The first evaluation of the admissions procedure consists of an assessment of the candidate’s results in their final secondary school exams.

For candidates applying from non-French systems of secondary education, results in final exams equivalent to the French Baccalaureate and/or midterm exams and/or predicted grades (upon availability) will be assessed on the basis of school transcripts submitted through the Sciences Po admissions website. These transcripts will be assessed by experts in systems of secondary education abroad.

There are no specific subject requirements. For example, IB candidates whose 6 subjects (3 HL, 3 SL or more HL) do not contain any science subjects are not in any way disadvantaged.

How can I prepare for this evaluation?

Sciences Po seeks to select excellent students, whatever their academic path prior to applying may be. The admissions process at Sciences Po values diversity among applicants and their backgrounds. That means that applications are evaluated holisticaly and excellence in a candidate’s specialities and chosen subjects is one of the factors taken into consideration. You should therefore choose your subjects on the basis of your own skills, interests and curiosity about the specialities on offer.

We would also advise you to familiarise yourselves with our programmes and curricula, both at the Undergraduate College (Bachelor’s level) and at Master’s level. Whatever subjects and specialities you choose, it is important that you are able to demonstrate an interest in the humanities, social sciences, history and current affairs in the world around you, for example through your personal projects, extracurricular activities or reading.

Our evaluation of the candidate’s academic performance and progress is intended to provide both overview and in-depth insight into their time at secondary school. 

This phase of evaluation will focus on academic performance throughout the last three years of secondary school. It aims to make an in-depth assessment of the student’s academic performance, their position in the cohort, evidence of hard work, perseverance and improvement, overall progress. The "activities and interests" section will provideadditional elements of understanding of the candidate's background. 

This evaluation, which is based on an analysis of the candidate’s academic record, is conducted by a secondary school teacher and/or a membersf the academic staff at Sciences Po. The examiner assesses the application without being aware of the results of Evaluation 1.

Our examiners have an excellent knowledge of foreign systems of secondary education, as well as of the Sciences Po Undergraduate College.

How can I prepare for this evaluation?

Sciences Po seeks to select excellent students, whatever their academic path prior to applying may be. The admissions process at Sciences Po values diversity among applicants and their backgrounds. That means that applications are evaluated holisticaly. Excellence in a candidate’s specialities and chosen subjects is one of the factors taken into consideration. You should therefore choose your subjects on the basis of your own skills, interests and curiosity about the specialities on offer.

We would also advise you to familiarise yourselves with our programmes and curricula, both at the Undergraduate College (Bachelor’s level) and at Master’s level. Whatever subjects and specialities you choose, it is important that you are able to demonstrate an interest in the humanities, social sciences, history and current affairs in the world around you, for example through your personal projects, extra-curricular activities or reading.

he written pieces consist of a series of questions related to the applicant's of motivations and academic project for Sciences Po.

Motivations

1. Academic excellence is at the heart of Sciences Po’s project - do you value hard work? When and in which circumstances have you had to demonstrate personal effort? (2,500-3,000 characters incl. spaces)
2. Please select a work of literature that has contributed to your personal intellectual development. Please develop your answer. (1,500-2,000 characters incl. spaces)
3. The Sciences Po College curriculum is offered on several campuses and via a variety of study programmes. Specify the two programme choices in which you would like to study and explain in detail your interest in each.  (1,500-2,000 characters incl. spaces)

Calculation of your mark

At the end of Evaluation 3, an examiner awards the candidate a mark out of 10. 

How can I prepare for the written pieces?

Sciences Po considers each candidate as a unique combination of talents, interests and passions. Whatever your background, skills or previous experience, your writings allow you to highlight the solidity of your motivation and your career, as well as your writing and thinking skills. 

It is very important, in order to prepare your exercice, that your writing be honest, sincere and that you have prepared them alone without any outside help. This could distort the exercise and penalize your grade.

Please note

Texts prepared with the help of a third party are recognisable and may have disciplinary consequences. In case of suspicion of plagiarism, essays may be given a mark of 0. Plagiarism is the practice of taking someone else's work or ideas and passing them off as one's own.

Candidates who have obtained the necessary mark will be invited to an interview, which is the fourth and final evaluation for admission. This meeting between the institution and the candidate is an essential part of the admissions procedure. The interview provides a new perspective on the candidate, which is distinct from the other evaluations, since the examiners are not given access to the application. Applicants must demonstrate their ability to engage in discussion, attitude in response to questions, and the strength of their potential for success.

The interview takes place remotely, and consists of three stages:

• The candidate introduces themselves 
• The candidate is asked to choose between 2 images which they will comment on and analyse; 
• The candidate and the examiners will discuss their motivations.

The interview panel consists of two examiners, including secondary school teachers and/or members of the academic staff at Sciences Po. Both examiners have a thorough knowledge of Sciences Po’s demands. The interviewers have access to your written texts (motivational questions and essay) and can, if they wish, bring up elements you mentioned in these texts.

After the interview, which is also graded out of 50, the jury totals the four marks to give a final mark out of 100. Candidates must obtain or exceed a minimum admissions mark defined annually by the university, in order to be accepted and become students of Sciences Po. This minimum mark will be established by the admissions each jury and for each admissions pathway officially, after examination of the results and in view of the quality of applications.