What are my chances of getting into a top French engineering school?

Hi everyone,

I’m a Moroccan student. I’ve just completed two years of CPGE in Morocco, passed the Concours National Commun (CNC), and was admitted to an engineering school in Telecommunications Engineering. I’ll be starting my first year of the engineering cycle (1A) this year.

I’m considering applying independently to schools such as Télécom Paris, IMT Atlantique, and Grenoble INP – Ensimag.

My current school does not have a partnership with these institutions, so I would be applying on my own through international admissions / admission sur titre / Free Mover-type applications, depending on the school.

I’m mainly trying to understand whether this is a realistic goal.

How important are grades and class ranking for this kind of admission? For example, if I manage to finish my year in the top 1–5% of my class, would that make my application reasonably competitive for schools at this level?

And if I’m not in the top 1–5% but still have strong grades, could things like professional certifications, personal projects, competitive programming, technical skills, research experience, etc. compensate to some extent? Or are academic results and class rank still by far the most important factors?

I’m also wondering how much weight is given to recommendation letters, internships, extracurricular activities, and technical projects.

Regarding languages, are official certifications such as DELF/DALF for French or IELTS/TOEFL for English generally required for international applicants? Or can another proof of proficiency be accepted depending on the school?

Another thing I’ve had trouble finding information about is the actual selectivity of this route. I don’t know how many international students apply independently to these schools each year, or how many are admitted.

Since I wouldn’t be applying through an exchange agreement or partnership between universities, it’s difficult to understand how competitive these admissions really are and whether someone with my background has a realistic chance.

If anyone here has applied to Télécom Paris, IMT Atlantique, Ensimag, or similar Grandes Écoles as an international student outside of an institutional partnership, especially from Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, or another CPGE/engineering-school system, I’d really appreciate hearing about your experience.

What did your profile look like when you applied—grades, class rank, projects, internships, language certificates, etc.—and what was the outcome?

Thanks!

Hi everyone, I have a question for people working or studying in AI/ML.

How strong does your math actually need to be to become good at machine learning? Do you need an advanced level of math in general, or are the basics enough for most ML engineers, while deeper mathematics is mainly needed for researchers?

I’m also wondering where to properly learn and practice the math used in AI/ML — especially linear algebra, calculus, probability, statistics, and optimization.

A lot of AI/ML courses I’ve seen either skip the math or explain it at a very basic level, so I’m looking for resources where I can actually understand it deeply and solve relevant problems.

Any books, courses, websites, or learning paths you would recommend?

Hi everyone, I have a question for people working or studying in AI/ML.

How strong does your math actually need to be to become good at machine learning? Do you need an advanced level of math in general, or are the basics enough for most ML engineers, while deeper mathematics is mainly needed for researchers?

I’m also wondering where to properly learn and practice the math used in AI/ML — especially linear algebra, calculus, probability, statistics, and optimization.

A lot of AI/ML courses I’ve seen either skip the math or explain it at a very basic level, so I’m looking for resources where I can actually understand it deeply and solve relevant problems.

Any books, courses, websites, or learning paths you would recommend?

Hi everyone,

I often see Tunisian students on LinkedIn posting about their achievements, rankings, and participation in international competitions, hackathons, challenges, etc.

My question is: where do you usually find out about these opportunities before they happen? Are there specific websites, platforms, communities, Discord servers, Facebook groups, newsletters, or pages you follow for upcoming tech competitions and events?

I’d appreciate any recommendations, especially for international opportunities open to Tunisian students. Thanks!

Hey, has anyone here applied to and got accepted into an engineering school in France while already studying in a cycle ingénieur in Tunisia?

If yes, how did the process go? Did you restart a year, continue at the same level, and what schools did you apply to?

Would really appreciate hearing your experience.

Hey guys, for those who managed to get a job in big tech, an internship abroad/paid internship, or an alternance while studying:

What do you think helped you the most?

Projects? LeetCode? Networking? Referrals? Internships? Just applying a lot?

Would love to hear real experiences, especially from Tunisians who went through it.

Hi everyone,

I’m a Tunisian student who just finished 2 years of prepa, passed the national engineering exam, and got into an engineering school. I’ll start 1A this year.

I’m thinking about applying independently to schools like Télécom Paris, IMT Atlantique, or Grenoble INP – Ensimag, since my school doesn’t have partnerships with them.

I wanted to ask Tunisians who’ve tried something similar: how realistic is this?

How important are grades and ranking during the engineering cycle? If I manage to rank around the top 1–5% of my engineering school class, would that make my application competitive?

And if my ranking is lower but I still have good grades, strong personal projects, certifications, internships, etc., can that compensate, or do these schools mainly care about academics?

Also, did you need DELF/DALF, IELTS/TOEFL, or was another proof of language level enough?

I’d especially love to hear from anyone from Tunisia who applied outside a partnership/double degree. If you can share your school, ranking, profile, where you applied, and whether you got accepted, that would be really helpful.

Thanks!

Hey everyone,

I just finished prépa and got affecté to Telecommunications, but I’m much more interested in AI/ML and programming than telecom itself.

I’m wondering if I can study telecom while grinding AI/ML on the side, build strong projects, and try to get AI/ML internships.

My biggest concern is the degree itself: if I graduate as a Telecom engineer but have good AI/ML internships, projects, and skills, will recruiters still prefer/restrict jobs to people with CS/AI/Data Science degrees? Or does the exact engineering specialty matter less once you have relevant experience?

I’m also not sure how good the future of telecom is compared to AI/ML.

Repeating the year to try for a CS/AI-related filière is something I’m considering, but only as a last option. I really don’t want to lose a year if switching into AI/ML from telecom is completely realistic.

If anyone has been in a similar situation, especially in Tunisia, I’d really appreciate some advice.

Bonjour,

Je suis étudiant tunisien. Je viens de terminer les 2 années de prépa en Tunisie, j’ai réussi le concours national d’entrée aux écoles d’ingénieurs et j’ai été affecté dans une école d’ingénieurs en Génie des Télécommunications. Je vais commencer ma première année du cycle ingénieur (1A) cette année.

Je pense à candidater de mon côté à des écoles comme Télécom Paris, IMT Atlantique et Grenoble INP – Ensimag. Mon école n’a pas de partenariat avec ces établissements, donc je passerais par une candidature individuelle, via les admissions internationales / admissions sur titre / Free Mover.

J’essaie surtout de savoir si mon projet est réaliste.

À quel point les notes et le classement dans la promotion sont-ils importants ? Si j’arrive à finir dans le top 1–5 %, est-ce que mon dossier pourrait être considéré comme compétitif ?

Et si je ne suis pas dans le top 1–5 %, mais que j’ai quand même de bonnes notes, des certifications professionnelles, des projets personnels et de bonnes compétences techniques, est-ce que ça peut compenser un peu, ou est-ce que les résultats académiques restent clairement le critère principal ?

Je me demande aussi quelle importance ont les recommandations, les stages et le niveau en langues.

Concernant les langues justement, est-ce qu’une certification officielle comme le DELF pour le français ou l’IELTS pour l’anglais est généralement obligatoire pour ce type de candidature ? Ou est-ce qu’un autre justificatif de niveau peut suffire selon l’école ?

Un autre point sur lequel je trouve très peu d’informations : je ne sais pas combien d’étudiants internationaux candidatent individuellement à ces écoles, ni combien sont acceptés. Comme je ne passe pas par un partenariat entre établissements, je n’arrive pas vraiment à savoir à quel point cette voie est sélective ni si un profil comme le mien a une vraie chance.

Si quelqu’un ici a déjà candidaté à l’une de ces écoles en tant qu’étudiant international hors partenariat, notamment depuis la Tunisie, le Maroc, l’Algérie ou un système similaire, je serais très intéressé par votre retour d’expérience et par le profil que vous aviez au moment de candidater.

Merci !

Bonjour,

Je suis étudiant tunisien. Je viens de terminer les 2 années de prépa en Tunisie, j’ai réussi le concours national d’entrée aux écoles d’ingénieurs et j’ai été affecté dans une école d’ingénieurs en Génie des Télécommunications. Je vais commencer ma première année du cycle ingénieur (1A) cette année.

Je pense à candidater de mon côté à des écoles comme Télécom Paris, IMT Atlantique et Grenoble INP – Ensimag. Mon école n’a pas de partenariat avec ces établissements, donc je passerais par une candidature individuelle, via les admissions internationales / admissions sur titre / Free Mover.

J’essaie surtout de savoir si mon projet est réaliste.

À quel point les notes et le classement dans la promotion sont-ils importants ? Si j’arrive à finir dans le top 1–5 %, est-ce que mon dossier pourrait être considéré comme compétitif ?

Et si je ne suis pas dans le top 1–5 %, mais que j’ai quand même de bonnes notes, des certifications professionnelles, des projets personnels et de bonnes compétences techniques, est-ce que ça peut compenser un peu, ou est-ce que les résultats académiques restent clairement le critère principal ?

Je me demande aussi quelle importance ont les recommandations, les stages et le niveau en langues.

Concernant les langues justement, est-ce qu’une certification officielle comme le DELF pour le français ou l’IELTS pour l’anglais est généralement obligatoire pour ce type de candidature ? Ou est-ce qu’un autre justificatif de niveau peut suffire selon l’école ?

Un autre point sur lequel je trouve très peu d’informations : je ne sais pas combien d’étudiants internationaux candidatent individuellement à ces écoles, ni combien sont acceptés. Comme je ne passe pas par un partenariat entre établissements, je n’arrive pas vraiment à savoir à quel point cette voie est sélective ni si un profil comme le mien a une vraie chance.

Si quelqu’un ici a déjà candidaté à l’une de ces écoles en tant qu’étudiant international hors partenariat, notamment depuis la Tunisie, le Maroc, l’Algérie ou un système similaire, je serais très intéressé par votre retour d’expérience et par le profil que vous aviez au moment de candidater.

Merci !

Bonjour,

Je suis étudiant tunisien. Je viens de terminer les 2 années de prépa en Tunisie, j’ai réussi le concours national d’entrée aux écoles d’ingénieurs et j’ai été affecté dans une école d’ingénieurs en Génie des Télécommunications. Je vais commencer ma première année du cycle ingénieur (1A) cette année.

Je pense à candidater de mon côté à des écoles comme Télécom Paris, IMT Atlantique et Grenoble INP – Ensimag. Mon école n’a pas de partenariat avec ces établissements, donc je passerais par une candidature individuelle, via les admissions internationales / admissions sur titre / Free Mover.

J’essaie surtout de savoir si mon projet est réaliste.

À quel point les notes et le classement dans la promotion sont-ils importants ? Si j’arrive à finir dans le top 1–5 %, est-ce que mon dossier pourrait être considéré comme compétitif ?

Et si je ne suis pas dans le top 1–5 %, mais que j’ai quand même de bonnes notes, des certifications professionnelles, des projets personnels et de bonnes compétences techniques, est-ce que ça peut compenser un peu, ou est-ce que les résultats académiques restent clairement le critère principal ?

Je me demande aussi quelle importance ont les recommandations, les stages et le niveau en langues.

Concernant les langues justement, est-ce qu’une certification officielle comme le DELF pour le français ou l’IELTS pour l’anglais est généralement obligatoire pour ce type de candidature ? Ou est-ce qu’un autre justificatif de niveau peut suffire selon l’école ?

Un autre point sur lequel je trouve très peu d’informations : je ne sais pas combien d’étudiants internationaux candidatent individuellement à ces écoles, ni combien sont acceptés. Comme je ne passe pas par un partenariat entre établissements, je n’arrive pas vraiment à savoir à quel point cette voie est sélective ni si un profil comme le mien a une vraie chance.

Si quelqu’un ici a déjà candidaté à l’une de ces écoles en tant qu’étudiant international hors partenariat, notamment depuis la Tunisie, le Maroc, l’Algérie ou un système similaire, je serais très intéressé par votre retour d’expérience et par le profil que vous aviez au moment de candidater.

Merci !

I’m a pre-engineering student and I’m still a bit confused about how jobs work in Tunisia.

For example, can a mechanical engineer apply for software engineering jobs if they have good projects, strong skills, and a solid software portfolio?

Same question for internships: do companies usually require a software/CS degree specifically, or can any engineering student apply as long as they have the skills and meet the requirements?

I’m a pre-engineering student and I’m still a bit confused about how jobs work in Tunisia.

For example, can a mechanical engineer apply for software engineering jobs if they have good projects, strong skills, and a solid software portfolio?

Same question for internships: do companies usually require a software/CS degree specifically, or can any engineering student apply as long as they have the skills and meet the requirements?

Hey everyone, I’m 21 and really passionate about AI and machine learning, but I feel a bit lost.

There’s so much to learn, and I’m worried it could take a year or more before I’m ready for internships or jobs. Since AI changes so fast, I also wonder if what I learn now will become outdated by then.

I’m also a perfectionist, so I always feel like I need to learn everything before starting. I know projects are important, but I also want to eventually build something original, not just copy projects everyone has already done.

For anyone who has been through this: where should I start, what should I focus on, and when should I begin applying for internships?

Hey everyone, I’m 21 and really passionate about AI and machine learning, but I feel a bit lost.

There’s so much to learn, and I’m worried it could take a year or more before I’m ready for internships or jobs. Since AI changes so fast, I also wonder if what I learn now will become outdated by then.

I’m also a perfectionist, so I always feel like I need to learn everything before starting. I know projects are important, but I also want to eventually build something original, not just copy projects everyone has already done.

For anyone who has been through this: where should I start, what should I focus on, and when should I begin applying for internships?

Hey everyone, I’m a college student working on an online subscription-based service.

What’s the best legal way to receive recurring payments from international customers and keep the money in USD or EUR instead of having it automatically converted to TND?

Would I need to register a company or open a foreign-currency account? I’d appreciate hearing from anyone who has done something similar.

I’m a pre-engineering student interested in AI, machine learning, and deep learning, and I’m trying to understand what companies actually look for in interns.

Do they care more about the degree and university name, or about projects, research, practical skills, GitHub, certifications, and a good LinkedIn profile? Can someone who learns mostly online and builds strong projects compete with students from top universities?

I don’t really have anyone experienced to guide me, and I’m afraid of missing opportunities now that I may regret later. I’d really appreciate hearing how you got your first AI/ML internship, or what you wish you had started doing earlier.

I’m a pre-engineering student interested in AI, machine learning, and deep learning, and I’m trying to understand what companies actually look for in interns.

Do they care more about the degree and university name, or about projects, research, practical skills, GitHub, certifications, and a good LinkedIn profile? Can someone who learns mostly online and builds strong projects compete with students from top universities?

I don’t really have anyone experienced to guide me, and I’m afraid of missing opportunities now that I may regret later. I’d really appreciate hearing how you got your first AI/ML internship, or what you wish you had started doing earlier.

I’m a pre-engineering student trying to understand what actually matters for internships and tech jobs: the degree, real skills, personal projects, professional certifications, or even having a good LinkedIn profile.

Can someone who learns independently and builds strong projects compete with engineering graduates? And how difficult is it to get an internship at a big company?

I’m also wondering whether companies in Tunisia actually hire AI/ML engineers or offer internships in this field. Do these opportunities exist here, or is the market still very limited?

Honestly, I don’t have anyone to guide me, and I’m afraid of missing opportunities at this age that I might regret later. If there’s something you wish you had done earlier or regret not doing I’d really appreciate your advice.

This is just my point of view, and I’m not sure if it’s completely true.

Sometimes I feel like companies in Europe, the US, or the Gulf are not really waiting for Tunisian engineers. They already have many strong local and international candidates, often from better-known universities, and many of them don’t need visa sponsorship.

So unless you have rare skills, a very strong profile, or years of experience, getting recruited directly from Tunisia seems extremely difficult, especially as a fresh graduate.

I’m not saying it’s impossible or that Tunisian engineers are not good. I just think the process is much harder than people make it sound.

For those who have real experience with this, what was it actually like? What helped you get an opportunity abroad?