Everything You Need to Know About Intakes in France

Whether it is Fashion, Art, Design or Business, Management, Economics, what can be better than studying these courses in France? Located closely to the iconic Eiffel Tower, the universities there admit international students through twice a year through intakes in France. France is one of the largest economies, thus, it is the hub of many leading companies that hold life-changing career opportunities making it one of the most popular study destinations globally for international students. It offers you all of this and more! If you wish to pursue your higher education in France, the first step is to become familiar with the intakes. Take a look at this blog to know more about the intakes in France and some latest updates!

Main Intakes in France

Intakes represent the time when the classes of a semester or term generally begin in the universities. In France, there are two main intakes for international students- January and September. Although the same number of courses are offered in both intakes, Indian students prefer the September intake better as it lines with the current education system in India. MS and MBA in France are top priority courses for International applicants. Let’s take a look at the intakes in France in detail.

September Intake

• Also considered the main intake in France by most international applicants, the September intake is also known as the fall intake. Most universities offer a large number of courses for admission in the September intakes in France.
• All applicants who want to be considered for admission for this term need to start the process of shortlisting universities as early as March. You need to provide the scores of different entrance or language proficiency exams (such as TOEFL, IELTS, GRE, GMAT, SAT etc.) depending on the course and university requirements and therefore it is better to appear for these exams between April and June so as to leave you with some time in case you wish to re-attempt the exam if you are not satisfied with the score attained.
• Generally, you can send your application to the universities between May to June and start appearing for the interview (if required) or receive and respond to your acceptance letter by August for the September intakes in France.
• The deadline for September Intakes in France is mid of July.

January Intake

• The January intake in France is also known as the spring intake and starts at the beginning of every year. This intake is as important as the September intakes in France and offers admission to almost the same number of courses.
• If you want to get admitted in the January intakes in France, it is a good idea to start the process of shortlisting universities between January to July of the previous year. You could then prepare for the English language proficiency test or any other exam like SAT or GRE that is required for your chosen course and appear for these exams between July and August.
• This also leaves you with enough time to retake them if necessary. You can start applying to your chosen universities between August and September and then will have time till October to respond to your acceptance letter or interview call (for some selected courses).
• The deadline for January Intakes in France is mid of November.

Universities Offering January and September Intake

France houses a bunch of leading universities that offer intakes twice a year. Here are some universities specific to the January and September intake-

Universities for January Intake

• CentraleSupelec, Paris
• Paris- Sorbonne University, Paris
• University of Burgundy, Burgundy
• Grenoble Graduate School of Business, Grenoble
• Paris Dauphine University, Paris
• INSEAD Business School, Fontainebleau
• Paris Diderot University, Paris

Universities for September Intake

• Sorbonne University
• PSL Research University
• Ecole Polytechnique
• CentraleSupelec University

Which Intake to Choose?

Since both the intakes in France are equally important in terms of admission and offer almost similar choices of courses, it can be difficult to decide which intake to choose. The September intake is generally preferred by students since they will finish their school or their earlier college degree by July or August and then can join a further degree without waiting for a long time. Additionally, you need to check if the shortlisted universities are offering your chosen course for both intakes or not, and then plan your application accordingly. Also, other factors that may affect your choice regarding which intake to apply for include satisfactory/unsatisfactory scores at the required entrance and English language tests, declaration of results, obtaining all transcripts etc.

Application Timeline for Intakes in France

For the September and January intakes in France, you must start preparing your application months before actually getting to the final admission dates of your chosen program and university. To help you make a proper checklist of application-related tasks and documents for these two intakes in France, we have prepared a comprehensive application timeline for you:

January to July (for January Intake 2025) or February to March (for September Intake 2025)

Find the best universities for your chosen program and go through their course curriculum, requirements, admission process, etc.

July – August (for January Intake 2025) or March to May (for September Intake 2025)

Appear for the requisite entrance exams such as GMAT, GRE, SAT or IELTS/TOEFL, etc. and make sure that you get your scores within the next two months to send your application accordingly. If you aim to prepare for any of these exams online, sign up with Leverage Live where you can avail exclusive online classes with insightful study material and preparation guides by certified experts.

August-September (for January Intake 2025) or May to June (for September Intake 2025)

Gear up your applications for your chosen universities and intake in France and you will also be asked to submit a Statement of Purpose and Letters of Recommendation (LORs) as per your chosen program and university. Submit your application within the admission dates and then wait for the final list of shortlisted candidates.

September-October (for January Intake 2025) or June to July (for September Intake 2025)

If your candidature is shortlisted, you will be notified by the university through an e-mail and many universities might also require you to appear for a personal interview as well as a confirmation fee. Then, you will be provided with your acceptance letter to start your program on the mentioned date.

September to November (for January Intake 2025) or June to August (for September Intake 2025)

Once you have got your acceptance letter, you can move towards applying for your student visa at the nearest French embassy and appear for the visa interview alongside completing all the formalities. The processing time for French Student Visa can vary from 2-3 months thus it is advised to apply for it as soon as you get the acceptance letter.

Once you have your student visa, spare at least a month to get the tickets ready and landing in France to sort out the accommodation as well as visa-related processes. Thus, spend the month before the intake in figuring out these specifics to ensure that you begin your academic session in your chosen university in France without worrying too much about accommodation or any other aspects.

France Student Visa

For all the international students willing to seek their dream education in France,  it is necessary for them to have the right type of France student visa so that they can ensure their entry during the intakes in France. France offers a short stay visa for short term courses that can be pursued within 3 months or in exactly 3 months and a long-stay visa which allows candidates to stay in the country for 11 months. For those who are looking forward to attending shorter academic sessions tend to choose the short stay visa and long stay visa is obtained by the ones who have applied for bachelor’s or master’s courses. Listed below are the documents that are necessary for applying for France student visa- 

• A valid passport
• Two passport size photographs
• Visa application form
• Official acceptance letter from the university or academic institution
• Stating sufficiency of funds in candidates’ bank accounts
• Proof of medical insurance
• Scores of language proficiency exams

Also Read: Scholarships in France

FAQs

Hope this blog was successful in making you aware of the different intakes in France and its application timeline. If you are planning to study abroad then experts at Leverage Edu can help you achieve your dreams. To reach out to us simply register on our website or call us at 1800-572-000.