Hi everyone! 
I noticed that there wasn’t a thread for this year’s applicants so I thought why not make one??
Yay! Good luck with all your applications guys!
Yeah! Let’s get this huge amount of work done and hope that we get accepted
Thank you for making the new thread!
Haha, no problem! Which campus are you planning on applying to?
FYI Le Havre is the best
I’m going to apply to Reims, either to the Euro-African or Transatlantic Program… Both are very interesting! I’ll decide soon
I’m applying to Reims as well!! (For the transatlantic program)
Hey, guys! My name is Kelly, and I’m a current Dual BA student at Le Havre. I was active in the thread last year, and I can give you guys some insight if you would like! I’m friends with many of the other students in the program and can easily get into touch with those from the other two campuses, so I could also try to answer questions about Reims and Menton that way.
To give some insight, I’m an American student who came from a public school background (so don’t be intimidated by the private and international school students who apply to this program, as I was!). I would have ended up at Georgetown SFS had I not picked this program. I’ve studied French and Chinese throughout high school; I stayed in Nice for a month studying French for a language scholarship that I won from my school, and I’ve also toured around China for two weeks with my school. (I think these two experiences were my “hook” to show the admissions office why I wanted to be in this program.)
HI. I made an account just to know more about this program, so I would really really appreciate it if you can answer my questions There’s a lot so I’m saying sorry in advance:
- I am informed that students will all learn French at Sciences Po. As an estimate or approximation, which Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) level(s) do students reach after studying French with this program? If they vary among students, specifically what level are beginners expected to reach?
- How would my education at Columbia be different from those who would have studied at Columbia for the full 4 years? For example, are courses for the Dual Degree Program students accelerated since the students are to gain credit for all courses in 2 years rather than the typical 4?
- I understand that students follow the social sciences core curriculum at Sciences Po. Does that indicate that students do not choose a major for their first 2 years of this program?
- There's also a Dual BA Program with UC Berkeley, but I remember seeing somewhere that students can only apply to one of these programs. Is that true?
- I see that there's also a Dual BA Direct Program. What is the difference between that and the usual Dual BA Program?
- Are ALL majors in Columbia's General Studies available to Dual BA students at their third and fourth year of the program at Columbia?
Thank you so much.
- Students who enter Sciences Po have a variety of levels in French. Some arrive having never studied French, and many are already fluent. We use the DELF framework of reference for levels (A1, A2, B1, B2, C1). If you start as a complete beginner, you can expect to finish the A2 level (A1 your first year and A2 your second year); however, I have heard of one person remaining in A1 for both years, lol. It's my understanding that if you fail at your current level of French, you take the same level the following year. If you are in C1 your first year and get at least a 15/20 for the class, you don't have to take it the following year.
- I can't really answer this too well, since I'm only in my first year at Sciences Po, but it's my understanding that you spend much of your two years at Columbia fulfilling the Core requirements that Sciences Po courses can't fulfill (for example, science classes). So you will have less room for electives, which will make it difficult to major in something completely unrelated to social sciences (it's 100% possible if you want to do pre-med, but you will probably not graduate on time). It's not accelerated; rather you take a lot of classes that a four-year Columbia student would take earlier on in their studies instead of having a ton of electives your senior year like a normal Columbia student.
- You actually do choose a major during your second year at Sciences Po, but the major system is different than in the American system. Everybody gets the exact same degree in political science, except your "concentration" (if you will) differs. I don't even think it will say your major on your Sciences Po degree. You choose among history, economics, or law as your major at Sciences Po, and then you will pick another major at Columbia.
- This is not true; you can apply to as many dual-degree programs as you want. I'm friends with some people in the Berkeley program, and I know one who also applied to the Columbia program (she is in ithe program's first year; it's brand new, and there are only three students in Le Havre who are in the program). I myself applied to the Columbia program and the UBC program (so I could also answer questions about the UBC program - I had a very hard time finding other applicants to the program with whom I could talk last year). If you want, I can get details from my friends in the Berkeley program if you have specific questions.
- I actually have no idea what the Dual BA Direct program is; I've never heard of it before now. (Just looked it up) It's basically the same thing as the regular Dual BA program and will not make a difference in your studies at all. The difference is that it's for students in the "normal" three-year Sciences Po track who decide AFTER getting into the program to join the Columbia program. I have a friend who's trying to do this now; she couldn't apply to the Dual BA Program itself, because she was living in Shanghai at the time and had no way of taking the SAT (which is required to apply to the Dual BA program), since it's not offered in China, and she couldn't afford to fly to Hong Kong just for the test. So the Dual BA Direct program is for people like her who are already students at Sciences Po but decide they want to join the Columbia program. (It's much more competitive to join the program this way, though, so don't consider this a safe option compared to the normal Dual BA program.)
- Yes, all Columbia majors are available to Dual BA students. However, as I mentioned earlier, some majors (especially in the sciences) will require that you take an extra semester to fulfill credit requirements. But you do have a wide range of options in terms of majors; it's my understanding that most of them are doable in two years, as Sciences Po will fulfill a lot of Core requirements at Columbia and open up room for electives to fulfill your major.
On another note, I would suggest you check out other dual-degree programs. I didn’t even know about them or seriously consider any of them until I accidentally stumbled upon the Dual Degree Program with UBC. There are Sciences Po students here that are in dual-degree programs with Keio University (in Japan), University of Sydney (Australia - she is the only one at this campus, please don’t let her be all alone again next year!), National University of Singapore, Hong Kong University (which is also in its first year, I believe), and University of California, Berkeley. They’re all really awesome programs, and they shouldn’t go under the radar just because you were interested in Columbia first!
Sorry for the wall of text! Hopefully it’s helpful!
@AllisonNelson Thank you so much for replying so promptly! You were very helpful in your detailed and honest answers.
I do have to say I thought of new questions to ask, though. Apologies.
- What is a typical day / schedule like?
- What is a typical class like? For example, are most classes more discussion- or lecture-based? Is the duration 1 hour or...? How many hours of homework do you have per night?
- What is your favorite class or classes? Why?
- Regarding the Dual BA Program between UC Berkeley and Sciences Po, I understand that students must apply to both UC Berkeley and Sciences Po to get accepted to the Dual Degree Program. Considering this, is submitting the UC portion of the Dual Degree Program application equivalent to applying to only UC Berkeley? Are students eligible to enroll at only UC Berkeley if they, say, decide to withdraw from the Dual Degree Program? :O
- Do students have free time to go out on the streets and explore? LOL just because I know I'd like to do that if I were a student :P
Once again, thank you for all your help.
@student42 No problem! I was in your shoes once and am happy to help a prospective applicant.
- We have a five-day schedule. (Bear in mind what I tell you may be different from at other campuses.) You'll have two or three days of French a week, depending on your level. It's the same amount with any other language you decide to study. A lot of people who have B1 French or below (they have three classes a week) will opt NOT to study a second language, because it's a demanding schedule. But it is 100% possible if you're ambitious. In addition, each other class you have meets once a week - one math class a week, one social-studies elective, one seminar for each of the fundamental courses (history, econ, and political institutions), and a lecture for each of the fundamental courses. Each class/lecture/seminar is two hours long, generally speaking. On a normal day, usually you will have two or three classes/lectures/seminars to go to. Classes start at 8:15 and end at 7:40.
The work-life balance here is very different than in the US. Most of my peers will study in the library in between classes and finish their work for the day; once you get home, you don’t have work to do. It works out really well, actually, and I quite like it.
If you’re in any clubs or play sports, they’ll have meetings during the week or on the weekend (business depends on the activity), sometimes at night after class especially if it’s a sport or dance group.
- It really depends on the class, but a lot of them do encourage discussion. But some are inevitably more lecture style, like math or econ. For classes like political institutions, your grade will depend on your participation. As I said, they're all two hours long. And I never do homework at night unless I didn't get it done during the day for some reason; I'm always able to finish it at school in between classes. And we don't really get much "homework" per se; every now and then we'll have a dissertation to write or something like that, but most of the work we actually do is just studying. Basically there's always something you can be working on/studying.
- I personally enjoy history as a subject, so that's probably one of my favorite classes (even though my grades aren't very good, lol). I also quite like my political institutions seminar, because my teacher is a genius - just really good at his job. But at the same time, I feel the most out of my comfort zone in that class, since I've never studied law before coming here.
- I'm asking my friend in the program right now :) Waiting for a response
- We do have free time just to hang out, but none of the campuses are in particularly "explore-able" places, so I can't say we ever just go out on the town unless we have something planned to go to (especially in Le Havre, because it's a rather dreary city, even though we learn to love it pretty quickly). But yes, we do have free time. Some days are busier than others, obviously, but I do get the chance to hang out with friends and go out to a bar on a weeknight every now and then. Usually most of our social lives come alive on the weekends, though :)
Hi @AllisonNelson ! I just had a couple of questions:
- How hard is it to do well in your classes? I know that students are graded on the French grading system at Science Po and so I was just wondering how that works out. I wanted to go to law school after undergrad and I know maintaining a high GPA is critical to the law school app.
- How is your financial aid package? I noticed a lot of people dropped out last year after they didn’t get a substantial financial aid package from the program. I’m especially hesitant since Columbia’s tuition is so high.
@AllisonNelson I’m glad to hear that! Completing everything at school sounds good to me I look forward to your friend’s response. Thank you!
@student42 Her response to your question about the Berkeley application: “The answer to that is yes.
Essentially: when you are accepted to the dual degree, you are accepted to both UC berkeley and the dual degree so you can choose to go to either!”
- Coming from an American system, it is difficult adjusting to the French system of grading. You really have to redefine success in terms of grades. I've had grades ranging from 7.5 to 20. (For fundamental classes, which are more demanding, it's closer to around 12ish.) It does take some time to adjust here - we all had to relearn how to be a good student. If you are do what is expected of you, you will pass. If you are disciplined, you will do well. It really depends on you.
- Sciences Po is so cheap that it's laughable. My parents were thrilled. The first two years at Sciences Po COMBINED were roughly $20,000 (19,000e). But Columbia definitely has a hefty tuition. EACH year is expected to cost around $52,000 to $54,000. There are definitely people who have chosen other programs because of the price of this one. Really all I can tell you is that it's up to you how you value your education. I come from a middle-class family, so it's not like we can actually afford this. But my family and I decided that the value of an Ivy League education (ESPECIALLY in tandem with Sciences Po and the experience that comes along with it) exceeds the cost.
Another way to look at it is you’re only paying half for the Columbia experience. It’d be a much harder decision to make if you were going for all four years.
Thank you to @AllisonNelson for answering all my questions and @gongju for creating this thread in the first place. I really appreciate it
Thanks @AllisonNelson ! It’s so nice to have someone who is on the program answer questions. It’s super helpful
Hope you don’t mind but here are a couple more questions:
- Are there any Dual BA program specific administrative counselors at Science Po to help you transition into life in France? If not, what is it like to talk to the admin people? Are they helpful?
- Are professors easy to access and helpful? Are they transparent with grading?
- Are there any “outside opportunities” in France? (ex. internships)
- How is social life in France? Is it easy to make friends at Science Po as a foreigner?
@gongju No problem! Happy to help
- There aren't any counselors per se, but there are student groups - mainly the Bureau des Elèves - on campus whose job is to help new students transition to living in France and generally to transition into university. On the academic side, the administration spends the first week or so holding "workshops" to help us familiarize ourselves with the methodology and grading philosophy of the French grande école. The admin generally is helpful and sympathetic to students!
I should say that about 2/3 of the campus is international. The way it’s described is 1/3 students coming from the region of focus (so for Le Havre, students from Asian countries) and 1/3 other international students (like me, since I come from the United States). Even among the 1/3 of students who are French, many of them lived abroad; actually the French kids who grew up only in France are a minority. So really the vast majority of students have to transition to living in France; as such, there are abundant resources to help us transition once we first arrive.
- We actually have minimal contact with professors. We really just go to their lectures and don't usually talk to them one-on-one unless it's to ask a question during a break in the lecture. However, they will generally answer your emails. Really it's our seminar teachers with whom we have contact. They are all extremely well qualified (my political institutions teacher is a PhD student born in the Soviet Union living in Israel who was educated at Yale and is a practicing constitutional lawyer) and very approachable. As I write this, I see that same teacher talking to a student in the library, presumably helping her with her presentation for today.
About grading, yes they are transparent and often give a clear explanation - especially for qualitative assignments - why they graded you the way they did.
- All undergraduate students at Sciences Po are actually required to complete an internship (called stage de terrain) the summer after their first year in order to graduate. You can choose to stay in France for your internship, but many opt to do their internships in their home country or elsewhere. I know of people who interned at fashion magazines in Paris, at Swedish newspapers in Stockholm, or even in Tibet. But I should clarify that it is supposed to be an entry-level position; many of us fulfill the requirement with previous work experience, which I'm trying to do with my high school job as a waitress. So those who do receive exemption are able to pursue higher-level internships or college courses (I'm trying to study Chinese for a few weeks in China over the summer). And yes, there are resources both at Sciences Po and at Columbia (and presumably at other home universities in other dual-degree programs) to find internships and other opportunities.
- Our social lives are pretty active. Your first few weeks will be filled with social events and constantly meeting and befriending new people. I worried that I might struggle to make friends, especially as a foreigner from the United States, but literally everybody at Sciences Po is super friendly and approachable. Especially at the beginning of the year, it's easy just to talk to anybody.
Granted, as with any school, you tend to form your own friend groups whom you spend most of your time with for the rest of the year. But our campus in Le Havre (and I would think Menton too) is so small that everybody knows each other, and we’re all at least acquainted if not casual friends.
Hey Guys,
I am also a first year on the LH campus, if you have any questions feel free to ask!
@AllisonNelson Hi again! I have one other question that I’d like you to ask your friend. 
Sorry I didn’t ask them all at once, but here it is:
I am informed that students will study a major at UC Berkeley for 2 years after 2 years at Sciences Po. I am wondering if ALL Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Sciences majors at UC Berkeley’s College of Letters & Science can be chosen. In other words, are there any majors that the Program deems cannot be studied in 2 years?
I’m asking because what’s really weird is that the Dual BA Application only offers:
Economics*
Ethnic Studies*
Global Studies
History
Legal Studies
Political Science
Political Economy
Sociology
and 4 other majors on the list of Intended Majors at Berkeley, with no option of “Other majors.”
Furthermore, some students of the program reported on LinkedIn that they studied Film Studies at UC Berkeley, which isn’t on the list of Intended Majors at Berkeley, so now I’m a bit confused. I also don’t want to choose any of the majors on the list, I am unsure of what to do.
Sorry for the long post. Thanks again!
Those students you mentioned who studied Film Studies could not have been part of the Sciences Po program with Berkeley, because this program is only in its first year; as such, none of the students of the program have actually started their two years at Berkeley yet.
Her response: “So basically those are the only majors (the ones you listed) you can achieve with a normal workload in the 2 years at UC Berkeley. The Sciencespo portion of the degree acts as prerequisites to those majors. However, you can choose any major as long as you’re willing to spend extra time at UC Berkeley by either doing summer courses or another year.”
Hope this helps!