International Selection Scholarships by École Normale Supérieure France: The Ecole normale supérieure aims at varying its students’ profiles and incorporates students to be enrolled in the 3rd year of bachelor (license 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 for 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 into the community of the normalized, 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’s degree in their specialty and with the diploma of École normale supérieure.
International selection in Arts & Humanities
During their 3 years of study, students from the International selection discover Paris in exceptional conditions. Above all, they benefit from intellectual freedom and multidisciplinarity characterizing 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 in 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 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 to Paris as well as activities and entertainments organized 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.
List of documents to be submitted on the dedicated platform:
- Detailed editable application form (editable form, download and save before filling it out) – 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 a few hypotheses. The material the research project relies upon (e.g. fieldwork, corpus, database, archives, etc.) has to be precisely described. The research project refers to 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, and merged as a unique Pdf, on a platform whose link will be sent once you have filled out your initial application form on HERE
This unique pdf must be named “Family Name-Given Name.pdf”
- 2 to 4 letters of recommendation sent by Email by your referees; Editable sample (with an Email address) to download HERE
If incomplete, your application will not be taken into consideration.
Schedule in Arts and Humanities
| Dates | Actions |
| October 11 – December 7 |
|
| January 18 | Admissibility results published online and at ENS
Shortlist on: https://www.ens.psl.eu/en/academics/admissions/international-selection All candidates receive an Email, whether they have passed this first step or not |
| February 6 – 14 | Admission tests by videoconference:
-One written test -Two oral tests |
| February 16 | Admission results published online and at ENS
All candidates receive an Email, whether they are admitted or not |
| Spring 2023 | The admitted candidates receive:
· An invitation letter · An attestation for the visa (by Email and/or postal mail) · A list of documents to prepare for the administrative registration in September (University diplomas translated and certified, a birth certificate translated and certified, 3 ID photos,..) · Information about French lessons · Information about ENS, administrative registration, multifunction card, Health office, Health insurance (i.e sécurité sociale), liability insurance, opening a French bank account, residency permit |
| The admitted candidates must:
· Apply for a visa for studies, i.e “visa long séjour pour études” · Prepare the documents required by ENS for the administrative registration |
|
| Beginning of the French courses for foreigners | |
| September 2023 | Administrative registration with:
· Setting up the scholarship · Dossier for the residency permit application (if needed) |
| October 2023 | 1st payment of the scholarship (September and October). The next payments are made monthly, between the 5th and the 10th. |
There is no specific reading program. After the pre-selection, the board of examiners conceives tests in order to evaluate candidates’ abilities to analyze, conceptualize and synthesize information. They also assess the scientific or literary culture and intellectual curiosity of candidates as well as the relevance of their projects.
The 3 exams are:
- A written exam in French, related to the candidate’s discipline – Duration: see here – Weight 1.
- An oral exam in front of a panel of the candidate’s discipline – Duration: see here – Weight 2. Warning: the duration in the candidate’s discipline might change from year to year.
- An interview about both the candidate’s academic background and project, in front of a single panel for all candidates – Duration: 20 to 30′ – Weight 2.
The regulations for distance tests are available for consultation HERE.
Both the oral exam and the interview are conducted in French. The candidate may use English. These exams will be organized as distance exams. They will be detailed later on our Web page
Disciplines proposed are Anthropology, Archeology, Classical studies (Greek, Latin), Cinema, Theater Studies, History of Art, Musicology, Cognitive studies, Economy, Political studies, geography, History, History, and Philosophy of Law, History, and Philosophy of Sciences, Linguistic, Literature, Philosophy, Sociology.
Dictionaries or any personal document are forbidden.
Reports are written each year by the President of the Board of Examiners as well as test coordinators. They provide information on requirements and examiners’ expectations to help candidates with their preparatory work.
International selection in Sciences
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 multidisciplinary training, which allows them to improve their knowledge in other disciplines in Sciences and Humanities. The pursued training is customized 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 to Paris as well as activities and entertainments organized 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
Curriculum for the medallists of the International Mathematical Olympiad: HERE
List of documents to be submitted on the dedicated platform:
- Detailed editable application form (editable form, download and save before filling it out) – 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, and merged as a unique Pdf, on a platform whose link will be sent once you have filled out your initial application form on HERE
This unique pdf must be named “Family Name-Given Name.pdf”
- 2 to 4 letters of recommendation sent by Email by your referees; Editable sample (with an Email address) to download HERE
If incomplete, your application will not be taken into consideration.
| Dates | Actions |
| October 11 – December 7 |
|
| January 19 | Admissibility results published online and at ENS
Shortlist on: https://www.ens.psl.eu/en/academics/admissions/international-selection All candidates receive an Email, whether they have passed this first step or not |
| Personal invitation to the tests is sent by Email | |
| January 30 – February 9 | Oral tests by videoconference according to the schedule decided by each scientific department
|
| February 13 | Admission results published online and at ENS
All candidates receive an email, whether they have passed this second step or not |
| Spring 2023 | The admitted candidates receive, or can be handed directly at the SAE:
· An invitation letter · An attestation for the visa (by email and postal mail, or they can come to the SAE and be handed it) . A list of documents to prepare for the administrative registration in September (University diplomas translated and certified, a birth certificate translated and certified, 3 ID photos,..) · Information about French lessons · Information about ENS, administrative registration, multifunction card, Health office, Health insurance (i.e sécurité sociale), liability insurance, opening a French bank account, residency permit |
| The admitted candidates must:
· Apply for a visa for studies, i.e “visa long séjour pour études” · Prepare the documents required by ENS for the administrative registration |
|
| Beginning of the French courses for foreigners | |
| September 2023 | Administrative registration with:
· Setting up the scholarship · Dossier for the residency permit application (if needed) |
| October 2023 | 1st payment of the scholarship (September and October). The next payments are made monthly, between the 5th and the 10th. |
There is no specific reading program. After the pre-selection, the board of examiners conceives tests in order to evaluate candidates’ abilities to analyze, conceptualize and synthesize information. They also assess the scientific or literary culture and intellectual curiosity of candidates as well as the relevance of their projects.
The 2 oral tests are:
- Oral interview on your major, 1 hour at least. This test might include a written preparation – Weight 6
- Oral interview on the candidate’s scientific culture, major and minor (if applicable), and motivation, from 45 minutes to 1 hour, including 15 minutes of preparation – Weight 3
Exercises are both in French and in English. The candidate chooses to answer either in French or in English.
The disciplines proposed are Biology, Chemistry, Cognitive studies, Earth Science, Computing Science, Mathematics, and Physics. Candidates choose 1 major (mandatory) and 1 minor (optional).
Calculators or any personal document are forbidden.
Reports are written each year by the President of the Board of Examiners as well as test coordinators. They provide information on requirements and examiners’ expectations to help candidates with their preparatory work.
