Undergraduate Applicants: Tips for Writing Your Admissions Essays

Do you plan to enrol at Sciences Po for your Bachelor’s degree? Applications are now open and will close on 24 April if you are currently enrolled at a non-French high school and will close on 3 April if you are currently enrolled at a French high school and are applying via the Parcoursup platform!

For the 3rd evaluation, you will be expected to complete two written pieces: here are some useful tips and reminders to help you succeed.

Here is What is Expected of You

The undergraduate admissions procedure emphasises the importance of written pieces in both French and international candidates’ applications. You will be asked to write two pieces on the following subjects:

• Your motivations for applying and your project for Sciences Po; 
• An essay on a subject chosen from amongst 5 proposed themes.

These exercises are an essential part of the application file that you will complete and submit, using Parcoursup for candidates from a French high school (FR) (in France or abroad), or on the Sciences Po admissions portal for candidates graduating from a foreign secondary school. Before getting started, remember that they are complementary: if you follow the guidelines, you should not repeat yourself.

Your motivations for  Sciences Po : Your application is not random

For this essay, you will be asked to articulate—in a clear and considered manner—your motivation for joining Sciences Po and your interest in its intellectual and academic offer both in general and for the specific programme(s) that you’re applying to. To this end, you will be answering the three following questions:

• Where does your interest in the humanities and social sciences come from? How do the themes of instruction and teaching methods at the Sciences Po College match your academic ambitions? (2500 - 3000 characters including spaces)
• The Sciences Po College curriculum is offered on several campuses and via a variety of study programs. Specify the two program choices on which you would like to study and explain in detail your interest in each. (1500 - 2000 characters including spaces)
• Based on concrete examples drawn from your activities, experiences and/or personal interests, what commitments or projects would you like to pursue or develop in your academic career as a student at Sciences Po? How and why? (1500 - 2000 characters including spaces)

We want to hear about your academic motivation and your plan for the next years of your life. We ask you to do your research: take the time to get to know us, stay updated on our news, follow our social media, immerse yourself in our courses with the Prof. series, ask our current students questions with the SOS Sciences Po association, for example.

The essay: free writing on an imposed subject

The text to be written for this exercise (between 3,000 and 4,000 characters including spaces) must answer one of the five proposed subjects:

• Your high school board is studying the possibility of using artificial intelligence for educational purposes. You are the students’ representative and you have to relay their position on the subject: please write your speech below.
• When you think about climate issues today, what gives you hope and why?
• One of your classmates defends the idea that an artist has total freedom of expression through his/her art. You engage in a discussion with him/her using concrete examples to illustrate your position. Write the dialogue indicating the names of the characters in capital letters at the beginning of each line.
• You have been chosen randomly to deliver a speech at the Paris Olympic or Paralympic games opening ceremony in 2024. Please write your speech below.
• A foundation organises a contest with a prize that would allow you to promote or to save a natural space of your choice. Please present a detailed project which indicates the place you have chosen, the actions you would like to undertake and the cost of the operation.

Our advice to succeed

Your Written Pieces are Yours and No One Else’s

Of course, it is always reassuring to ask for an outside opinion on your writing. But be careful about how many proofreaders or revisions you seek out. A few adjustments can improve the text as a whole, but too many changes can distort your essays and ultimately compromise their authenticity. Yet you are the person in the best position to know and talk about your talents, motivations, and personality. You should recognise yourself in the final version of the essays and be proud of them. Moreover, plagiarism will have disciplinary consequences, make sure you don’t pass off other people’s ideas as your own!

“Sell Yourself” but Stay Humble: A Question of Balance

Don't be afraid to highlight your strengths and your achievements, just be sure that they are relevant to your academic goals and your application. And remember to contextualise them by giving specific examples that illustrate what you want to convey. This allows you to present your strengths in a justified and thoughtful way, without sounding conceited.

Don't Send the First Draft and Don't Wait Until the Last Minute

You cannot finish the final draft of your essays in one sitting. Do not start them the day before the deadline: you need time to think, construct your arguments, and proofread with a fresh pair of eyes to make improvements when necessary and verify that each essay checks all the boxes of our requirements. You will also need time to integrate edits and advice from a proofreader (which must be limited, as per our previous advice), and of course, to make any spelling and grammar corrections necessary! Do you have a formal or more personal style? That’s not what is important, so long as you stay consistent and sincere. Try to write essays that are pleasant to read, with clear and relevant ideas. Aim for simplicity and efficiency! And stick to the required length, which also takes time.

Find Out More

• Everything you need to know about being admitted as a first year