to a series of exams that will determine if you're good enough.