Hey guys! I’m an American student who has been studying at the Sorbonne (Université Paris-Sorbonne IV) for the past year and I was recently requested by @MYOS1634 among others to make this thread. A year and a half ago I was a high school senior debating between acceptance offers in the United States and Europe, and I made this thread: http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/international-students/1884420-la-sorbonne-in-france.html#latest
There was plenty of ignited discussion between students and parents over the subject, which in the end directed me to attending la Sorbonne. I’ve since received many inquiries about my study experience here in Paris, and I would like to address some of the FAQs I’ve received, as well as present the higher education system in France as a whole.
Firstly, many uninformed American students who decide study in Europe are surprised upon arrival to University to learn that there is little to no of what we would call ‘general education’ in most undergraduate programs. This is not to say that you cannot branch out and take courses that interest you outside of your major, in fact in France you are encouraged to take cours facultatifs (optional courses). This simply means that most (85-90%) of your courses are related to the major that you MUST PICK BEFORE ADMISSION. In fact, in France you must apply directly to the faculty instead of to the University for admission. According to me, studying in France and most of Europe would therefore be an arguably better decision for high school seniors who already know which subject they would like to specialize in.
Here is the part of the post that probably attracted you to reading. Tuition cost.
This year I paid 406.10 euros for my droits de scolarité. A year of French social security (healthcare and all) was also included as part of this fee. The French state actually subsidizes on average 20,000 euros for each student (international and domestic) to study. The culture of a universally affordable and accessible education in ingrained in the higher educational system. It is recommended that you have at least 800 euros to be able to live as a student in Paris, though I’ve found that 1500 euros is a more realistic figure in the modern age. Still, all in all, studying in Paris has been more economical than just paying tuition to attend state schools back in the United States.
Many people also equate studying in Paris with the glamor of a majestic European capital. Though it’s important to not romanticize the city too much before arrival, I’ve found that Paris and Europe as a whole offers a high quality of life for it’s students. Most services and institutions offer a price fare of jeune (-26 years old) as well as youth and adult. In France, if you are a student, you are granted admissions to the nations’ museums for free. Therefore it is entirely possible to attend lectures in the morning, and head to the Louvre to do your daily reading inspired by the splendid architecture and feats of artistic achievement. Rent remains high for studio apartments, and the cost of living is quite high as well. Though, the French Government offers a housing subsidy (CAF) to international and domestic students totaling 212 euros a month.
Another topic that people debated over in the previous thread was the prestige and employability prospects of studying at the Sorbonne in 2017. As many know, though the Sorbonne was founded in 1259, the ancient University suffered a division after student riots in 1968. Therefore, today the schools that remain are heriters of the faculties of the ancient Université de Paris. A lot of people had the idea that the Sorbonne of today was the equivalent of a community college. Contrary to this belief, the heritors of the Sorbonne still hold as much prestige as it did in the former days. Within France, it is widely regarded as one of the best Universities in the country. Other prestigious schools such as SciencesPo and l’École Nationale d’Administration that are well regarded in the Anglo-Saxon diaspora are great schools in their respective fields (political science and government), but the humanities (Paris-Sorbonne) and scientific (Marie et Pierre Curie) heritors of the Sorbonne are regarded as the best in their respective fields as well. On the international level, it’s well known that the Sorbonne is a name brand school in the Anglophonic world, but it remains regarded as the symbol of intellectual excellence in continental Europe and Asia as well. I travel quite a lot for educational/professional development, and everywhere in Europe people have been stunned to hear that I study at the Sorbonne.
People cited the high drop out rates for why the Sorbonne equated to an anglo community college. I would like to warn any students who are thinking of applying that though you would not have to worry about finding employment after your studies, there is truth in the high drop out rates. I am currently doing a double licence (double bachelor’s degree) program, and I have found the following rates of retention to be pretty constant throughout the two departments.
Of the 100% of students who enter into first year, only about 60% will pass their exams and stay for second year. Out of these 60%, only about 40-50% will receive their degree. The truth is, exams are extremely strenuous in France, and many high school students are not prepared for the extreme augmentation in coursework required on a daily basis to maintain passing grades.
Lastly, I would like to touch on the linguistic requirements for entry into the Sorbonne, and any other European University.
To qualify for acceptance, you need to hold B2 level certification (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages), which is estimated by the Alliance Française to be 560-650 hours of classroom instruction. I studied French for 3 months before taking the exam which I barely passed in order to apply on time for admission. I would like to warn you that according to me, this level is the BARE MINIMUM and is insufficient for any kind of serious university study in any language. After about a year, I’m at a C2 level, and many people mistake me for being French. Unfortunately at the beginning of my first year, it was a huge hurdle to reach the exigences of utilizing the language at a university level. It’s always safer to study the language as much as you can before deciding to go abroad to do your degree.
Well there it is! If anyone has any further questions, feel free to reply to the thread or send me a PM!