The short version: I am interested in affirmative action in elite universities in France, and how it’s working out over here. After some interviews, I will write a 100-page paper about it.
The long version: It is very difficult to break into the French elite. If you look at French politicians, professors, CEOs, etc., the vast majority of them come from the same few universities. Go back even further, and many of them even went to the same high schools. There are numerous explanations for this, that Americans are not unfamiliar with: schools in different neighborhoods differ in quality of education and resources, well-educated parents are more informed about college admissions, the elite university admissions system is incredibly competitive, and students from some backgrounds may see elite schools as “not for them.”
Eventually, this was seen as a problem. In 2001, Sciences Po, one of the top French universities, started working with high schools in disadvantaged areas classified as “priority education zones” (acronym ZEP). Rather than the usual written entrance exam, students from these schools go through oral exams in front of a panel of judges. It is not supposed to be easier or harder, just different.
During my three months here, I am talking to Sciences Po students admitted via this policy, teachers in ZEP schools, and administrators who are involved, to find out more about how the policy plays out in practice. How does one define the success of such a policy? What are the social consequences of being admitted through a special process? And other difficult questions…
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