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Undergraduate Admissions: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Applicants from foreign secondary school systems
You may only apply once to Sciences Po international undergraduate admissions. Candidates must apply during their last year of high school. However, in specific cases (e.g. for candidates who are completing their military or civilian service, internships, gained work experience), candidates may request a dispensation to apply during the year following their high school graduation.
Sciences Po does not accept transfer students.
No, you are not. If you received a French baccalauréat in France, you must apply as a French high school student through the Parcoursup platform, regardless of your specialisation.
More information about our unified undergraduate admissions process
No, you are not. Applicants who obtain a French baccalauréat in a French high school abroad must open and submit their application through the Parcoursup platform.
No, in this case, you are not eligible to apply through the International undergraduate admissions pathways and must apply through the national platform Parcoursup.
More information about our unified undergraduate admissions process
Submitting SAT/ACT scores is entirely optional for our undergraduate admissions regardless of your secondary school diploma.
More information about required documents for international undergraduate admissions.
The admissions offer includes your student ID and a temporary password which enable you to sign into your online student account and accept the offer. Please take a look at the Student website to find out about the first steps (online student account, registrations, course selection, calendars, and everything you need to know for your enrollment at Sciences Po).
No. What matters is the type of high school diploma you are preparing/have obtained, not your citizenship.
Remote interviews take place approximately a month after the application deadline.
No. Only candidates whose written applications have obtained a given minimum score (which is determined by the selection committee every year) are invited to the interview (which is the fourth and final step of the admissions process).
No, applicants cannot view the reference letters. They are strictly confidential and will only be read by those responsible for assessing your application.
We do not accept references written on plain paper or sent by email.
In the interest of fairness, we strongly encourage referees to complete the online form. However, if your referee is unable to use the online form for specific reasons (and only then) they may contact us to request the Word version of this form.
The completed form should then be returned to us directly, in a confidential manner and from the referee’s professional address, through our contact form.
Yes, if you are preparing a binational diploma (Abibac, Bachibac or Esabac) in a foreign high school, you are eligible to the international pathway. However, if you are preparing a binational diploma in a French high school, you must apply through Parcoursup.
No, we strongly recommend you do not submit your application before obtaining a positive answer to your dispensation request. If your request is denied, no refund of the application fees will be made.
Applicants from the Southern hemisphere who will be graduating towards the end of the year are not required to ask for a derogation and are directly eligible to the 2023 international admission pathway.
Students admitted through the international undergraduate pathway may ask for a one-year enrolment deferral (not renewable). On the basis of the reasons cited by the student, the request will either be accepted or rejected.
You will hear whether you have been awarded a scholarship by mid-June at the latest (or whether you have been placed on the waiting list).
By mid-June, candidates will learn if they have received, not received or been placed on the waiting list for the Emile Boutmy Scholarship. The waiting list will be active until the end of the summer.
There is no specific procedure for applicants with refugee status. You are therefore invited to submit your application online.
However, applicants who are able to justify their refugee status with official supporting documents will, upon verification, benefit from an exemption from application fees.
You may be also interested in our “Professional certificate for young refugees” program which aims to improve the employability of participants by acquiring skills adapted to the world of work.
Applicants holding a CEGEP diploma are eligible to apply through the international undergraduate admissions pathway. However, you must provide all documents pertaining to your specific programme, including the academic transcript of the year following your secondary school graduation.
Your CV should be written in French or in English, depending on the language(s) of the programmes you are applying to.
Unless your academic transcripts are written in French or in English, you must provide a translation of the transcripts (official or informal) along with the original documents.
International undergraduate admissions: required documents
No proof of language proficiency is required at the time of application, but you must ensure that your level allows you to apply to the programmes you are interested in and, should you be admitted, to attend classes taught in these languages.
Undergraduate international admissions: language requirements
No, there is no waiting list for international undergraduate admissions to our Bachelor’s programme. However, there may be for some undergraduate dual degree programmes.
The language tests required are different for each programme.
Financial information
If you do not have a credit card, you can use someone else's card or ask for Sciences Po's bank details and make a transfer. If you have a bank account in France, you can also pay by cheque. Before making a transfer or sending a cheque, please contact us.
We will send you an email as soon as we receive the money. Once the payment is registered, you will see it on your dashboard.
If you wish to pay using a check or bank transfer, please make sure to complete your application and contact us in time, aka with at least one week to spare to the final deadline to allow for the necessary processing time for an international wire transfer.
Please refer to the information on tuition fees at Sciences Po.
Practical information
Once you have accepted our offer of admission, you may download an enrollment certificate through the student services centre in your online student space. This document will help you in obtaining a visa.
If you need to know the exact start and end dates of the programme, please check our university calendar or contact our Student Services center.
You do not. The online application is composed of several sections. Entries for each field may be saved by clicking on the “ save changes” button at the bottom of the page. This allows you to save your information as you are completing your application. It will be saved until your next login. You can thus complete your application step by step.
Once you have completed every section and attached every requested document (including recommendations), do not forget to submit your application. Please note that the indicated deadlines for each batch refer to the date of submission.
International applicants will be informed of the outcome of their application through their personal dashboard as well as by email.
You may apply during the academic year in which you will obtain your high school diploma . Should you be selected, your admission will be confirmed at the time of your administrative registration and once you have obtained your degree.
Other questions
The academic year at Sciences Po begins between the end of August and mid-September, depending on the programmes. Only exchange students may begin in January (second semester).
For some programmes, mandatory orientation sessions are scheduled before classes start. We recommend you contact your academic advisor for more information.
They are unique programmes in partnership with an affiliated university characterized by specific enrolment requirements and diplomas. These programmes are only opened to students from Sciences Po and from partner universities. Please review the eligibility criteria and the specificities of each programme.
In order to apply to any of these programmes, you must select the “Partnership Programme” procedure in the online application to view the accurate list of programmes available.
There is no age limit per se for applying to an undergraduate degree per se, but candidates have to apply during their last year of high school (or in some cases up to a year later, cf. eligibility criteria).
Dual Degree Programmes
Yes, but depending on the programme you must submit either one or two online applications.
If you apply to the Dual Bachelor Degree with Freie Universität Berlin, the University of Hong Kong, Keio University or LUISS, you only need to submit one application through Sciences Po, you must select the Dual Degree as a first choice of programme as well as one of our undergraduate programmes as a second choice.
For any other Dual Bachelor Degree (Columbia University, National University of Singapore, University of Sydney, University of British Columbia, and University College London, you must submit two applications if you want to be considered both for the dual degree and our “regular” Bachelor’s programme: one on the website of the partner university for the dual degree and the other on the Sciences Po website, in which you will be able to select one of our undergraduate programmes.
Useful contacts
You can contact the admissions office via our contact form. Please note that the admissions office does not reply to candidates by phone.
If you have been admitted to Sciences Po, please take a look at the Students website for information on your next steps, orientation programmes and more.
If you need information on your registration (tuition fees, health insurance, student card...) or scholarships and financial aid, student welfare and support as well as housing and residence permits please contact the Student services center through their online contact form.
The Admissions office only answers questions regarding admissions and ongoing applications (newly admitted students must refer to the Student services center).
For any question related to your programme (choice of courses, gap year, internships, etc.), please contact the academic advisor of the programme.
If you are an exchange student, please contact the International Affairs Office.
If you are a new student and you have trouble accessing your student account, please contact the Helpdesk.
If you have special needs, please check the Accessibility page.
Fees & Financial Aid
Limited financial resources are not a barrier to receiving a Sciences Po education.
Nearly one in three students receives a full-fee scholarship.
