r/EPFL

Hi all! I got into a CS PhD program at a small university in my home country. My supervisors are excellent but the university itself is relatively new and small, which means it doesn't rank well(*) despite the quality of the people there. And the stipend is quite low. At the same time, I got into epfl CS master's. My thinking is that doing the master's could open doors to a better PhD down the line (in the sense of better funding or a more reputable program in Europe or North America).

That said, I'm aware epfl master's doesn't guarantee admission into the doctoral program. Given that, I'd like to know how's the placement from the epfl master's in CS/Data Science? Do most students land strong PhD positions? Has anyone from the epfl master's not gotten into a good PhD program afterward? (Roughly top 100 globally or top labs in EU/North America).

Thanks!

(*) I know rankings aren't everything in research, that at the end of the day, what matters most is the work you publish and getting it into good conferences. But I still can't shake the feeling that not being in a top program means missing out on opportunities: better funding, stronger networks, and connections, etc.

Hi everyone!
I'm a French high school student (female, 18yo) who just finished the French Baccalauréat, and if everything goes well, I'll be starting at EPFL this fall.
I'm currently looking for a place to rent in or around Lausanne. If anyone is renting out a studio, apartment, or even a room—or knows someone who is—I would really appreciate it if you could let me know!
I'm a quiet, responsible, and respectful student, and I'll take great care of the place.
Feel free to send me a DM if you have anything available or any recommendations. Thank you so much!
Contact me in private
—-
Bonjour à tous !
Je suis une élève de Terminale (fille, 18ans) qui vient de passer le baccalauréat français et, si tout se passe bien, je commencerai mes études à l'EPFL à la rentrée de septembre.
Je suis actuellement à la recherche d'un logement à Lausanne ou dans les environs. Si vous louez un studio, un appartement ou une chambre, ou si vous connaissez quelqu'un qui en propose un, je serais ravie d'en discuter.
Je suis une étudiante sérieuse, calme et respectueuse, et je prendrai grand soin du logement.
N'hésitez pas à m'envoyer un message privé si vous avez une proposition ou des conseils. Merci beaucoup !
Contactez moi en privé

A lot of us applied to research programs this year—some were accepted, some were waitlisted, and many were rejected.
One thing I realized during the application process is that there isn’t really a place where students interested in Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering can stay connected after everything is over.
So I decided to create BioBridge — a small, completely free, student-led WhatsApp community.
The goal isn’t networking for the sake of networking.
It’s simply to:
• discuss research papers,
• share research opportunities,
• ask questions,
• exchange ideas,
• and support each other’s research journeys.
Whether you were accepted to a program, rejected, or you’re just starting to explore research, you’re welcome.
If you’re interested in joining, comment “Interested” below or send me a DM, and I’ll send you the WhatsApp invitation link.
I’d love to build a community of curious students from around the world. 🧬🌍

Hello, I’m a Moroccan 11th grader who’s going into her last year of high school and I still haven’t taken any test or sat or anything like that since I’m still confused on what universities abroad ask for. What kind of tests should I take if I want to apply to epfl? Do they ask for extracurriculars? And do they accept foreigners?

Hello,

I'm going to start studying architecture this September. I have a Swiss Matura with a focus on physics, which I completed in Valais.

1. What topics are covered in math and physics? I think I'm well prepared, but I might be mistaken.
2. What should I pay special attention to? How should I manage my time, deal with the really boring classes, and so on?
3. How do the design projects work?
4. Will I have any free time? At least enough to work out? Will I have time to go home on weekends (I live about 40 km away)?
5. If you have any other useful advice or insights, I'd really appreciate it.

Hi all, just checking in to see if any new FMEL offers have gone out recently?
If you have received an offer, would you mind sharing your application date and the start date? Even if you're still waiting, please feel free to comment with your application date so we can compare how far along they are in the process.
Thanks!

I feel that if I had a therapist, they would tell me to share with other people what caused my anxiety and PTSD, and to listen to other people stories. So let's pretend this is a self-help group for EPFL survivors who faced intense mental health strain during exam sessions. Please share with us what was the hardest exam you faced, and how it went. I will start.

Please note: this is not a contest about who had it the hardest. We understand every perspective is unique and personal, and that some people struggled on specific subjects more than others.

---

In 2012-13 I did my second year of Bachelor in Mathematics and arguably the most intense classes where Analyse III and IV. Analyse III had 4 hours of classes and 4 hours of exercises per week in Fall semester, while Analyse IV had 3 hours of classes and 3 hours of exercises in Spring semester.
Total: 14 credits to be gained in one exam in summer, with absolutely no midterm or semester work. 100% of the grade would come from this single 4 hours exam.

The exam itself would be 9 to 12 questions long depending on the year, with the whole syllabus of theory and exercises being a potential question. Needless to say, it was a huge amount of material, with little time to revise.

The first time I took this exam, I failed it completely, I don't remember with precision the grade I got, but I think it was 3 (at the time, only half marks were possible). So the next year I had to take the whole course again, with the knowledge that if I failed it again I would have been out of EPFL. So I took a lighter load of 3rd year classes and focused a lot of time on Analyse.

Comes summer 2014, I remember skipping the last 2 weeks of classes to start preparing the exam again. I dedicated 30 uninterrupted days for this exam: every morning I would wake up at 8am, drag myself to EPFL campus and force myself to follow the study plan I had crafted. I seem to remember that luckily it was the very first exam of the session, so I could temporarily ignore the other exams.
The day of the exam it was one of the hottest days of summer that year, and the exam was from 2pm to 6pm. The assistants tried opening the windows but the heat was intense nonetheless. But I didn't care, I didn't have time to care, I was in fully engaged mode. I remember I had 12 questions that year, which means 20 minutes per question. I timed myself on my watch and if after 20 minutes I hadn't finished the current question I would move on to the next. There were large stains of sweat on all pages, it almost looked like I cried throughout the exam, but it was still readable, I made sure of it.

After turning the exam in, my soul was much lighter: whatever the result would be, I knew I had given my all. I finished revising and taking the other exams, and at the end of the session I received my grade: 4. I passed. I cried with relief that night. In the end, I ended up passing the 2nd year block with average 4.09 (!) and officially advanced to 3rd year. After that, EPFL was a breeze in comparison, and I obtained my Master in 2016.

Starting from the following school year, the exam was divided in 2 smaller exams, with 8 and 6 credits worth respectively. But I am glad and proud that I passed the joint exam.
At the same time I am happy for all the newer students, who didn't have to face what I faced. I am not claiming I had it so extremely harder than them, but every little bit helps.

---

For many years after doing the Analyse III-IV exam, I would suddenly wake up in the morning in panic, thinking I had to give the exam again that same very day. Then I would slowly realize that I had graduated already.
Other times I would dream that my High School diploma was invalidated for whatever reason, and that all subsequent degrees were also revoked.
Now, 10 years, after graduating, such nightmares and panic attacks are much more rare and I have a fulfilling life with a relatively good job.

If you read it this far, and are or were in my situation, please know that things will get better eventually. Thank you for reading.

I have a Bachelor's in Computer Science (AI) and 8 published research papers. No Master's degree though. Is it possible to apply directly to a PhD at EPFL, and would the publications make up for not having a Master's? Would appreciate any insight. Thanks

For the bac i got 16.55 average but 18 in maths and 19 in physics-chem. Will the science grades be good enough to get me in or will my average drag me down and possibly be the reason of me not getting in epfl? I applied for mechanical engineering.

I got the results today and i'm really happy! It was a goal of mine to have mention très bien and all my family and friends are happy for me. Problem is, i know this grade is very borderline for epfl, from what i've seen, the bare minimum is not 16 anymore, but closer to 17-18. and igotta ask: Do i still have a chance ? i mean the minimum to be considered is 16, with 16 in both math and PC, which i satisfy, but is it not enough ? looking forward to your responses!

J’ai reçu les résultats aujourd’hui et je suis vraiment content ! C’était un objectif pour moi d’obtenir la mention très bien, et toute ma famille et mes amis sont heureux pour moi. Le problème, c’est que je sais que cette note est assez limite pour l’EPFL, d’après ce que j’ai vu. Le minimum n’est plus vraiment 16, mais plutôt autour de 17–18. Et du coup, j’ai une question : est-ce que j’ai encore une chance ? Je veux dire, le minimum pour être considéré est 16, avec 16 en maths et en physique-chimie, ce que je remplis, mais est-ce que ce n’est pas suffisant ? J’attends vos réponses avec impatience !

Hello,
I applied to the bachelors as a french bac student, waiting for reply, but since my grades aren't very strong (16,48 with 16 in math and 18 in PC) i'm kinda coming to terms with the fact that i'll probably be rejected. I had another option in canada with UBC enginnering (i was accepted), but due to my new financial situation im probably not going there either. my only other option is a prépa in france (carnot) which is ok but not as prestigious as ubc or epfl. so i was wondering if i could try to take the exam by the end of year 1 of prepa or try the maturité for guarenteed admission. prépa is notoriously hard and thats why i'm scared trying to both study for either one of those exams and prepa at the same time will make me lose both opportunities. tho i cant help but think that prepa must have alot of overlap with the entrance exam especially in terms of math and physics, it also has philosophy and french so maybe there is overlap too. for the swiss maturité, in terms of science, prepa seems to be way ahead of it, so maybe me just trying my best in prépa might make me ready for them ? Honestly idk, im kinda desperate sorry. I would love your honest opinion about wether any one of those options is viable or wether this is just unrealistic.

Bonjour,

J’ai postulé au bachelor en tant qu’élève du bac français et j’attends une réponse. Mais comme mes résultats ne sont pas très élevés (16,48 de moyenne avec 16 en maths et 18 en physique-chimie), je commence à me faire à l’idée que je serai probablement refusé.

J’avais une autre option au Canada avec UBC Engineering (où j’ai été accepté), mais à cause de ma nouvelle situation financière, il est probable que je n’y aille pas non plus. Mon seul autre choix est une prépa en France (Carnot), ce qui est correct mais moins prestigieux que UBC ou l’EPFL. Je me demandais donc si je pouvais tenter le concours d’entrée à la fin de la première année de prépa, ou essayer la maturité suisse pour une admission garantie. La prépa est notoirement difficile, et j’ai peur que vouloir préparer en même temps la prépa et ces examens me fasse perdre les deux opportunités.Cependant, je ne peux pas m’empêcher de penser qu’il doit y avoir beaucoup de points communs entre la prépa et le concours d’entrée, surtout en maths et en physique. Il y a aussi du français et de la philo, donc peut-être aussi des similitudes. Pour la maturité suisse, en sciences, la prépa semble être largement au-dessus, donc peut-être que simplement faire de mon mieux en prépa suffirait à me préparer. Honnêtement je ne sais pas, je suis un peu désespéré désolé. J’aimerais vraiment un avis honnête sur le fait de savoir si une de ces options est viable ou si c’est simplement irréaliste.

Comme indiqué dans le titre je me suis pris un échec définitif en première année de médecine , et mtn la peur me ronge , j’ai peur de me reprendre un autre échec définitif, cette année j’ai bcp travaillé et bcp donnée mais malheureusement c’est le jeux , la première année est très éliminatoire.

Je voulais savoir si ça allait m’impacter pour le future , disons que je me réoriente et que je loupe 1 bloc , et je loupe également le rattrapage suis -je en échec def ? Ai je le droit de redoubler ? Je sais que pour une filliere « proche » il ne m’est pas possible de redoubler ( pharma , biologie etcc) mais je souhaite me réorienter en psycho ou eco. J’ai contacté uni mais aucune réponse pour l’instant .

I know that EPFL has a lot of different education paths, and most of them end up very specialized. I was wondering what percentage of EPFL graduates ends up leaving Switzerland, simply because there aren't many jobs openings in Switzerland about what they studied for?

What led me to ask this: on r/switzerland, expats like to rant that they don't find a job, but the issue is that many of them are highly educated, and there simply aren't enough jobs in Switzerland for so many highly educated and specialized individuals. There are job openings for waitress, construction workers, and other low education jobs, but that's not the jobs they want obviously. This led me to think about this: EPFL and ETHZ produce a lot of highly educated graduates in so many different fields, but do most of them end up leaving Switzerland simply because there aren't enough jobs for those people here? I find it kind of sad to study here for two or even five years, and then you have to leave since there is just not the kind of jobs that you spent years preparing for

Hello,

For those of you who are currently doing a Bachelor's at EPFL, or who still remember those days 😜:

What kind of laptop specs would you recommend? Is a fairly powerful laptop really necessary?

Could you share your experience and any advice to help us make the right choice?

I'm also planning to buy a tablet.

If you already have a tablet, is a powerful laptop still essential? (Obviously, I'm not talking about a gaming laptop 😅, just a laptop that's well suited to EPFL's needs.)

How are you equipped yourselves?

Thanks in advance for sharing your experience and advice! ✊👍

I'hear a lot that the job market is pretty rough right now, but how is it looking specifically for EPFL graduates?

​If you've graduated recently, could you share your section, when you graduated, and how your job hunting experience was?

Hey everyone, thanks in advance for your help!

I'm a first-year Computer Science and Engineering student at Politecnico di Milano, and I'm really hoping to study in Switzerland, either at ETH or EPFL.

I started off the fall semester pretty well, as I got a perfect grade on my first exam, but, in the winter, I had a problem with anxiety during exams, which brought my average down to just over 25 (I even got a 26 in Analysis because I totally forgot to write the easiest part of the exam and lost 3 points😭).

So, I'm a bit worried about my GPA. Do you think I still have a shot at studying in Switzerland?

Also, could I find a place to live for around 900 CHF? I'm definitely not wealthy, and that's a big concern (even though Milan is pretty expensive too, I'm not sure how it compares to Lausanne and Zurich… I once spent 8 CHF on a magnet in Zurich during a 9-hour layover from Palermo to Glasgow, so that gives you an idea 🥶).

One last thing: did I misunderstand or do you get kicked out of Swiss universities if you fail an exam twice? It's never happened to me, but I'm only in my first year, and I'm guessing Swiss exams are way tougher than Italian ones.

Anyway, I'll be looking forward to your answers. Thanks again for your time!

Hi,
I am an incoming masters student at EPFL. I am curious to know from other fellow international students how it is like living in Lausanne - transport connectivity, the weather, safety, finding friends, food, things to do, about the locals, etc. Thanks!

Hi everyone, I'm a student from Oxford in the UK visiting Switzerland. I happen to be at Lausanne for a few days and would like to visit the uni and try out the cafeteria. Apparently it would be cheaper if I go in as a guest of a student than on my own. Wondering if anyone would be interested in taking me there for lunch on Sunday? Would pay you bank transfer / cash afterwards.

I am about to start my MSc in Physics at IIT Madras, India. How should I utilize my next two years so I can get into this prestigious PhD program?

I wish to apply for the Neuro-X program, I'm a sophomore student in Computer Science Engineering with a focus on Data Science. I do not come from a distinguished college but, I'm working on deepfake audio detection paper, I'm also assisting with a computational biology paper, and doing the neuromatch academy - comp neuro summer school this July. What else should I focus on over the next 2 years to build a competitive profile for EPFL Neuro-X and similar programs?