The ENS International Selection is the École normale supérieure (ENS-PSL) route for international students who want to study in Paris with a monthly grant. Winners receive EUR 1,000 a month for 36 months and a room on an ENS campus, and they study for a master’s degree alongside the ENS diploma (the DENS). There are two tracks, Sciences and Arts & Humanities, each with its own age, study and language rules. ENS says only 5% to 10% of applicants get in.
Applications for the 2027 session opened on 16 October 2026. The Deadline for both tracks is 15 December 2026 at 14:00 Paris time. Shortlisted candidates sit remote tests in February or March 2027, and final results come out from 9 March 2027 (Arts & Humanities) and 26 March 2027 (Sciences), for a start in September 2027.
What the ENS International Selection scholarship gives you
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Monthly grant | EUR 1,000, paid for 36 months |
| Payment schedule | First payment in October 2027 covers September and October; after that, monthly between the 5th and 10th |
| Housing | A furnished room on an ENS-PSL campus (year 1 usually at rue d’Ulm). You pay rent, which ENS had not yet published for 2027 |
| Diplomas | A master’s degree (M1 and M2) plus the ENS diploma (DENS, 72 extra ECTS credits) |
| Support | A tutor from your department, intensive French classes, and a three-week welcome programme |
| Commitment | None after graduation. International Selection students are not civil servants and have no ten-year service obligation |
The grant is paid into a French bank account, which you open after you arrive in September. You may take up to two gap years during the three years, but no grant is paid while you are on a gap year or gap semester.
Costs the grant does not cover
- Rent for your ENS room. The dormitory closes in August, and you must clear your room by late July; no rent is charged for August.
- University registration fees. French public universities charge no tuition, but registration fees apply. ENS had not posted the 2027 amount; its cognitive science department describes them as minimal, around EUR 500 a year.
- Visa and travel. You apply for a long-stay student visa through Campus France and pay its charges and your flights yourself.
- Food and daily life in Paris. ENS canteen meals are subsidised (about EUR 4 a meal, according to the cognitive science department).
ENS International Selection eligibility
Most outdated guides list one set of rules. ENS now uses different rules for each track, so check the column for yours.
| Rule | Arts & Humanities | Sciences |
|---|---|---|
| Age | Must not have turned 26 on the day applications open (16 October 2026) | Must be under 26 on the day applications open |
| University study abroad | At least three years of study towards a foreign degree, with full transcripts (third-year students may apply) | At least one year of undergraduate study at a foreign university when applying, and at least two years by enrolment |
| Time in France | No more than 10 months living in France during the competition year or the year before | No more than 6 months in total enrolled in a French school or university during the competition year and the year before |
| Previous attempts | You must not have applied to the International Selection before | Same rule |
| French level | B1 reading and writing recommended; no certificate required | No level required |
The ENS Director can, in rare cases, approve applicants with an unusual academic background. If you think you sit on the edge of a rule, ask the ENS competition office before you apply rather than after.
Edge cases
- You did an exchange semester in France: count your months carefully. A five-month exchange could still fit the Sciences rule, but two semesters would not.
- You studied in a French lycée abroad: the Sciences rule concerns enrolment in French schools, so read it closely and ask ENS if you are unsure.
- You applied once and were rejected: you cannot apply again through the International Selection. ENS also runs a separate “Concours normalien étudiant” (applications in March and April), but it carries no grant.
- You turn 26 in November: the age test is the day applications open, so a birthday after 16 October 2026 does not stop you.
Disciplines you can apply in
| Track | Disciplines (choose one) |
|---|---|
| Sciences | Biology, Chemistry, Earth Science, Computing Science, Mathematics, Physics, Cognitive Sciences |
| Arts & Humanities | Anthropology, Archaeology, Classical studies (Greek, Latin), Cinema, Theatre studies, History of Art, Musicology, Cognitive sciences, Economics, Political studies, Geography, History, History and Philosophy of Law, History and Philosophy of Sciences, Linguistics, Literature, Philosophy, Sociology |
Economics sits in the Arts & Humanities track. ENS’s economics department says its International Selection students do a first year at ENS, then two years in Paris School of Economics master’s programmes, and that most first-year courses are in French.
ENS International Selection 2027 dates
| Stage | Arts & Humanities | Sciences |
|---|---|---|
| Applications open | 16 October 2026, 14:00 Paris time | 16 October 2026, 14:00 Paris time |
| Deadline | 15 December 2026, 14:00 Paris time | 15 December 2026, 14:00 Paris time |
| Shortlist results | From 21 January 2027 | From 27 January 2027 |
| Test invitations | Sent to shortlisted candidates | 28 January to 2 March 2027, by email |
| Remote tests | 15 to 26 February 2027 | 3 to 19 March 2027 |
| Final results | From 9 March 2027 | From 26 March 2027 |
| Start of studies | September 2027 | September 2027 |
14:00 Paris time on 15 December is 13:00 GMT. Every candidate gets an email with the outcome, whether they pass or not.
Deadline warning
Applications sent by email are not processed, and incomplete files are not considered. ENS advises against uploading on the last days, especially for recommendation letters, which your referees submit through the platform.
Documents for each track
Arts & Humanities (upload in this order)
- CV.
- Motivation letter: 1 to 3 pages, Times New Roman 12 pt, 1.5 spacing, in French. Economics, Linguistics and Cognitive studies candidates submit it in both French and English.
- Research project: up to 3 pages (10,000 characters with spaces) in French (Economics, Linguistics and Cognitive studies may use English), defining a research topic and listing 10 works that mattered to you.
- University transcript.
- Secondary school diploma.
- Two to four recommendation letters, requested through the platform with your referees’ email addresses.
Sciences (merged into one PDF)
- Secondary school diploma.
- University transcript.
- CV.
- Cover letter: 1 to 3 pages, Times New Roman 12 pt, 1.5 spacing, in French or English, explaining your interest in ENS and your chosen department and setting out your study plan.
- Two to four recommendation letters, requested through the platform.
How to apply for the ENS International Selection
- Choose your track and discipline: you can pick only one discipline, so read the department pages first.
- Check eligibility: confirm your age, years of study and time in France against your track’s rules.
- Line up referees early: ask two to four lecturers in October so they have time before 15 December.
- Write your letter (and research project for Arts & Humanities): follow the page limits and font rules exactly.
- Create your account and upload: apply on the online platform linked from the ENS International Selection page, enter referee emails, and upload documents in the stated order or as one PDF for Sciences.
- Submit before 14:00 Paris time on 15 December 2026.
- Prepare for tests: if shortlisted, expect videoconference tests in February (Arts & Humanities) or March (Sciences).
How the tests work
| Track | Test | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Arts & Humanities | Written exam in French on your discipline | 1 |
| Arts & Humanities | Oral exam before a discipline panel | 2 |
| Arts & Humanities | Interview on your background and project (20 to 30 minutes) | 2 |
| Sciences | Scientific oral test in your field (may include written preparation) | 6 |
| Sciences | Interview on scientific culture and motivation | 3 |
All tests are remote. In Arts & Humanities the oral and interview are in French, though you may use English during them; dictionaries and personal notes are banned. In Sciences you choose French or English, and each department publishes its own test format. For Sciences, the oral carries twice the weight of the interview, so I would spend most of my preparation on problem solving in the chosen subject.
Writing the motivation letter and research project
Selectors want to see a student who can do research-led work and who has a reason to be at ENS in particular. A good letter moves from what you have studied, to the question that now interests you, to the people and courses at ENS that fit it, and ends with a realistic three-year plan.
- Name one or two specific questions, not a whole field.
- Mention the ENS department, and where possible a lab, seminar or teacher whose work connects to yours.
- Show evidence of independent work: a dissertation, a reading group, a lab internship.
- For the Arts & Humanities bibliography, list works you have actually read and could discuss in the interview.
A short example opening for a Sciences letter: “My undergraduate thesis on random walks on graphs left me with a question I could not answer with the tools I had: how quickly do these walks mix on networks that change over time?” It states a real problem in the first sentence and gives the panel something to ask about.
Common mistakes
- Using the old single set of rules and missing that Arts & Humanities now asks for three years of study.
- Writing the Arts & Humanities letter in English when French is required.
- Going over the 3-page or 10,000-character limits.
- Uploading separate files for Sciences instead of one merged PDF.
- Sending referee requests in December, then losing the application when a letter arrives late.
- Treating the 14:00 cut-off as midnight.
After you are admitted
Once you pass, you enrol in the DENS and in a master’s at ENS or a partner university; both are conditions of the grant. You then apply for a long-stay student visa through Campus France, which does not send your file to ENS, so the two processes run separately. Your department assigns a tutor in August or September. You open a French bank account after arrival, and the first grant payment lands in October 2027.
ENS International Selection compared with similar scholarships
| Scholarship | Country | What it pays | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| ENS International Selection | France (Paris) | EUR 1,000 a month for 3 years plus a campus room | Final bachelor’s year or master’s |
| École Polytechnique scholarships | France (Palaiseau) | Partial awards, for example EUR 4,000 to 15,000 a year on MSc&T programmes | Master’s and bachelor’s |
| Emile Boutmy Scholarship | France (Sciences Po) | Tuition reduction of EUR 18,500 a year for master’s; full or EUR 9,500 off for bachelor’s | Bachelor’s and master’s |
| Axel Adler Scholarship | Sweden | Full tuition, no stipend | Master’s and a few bachelor’s |
Of these four, only ENS pays a monthly living grant, and French public university fees are low to begin with. For more options by country, see our scholarships in Europe guide.
Who should apply and who should not
- Apply if you are a strong student aiming at research or a PhD, you are under 26, and you have not lived in France for long.
- Apply to Arts & Humanities if you can read and write French at about B1 or better and can sit a written exam in French.
- Apply to Sciences if you prefer working in English; French is not required there.
- Skip it if you want a professional or taught master’s with no research angle, or you have already applied once.
FAQ about the ENS International Selection
How much is the ENS International Selection scholarship?
EUR 1,000 a month for 36 months, plus a room on an ENS campus. You still pay rent and university registration fees.
What is the ENS International Selection deadline for 2027?
The Deadline is 15 December 2026 at 14:00 Paris time for both the Sciences and the Arts & Humanities tracks.
Do I need to speak French to apply to ENS?
Not for Sciences, where tests can be in English. For Arts & Humanities, ENS recommends B1 French for reading and writing, and the written exam is in French.
How many students does ENS admit through the International Selection?
ENS does not publish a fixed number of places. It says the success rate varies between 5% and 10% each year.
Sources and updates
Checked on 25 October 2026 against the École normale supérieure (ENS-PSL) International Selection page for the 2027 session and its FAQ, with programme details from the ENS economics and cognitive science department pages. The Scholars4Dev listing gives a 12:00 deadline, a single set of eligibility rules and 10 places per track; the official page gives 14:00, separate rules per track, and no number of places, so this post follows the official page. ENS had not yet published the 2027 rent or registration fee amounts. Contact: Pôle Concours, École normale supérieure, 45 rue d’Ulm, 75230 Paris cedex 05, France, telephone +33 1 44 32 28 60.
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