Applying for a Master’s Degree in France: Phone Interview Secrets
Note: This information is accurate as of November 4th, 2020.
So, you’ve filled out and submitted your Études en France application. What now? The next step in the process is to speak with your dedicated Campus France representative to set up a time for your Campus France phone interview.
“Applying for a Master’s Degree in France” is a series of articles aimed at helping foreign students, especially Americans, apply to master’s programs in France by providing the information they need all in one place. In today’s article, we will be detailing the Campus France phone interview.
The Campus France Interview
The purpose of the Campus France phone interview is to allow Campus France to get a better understanding of your motivations for studying in France as well as to verify that you are, in real life, what you seem to be on paper. This includes personal, academic, and professional motivations in addition to your language abilities, work history, and more. Campus France, in this case, acts as an intermediary between universities and applicants by conducting an interview that will help them decide whether you should be recommended, or not, for admission to the programs of your choice.
Some important things to know about these interviews is that they are conducted in two languages, English and French, and that they are scheduled to last for about thirty minutes. Therefore, it is important for you to practice responding to questions in both languages, review your resume or CV, as well as block out about 45 minutes of your time for the actual interview.
Our Experiences
Both Maria’s and my Campus France interviews followed the general pattern that they are rumored to take. My interview lasted a bit longer than 30 minutes while Maria’s was just about that long. On the other hand, my interview was about half in English and half in French, while Maria’s was almost exclusively conducted in French. We will outline the different parts of the interview, but keep in mind that the most substantial and important part was the interview questions portion.
Our Interview Questions
- Introduce yourself.
- Discuss your work experience after college graduation.
- Tell me about your history with the French language.
- Why are you choosing France to continue your studies?
- Why have you chosen these programs and these cities?
- What are your top two programs?
- Are you familiar with the differences between the French school system and the American school system?
- What are your professional goals?
- What makes you qualified for these programs?
- Do you already have professional experience in your domain of choice?
- What will your ideal life look like after your master?
- Can you name some organizations for which you are interested in working after your degree is complete?
- Why are you a successful candidate? What is your plan if you are not accepted?
- How has your perspective on the United States changed since living in France?
- How will you find housing upon arrival in France?
Questions We Asked
- What will the timeline look like moving forward?
- We need to prove that we have three months of housing in France in order to get our student visas. Is there an alternative method, or must we find housing in France from our home country?
Miscellaneous Interviewer Comments
Maria’s interviewer took the time to let her know which schools they thought would likely accept or reject her. Although the interviewer’s guesses were quite inaccurate in the end, this is something that might happen during your interview. Additionally, Maria’s interviewer had done their research and was aware of our relationship. Maria was questioned regarding her motivations and asked whether she applied to the same programs as I did. Maria explained that while we chose to apply to the same schools, we were interested in different programs and careers. The interviewer seemed satisfied with this answer and went on to applaud us for not applying to programs located in Paris, saying that this showed we were truly interested in France and not the novelty of Paris. The interviewer also stated that this choice set us apart from the “typical study abroad student.” In addition, we were commended on the quality of our motivation essays. The interviewers liked that they were succinct, that they explained our qualifications and goals, and that they were personalized for each program.
We hope we were able to give you some insight into how your Campus France interview might go. Make sure to leave us a comment if you have any questions and tell us about your Campus France interview experience!
Check out the other articles in our Applying to a Master’s Degree in France series:
- How to Choose a Program
- Important Documents You Need
- How to Complete the Online Application
- Detailed Application Timeline
- Will You be Accepted to a Program in France?
- Accepting an Offer of Admission
2 Comments
Mt20
my English speaking friend is really interested in applying for an masters taught in English in a couple cities in France (namely Grenoble). There are a few programs in her field offering this. Do you think there’s any chance she would get in without French skills?
Jalen & Maria
Hello! It’s entirely dependent on the school and the program. If a program requires candidates to have a certain level of French, it is usually indicated on their website and on the Études en France common application. If not, contact the school to find out.