Admissions Blog

Undergraduate Admissions Uncensored

  • Admissions.Blog

An introduction to attending college in France and beyond

Posted on November 27, 2020 by Craig

While many students dream of studying abroad for a semester in college, fewer students seem ready to take the plunge of completing their entire college or university experience in a foreign country. Yet, from my experience working with students and families, the main reason students don’t consider earning their degrees abroad is the perceived complexity of doing so. People in general like to follow the pack and do what others are doing. With relatively few peers or family members earning their degrees abroad it goes to figure that many students can’t imagine themselves doing it themselves – even if they are intrigued by the prospect of doing so.

As I’ve shared previously, there are huge benefits of going to college in Europe or at least engaging in a summer program in Europe. With that said, researching college options in one’s home country can be complicated enough; researching degree programs located in a foreign country is often a bridge too far for even capable and proactive students. Adventurous and internationally-minded students and families need a strong primer or orientation to their foreign degree options in order to get moving in the right direction. Luckily, for those interested in studying in France in particular, but also a handful of other exciting locations, The Association of American Women in Europe has published a great user-friendly resource: the second edition of Beyond the Bac – Higher Education in France and Abroad. This unique “all-in-one” resource is ideal for international students considering higher education in France, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, or Australia. The title of the book pays homage to the French Baccalaureate, also known as “le Bac,” which is an intensive national examination taken by French students at the end of  high School (lycée in French). Completing the Bac is the typical mode by which French students transition to higher education.

Beyond the Bac opens with a detailed look at the structure and workings of the higher education system in France, degrees and diplomas, the costs, and application procedures. It also explains the diversity of French higher education, which includes universities, prépas, grandes, écoles, law and medical studies, and the numerous specialized schools for business, the arts, film, and fashion. Readers learn about studying in France and the EU – in French or in English – as well how to pursue graduate studies in France. The book even has a glossary that translates relevant higher education-related acronyms and French terms.

The book then explores options for bilingual students who wish to pursue higher education in English speaking countries such as the United States, Canada, UK, Netherlands and Australia. Chapters on each country address the education system, application procedures, deadlines, costs, and financial aid.

For students seeking to work or explore other interests, a chapter covers numerous gap year possibilities in France, the U.S., and around the world. Tips and personal anecdotes from students provide an inside look into various educational paths.

All in all Beyond the Bac is exactly the orientation to foreign study that many students and families need to gain the confidence to think outside the box and pursue post-secondary education goals that may very well take them beyond borders.

About Craig

Craig is a college admissions coach and founder of CollegeMeister. He previously held university admissions and high school college and career counseling positions in Baltimore, West Palm Beach, and Rio de Janeiro.

Filed Under: Admissions Policies, Advice & Analysis, Europe, France

Related posts:

4 Reasons Students Should Consider Going to College in Europe 6 reasons to tell a college you will NOT be attending Don’t call me a Director of College Counseling ever again Columbia unveils NYC-Tel Aviv dual degree program

Subscribe to our mailing list

Oh, Canada! The Definitive List of Canadian University Application Deadlines

Rolling Admission vs. Regular Decision

How to Get Accepted to Your Dream College of Choice

Trending Posts

Best College Acceptance Gifts for the Class of 2021

Georgetown’s 2020 School-Specific Acceptance Rates

The Ultimate Virtual College Admissions Library – 2020 Edition

Dear 9th Grader: Don’t get rejected from the Ivy League so soon!

Common App Essay: Size Does Matter

Building Your Best College List

University of Rochester Application Deadlines Extended

Wake Forest Reveals Summer 2021 Pre-College Programs for High School Students

Avoid Tuition Anxiety: Put Strong Merit Aid Colleges on Your List

The 3 Dos and Dont’s to get Accepted into America’s Most Selective Colleges

12 of the nation’s most prestigious science competitions for high school students

Another Reason Why Your Common Application Essay is So Bad

Dear 10th Grader: Don’t Become An Ivy League Reject!

Dear 12th Grader: Don’t Blow Your Ivy Chances Now

1404 Error: University of Georgia Early Action Stats Full of Spin

Dear 11th Grader: Don’t Screw Up Your Ivy League Chances Now

What to make of Tufts’ Early Decision Deadline Extension

Many high school counselors mean well but…

Featured Blog Topics

  • 3 Year Degree (2)
  • Accommodations (2)
  • Admissions Policies (66)
  • Admissions Statistics (39)
  • Advice & Analysis (248)
  • Alabama (1)
  • AP (2)
  • Applications (58)
  • Arizona (2)
  • Boston University (2)
  • Brown (2)
  • Bryn Mawr (1)
  • Caltech (1)
  • Canada (2)
  • Career and Technical Education (3)
  • Case Western (3)
  • China (1)
  • CMC (1)
  • Coalition (13)
  • College Counselor (11)
  • College Fairs (3)
  • College Life (19)
  • College List (27)
  • College List Deathmatch (4)
  • College Visit (15)
  • Columbia (5)
  • Common Application (27)
  • Community Colleges (4)
  • Cornell (2)
  • COVID-19 (6)
  • Dartmouth (2)
  • Demonstrated Interest (15)
  • DePaul (1)
  • Dickinson (1)
  • Duke (1)
  • Early Action (27)
  • Early Decision (30)
  • Enrichment (12)
  • Essays (18)
  • Europe (4)
  • Extracurricular Activities (25)
  • Feature (2)
  • Financial Aid (18)
  • First Person (9)
  • France (1)
  • Gap Programs (2)
  • GED (1)
  • Georgetown (3)
  • Germany (1)
  • GPA (3)
  • Hamilton (1)
  • Harvard (4)
  • High School (17)
  • HiSET (1)
  • IB (2)
  • IEC (1)
  • Indiana (2)
  • International (1)
  • Internships (5)
  • Interviews (10)
  • Iowa (1)
  • Ivy League (18)
  • JHU (2)
  • LD (1)
  • Majors (7)
  • MIT (3)
  • Naviance (2)
  • NCAA (3)
  • News (35)
  • Northwestern (2)
  • Notification News (1)
  • Notre Dame (1)
  • NYU (1)
  • Of Note (3)
  • Parents (5)
  • Penn (5)
  • Popular Posts (8)
  • Princeton (4)
  • Priority (2)
  • Professor of the Month (1)
  • PSU (3)
  • Public Universities (8)
  • Purdue (1)
  • Rankings (3)
  • Recommendations (4)
  • Regular (11)
  • Research (4)
  • Resume (17)
  • ROI (2)
  • Rolling (5)
  • South America (2)
  • Standardized Tests (24)
  • Stanford (1)
  • Summer (19)
  • Swarthmore (1)
  • TASC (1)
  • Teacher Recommendations (6)
  • Texas (2)
  • Ticker (17)
  • Trending Posts (18)
  • Tufts (3)
  • Tuition (1)
  • Tulane (2)
  • UC Berkeley (5)
  • UCAS (2)
  • UCLA (6)
  • UF (1)
  • UGA (2)
  • UMass (1)
  • UMD (4)
  • UNC (1)
  • Uncategorized (1)
  • United Kingdom (4)
  • Universal College Application (1)
  • University of Chicago (1)
  • University of Rochester (1)
  • USC (1)
  • UVA (6)
  • Vanderbilt (1)
  • Video Game Design (1)
  • Villanova (2)
  • Wake Forest (1)
  • Wash U (4)
  • Williams (1)
  • Wisconsin (1)
  • Yale (8)
  • ZeeMee (1)
Get Expert College Admissions Coaching Now
  • Write for Us
  • Courses – Amazing Value!
  • Valuable Resources
  • Sponsored Posts

All content © 2020
Tactical College Consulting, LLC
All Rights Reserved
Terms of Service
+1 410-526-2558 | Connect

Copyright © 2021 · Metro Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in