International Selection of the Ecole Normale Supérieure (ENS) France – Bachelor and Master levels

The Ecole normale supérieure aims at varying its students’ profiles and incorporates students to be enrolled in the 3rd year of bachelor in Math and in Computing science (licence 3) or 1st year of master (master 1), coming from all over the world and from all disciplines. The competitive examination of the International selection is intended to young graduates in Arts & Humanities as well as Sciences, who justify at least of one year undergraduate studies in a foreign university and distinguish themselves with outstanding results.

The examination takes place in 2 steps: a selection based upon application, then oral and written exams (Arts&Humanities) or oral exams only (Sciences) for shortlisted candidates.

ENS opens 10 positions in Sciences and 10 positions in Arts & Humanities.

Joining ENS through the competitive examination of the International selection gives access to training of excellence, through contact with exceptional researchers, in a privileged training and research environment. Integrated to the community of the normaliens, international students continue their studies at ENS and at the university at the same time, while benefiting from a 1000 euros/month grant for 3 years and from a room on one of the ENS campuses. At the end of their studies, these students have graduated with a master degree in their speciality and with the diploma of École normale supérieure.

Eligibility criteria

• Candidates must be under 26 when they apply (must not have reached their 26th birthday)
• Candidates apply only once to the International Selection
• Candidates must not have lived in France more than 10 months during the academic year of the selection (September 1st – August 31st) nor the previous year.
• Candidates must justify at least one year of undergraduate studies awarded by a foreign university (outside France) during the calendar year preceding the start of applications.
• Candidates justify at least two years of undergraduate studies in a foreign university (outside France), on the 1st of September following admission.

On rare occasions, the Director of ENS may authorise applications from candidates whose academic background is non-standard.

International selection in Sciences

Deadline for Applications: December 9, 2020

Students from the International selection are driven by curiosity, open-mindedness and a taste for research and innovation. Benefiting from good material and financial conditions (they are accommodated and receive a grant), they can dedicate themselves to their studies within a prestigious institution, while discovering Paris and living a good life.

They benefit from advanced training in their major scientific discipline and also from a multidisciplinary training, which allows them to improve their knowledge in other disciplines in Sciences and Humanities. The pursued training is customised thanks to a mentoring system. From the outset, the training is research-oriented, with lessons in their major disciplines given by the best researchers and with internship periods in laboratories.

The training begins with a welcome event (1 day) and 3 weeks of conferences and debates in Sciences and Humanities, department visits, intensive French lessons, cultural visits of Paris as well as activities and entertainments organised by the various student associations of ENS.

Read more about the ENS graduate degree in Sciences

Academic disciplines offered through International selection in Sciences: Biology, Chemistry, Earth science, Computing science, Mathematics, Physics, Cognitive sciences

Application

List of documents to be submitted on the dedicated platform:

• Detailed application form: HERE
• Passport-1st page only (for non-European candidates) or ID card (for European candidates)
• High school diploma
• University transcript
• Curriculum vitae
• Motivation letter (1 to 3 pages long : Times New Roman, 12 pt and 1.5 line spacing) – written either in French or in English

All these documents must be deposited, merged as a unique Pdf, on a platform whose link will be sent once you have filled your initial application form on http://www.ens.fr/une-formation-d-exception/admission-concours/concours-selection-internationale-0

This unique pdf  must be named “Family Name-Given Name.pdf”

• 2 to 4 letters of recommendation sent by Email by your referees; Sample to downmoad HERE

If incomplete, your application will not be taken into consideration.

Schedule

Between October 15 and December 11

Apply before December 9: application portal All documents must be submitted on the application portal befoer December 11. Once validated the initial application form (link above), the candidate receives an Email in order to create an account where to submit the complete application dossier.

International selection in Arts & Humanities

Deadline for Applications: December 29, 2020

During their 3 years of study, students from the International selection discover Paris in exceptional conditions. Above all, they benefit from the intellectual freedom and multidisciplinarity characterising training at the ENS. Beyond the outstanding academic results expected from the candidates, ENS looks for young students driven by curiosity, open-mindedness and a taste for research. ENS is rich of the diversity of its students’ profiles, experiences and origins, and is concerned with enhancing the aptitudes of each one. For studying Arts& Humanities, we recommend you to be fluent in French. 

The training begins with a welcome event (1 day) and 3 weeks of conferences and debates in Sciences and Humanities, department visits, intensive French lessons, cultural visits of Paris as well as activities and entertainments organised by the various student associations of ENS.

Read more about the ENS graduate degree in Arts & Humanities

Academic disciplines offered through International selection in Arts&Humanities: Anthropology, Archeology, Classical studies (Greek, Latin), Cinema, Theater studies, History of Art, Musicology, Cognitive sciences, Economics, Political studies, Geography, History, History and Philosophy of Law, History and Philosophy of Sciences, Linguistics, Literature, Philosophy, Sociology.

Application

List of documents to be submitted on the dedicated platform:

• Detailed application form: HERE
• Passport-1st page only (for non-European candidates) or ID card (for European candidates)
• High school diploma
• University transcript
• Curriculum vitae
• Motivation letter (1 to 3 pages long font: Times New Roman, 12 pt and 1.5 line spacing) – written in French; Candidates in Economics, Linguistics or Cognitive studies must submit their motivation letter both in French and in English
• Research project of 3 pages maximum (10 000 characters including spaces).  This is not a cover letter but a research project: it should address a well-defined topic and deal with a core issue, then develop a set of arguments and provide for a few hypotheses. The material the research project relies on (e.g. fieldwork, corpus, database, archives, etc.) has to be precisely described. The research project refers to an existing scientific literature while selecting a small range of relevant and informed references.This project includes a bibliography (list of 10 books, including articles or literary works you have read and which turned out to be important in your intellectual career). It comes in addition to the study project. – written in French; Candidates in Economics, Linguistics or Cognitive studies can submit their  project either in French or in English

All these documents must be deposited, merged as a unique Pdf, on a platform whose link will be sent once you have filled your initial application form on http://www.ens.fr/une-formation-d-exception/admission-concours/concours-selection-internationale-0

This unique pdf  must be named “Family Name-Given Name.pdf”

• 2 to 4 letters of recommendation sent by Email by your referees; Sample to download HERE

If incomplete, your application will not be taken into consideration.

Schedule

Between October 15 and December 30, 2020

Apply before December 29: application portal All documents must be submitted on the application portal before December 30. Once validated the initial application form (link above), the candidate receives an Email in order to create an account where to submit the complete application dossier.

Source / More information: Official Website.