DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS - 22ND JANUARY 2010
Application for undergraduate studies in French universities is a standard procedure processed by the Alliance Française. Any other type of application (postgraduate study, tertiary education institutions other than university, etc) has to be made directly to the institution concerned, as the Alliance cannot in such cases act as intermediary.
Undergraduate studies
The following information concerns the university pre-registration undergraduate applications to French universities (dossiers de demande d’admission préalable à l’inscription en premier cycle dans une université française, or DAP for short) for non-European nationals not residing in France. This file is also known as the “dossier blanc”. There is one exception: applicants to architectural courses must use the “dossier vert”.
- Where can I obtain an application?
The application file will be available for withdrawal at the Alliance Francaise in December preceding the year for which the student is applying (i.e., if a student is applying to attend university in September 2010 the relevant file will be available in December 2009.). The documents comprising the file will also be available for download on the Internet, near year-end, as advised by the French Ministry of Education, on the Ministry’s Web site. The site also provides comprehensive information in French on the application process and may be consulted at any time during the year for a full list of conditions and prerequisites, as well as specific contact information for each university. All students who choose to download the file are required to contact the Alliance Francaise as soon as this is done.
- When should I begin preparing the application? Dates and deadlines
All required documents should be prepared where possible by November (obtained, copied, etc…), and translated from English into French by a recognised translator, such as, in Trinidad, the Alliance Française, situated at 17 Alcazar Street, St. Clair. In Barbados, the Honorary Consulate may be contacted regarding certification of professional translations. The Consulate is open Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 9.30 am to 11.30 am.
Applications should be withdrawn or downloaded no later than January 6th, and the deadline for handing them in falls in the last week in January. Please note that deadlines are to be strictly respected; there will be no extension of deadlines, and incomplete files cannot be accepted.
- How do I select a course?
Interested students are advised to consult www.campusfrance.org and acquire detailed information on the courses available at entry level in the French universities before making a final decision on their course of study. This information is not available at the Alliance. It is to be noted that certain courses are only offered by private institutions, whose fees are much higher than those charged by the university, and whose diplomas may not be recognised internationally.
- What about financial assistance?
Please be advised that the French Embassy to Trinidad and Tobago and to Barbados no longer offers funding to students wishing to study abroad, and this until further notice. However, the UNESCO guide, Study Abroad, supplies a listing of grants and scholarships offered to students in France.
- Appointments
Students are are advised, to call and make an appointment to see the studies coordinator to avoid an unnecessarily long wait or non-availability due to absence. Those who, having made an appointment, find themselves unable to keep it for whatever reason are asked to call and cancel or indicate that they have been delayed.
For further information, you may contact the Alliance at 622-6119/6728.