France aims to have more than 20,000 Indian students by 2025 and Management programmes from French B-schools are important in that strategy. Here are five things I want you to know about studying Management in France in 2023:
Choose among the best schools available: Since 2015, France has been home to 1/5 of the top 100 programmes in Management in the world (Financial Time ranking). 17 Business schools from France are among the 100 schools worldwide with triple Accreditations (EQUIS, AACSB, AMBA). As a comparison, you will find ISB, IIM Kolkata, and IIM Indore only in that list in India. Consider in priority these Triple crowned options.
Start admission Early: Best schools may finalise their admission by April for September, though many have rolling ones. If you want to maximise your chances of scholarships, it’s advisable to apply before mid-March. Indeed, the French government closed its generous pre-departure scholarships by then. Last year, 11 crores INR were distributed to Indian students. Schools may also have more funds early in the recruitment season. Not done with your current degree yet? It’s ok: schools offer conditional admissions.
Look beyond Paris: When one thinks of France, Paris often comes to mind. However, as with any capital in the world, it tends to be costly and not so easy to integrate with locals. Instead, consider choosing other less-known cities. For instance, choosing Rennes will be 50% less costly and at least as exciting: the cost of living averages 6 to 7,00,000 INR/year, versus 12/14 lakh INR in Paris. Also, it’s a very international student-friendly hub. To know more, www.rennes-sb.com
Learn to cook and clean: As domestic help is costly and not so easy to find, you probably won’t be able to maintain a reasonable budget if you need to rely solely on outside food and cleaning services.
Choose your housing before mid-July: You may not know yet so many Indian students who joined a French programme, but the rest of the world has already made that decision. In 2021, over 4,00000 international students were in France for their higher education, out of which 1,0000 were Indians. For the September intake, there will be competition over student housing.
In conclusion, I’d like to mention that Management schools mainly offer courses in English. For day-to-day life, French is written in the same alphabet as English, so yes, you will be able to read signs. Besides, most people in their 50’s or younger have a decent level of English. Now what an amazing opportunity you are getting to acquire a language spoken in 50 countries! The best way to start taking advantage of this opportunity is to register in a nearby Alliance Française before leaving.
The author is the South Asia Area Manager at Rennes School of Business.
(The Free Press Journal publishes articles by study abroad consultants, Consulates, foreign universities, international students, and much more every Saturday to give its readers a glimpse of the world of overseas education.)
