whether you like your time at SciencesPo or not will most likely correlate with how much your enjoy the “french experience”.

afterall, SciencesPo is just the best of the best — or the worst of the worst, depending on who you ask.

– if you are at a regional campus, be prepared for the complete and utter disregard of the central admin. we faced issues of sexual, racial and gender based violence, all of which were brushed under the rug.
– the french elite make up a large majority of the domestic students, and they tend look down on international students, despite us categorically doing much better than them.
– the regional campus fairytale they sell is a lie.

that being said:
– while the classes may be tedious at times, but they are interesting — and they are very relevant to our fields of study.
– it is not always that you will find yourself surrounded with students of such caliber within your field.

I am a second year student of SciencesPo, Campus de Menton,English Track. Unfortunately, after being at SciencesPo for 2 years, I believe I have acquired enough experience to state that the university, or at least the Campus of Menton, falls short of its fame as a prestigious university of the elites.
The few positives of the university are the high level of the student body, the wide range of extracurricular and the geographical position of the Campus.
Apart from those, the academic staff is not competent enough (all infos are given 3 hours before the deadline, classes are constatly rescheduled and whole courses are changed from one day to the other). Furthemore, even thought there are few competent teachers, most of them do not speak fluent English and the quality of teaching assistants is poor.
Overall, very disappointing.

Where can I start – the Menton Campus of Sciences Po certainly offers a university experience like no other. Surrounded by students from Turkey to Tunisia, and Uganda to Uzbekistan, I am immersed in an environment that constantly challenges and excites me. Sciences Po is exactly where I need to be to continue growing into the open-minded, discerning woman I desire to be.

The Sciences Po experience can be described as nothing other than diverse. Professors’ backgrounds range from Italy to London, to Paris, and thus teaching styles and priorities are different between them. However, I’ve learned so very much from world-class professors who are genuinely passionate about the topics they’re teaching. One downfall of this diversity, though, is the lack go predictability of the grades given by teachers. As each comes from a different grading system and background, they all expect different things from the students’ work, and often don’t communicate or coordinate these expectations between themselves or with their classes.

As the Menton campus is small, with only 75 students, social life is enrapturing. As we all live in a tiny town, if you enjoy potluck dinners and wine nights with close friends, and essentially live on top of one another in tiny apartments, this is the life for you. Students come from every country (in the English International Track, ironically from pretty much all nations except France). The people make the uni – this is indisputable.

As a young girl from an isolated Aussie city, being able to meet people from diverse cultures, yet all driven by the same passion and zest for politics and international studies has been an eye-opening opportunity. I’ve learnt just about life generally from my peers as I have my professors, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Accommodation options remain somewhat limited, with single-sex boys or girls residences at either Villa Jasmin or Menton Plus, and thus many students elect to live in shared apartments. Having lived in the Villa, I can safely say that although loved the people I was living with, the experience was characterised by many obscure rules and I am excited to be moving into an apartment with friends next year. The food here is expensive but far cheaper than in other European cities. Italy is far cheaper for grocery shopping, and thus we often catch a train to capitalise on the cheaper prices in Ventimiglia.

overall, I have learned and grown so much from this university experience. I would not change a thing (not even the poor university administration coordination) and am excited to be returning soon for the new academic year.

Professors being people professionals in the field that they teach about is such a great learning experience. However, there is a lack of diversity in the faculty which is a bit jarring for this school being an international school and all.

I absolutely do not regret my choice. Very prestigious school with a lot of support and opens a lot of doors for the future. The teachers are attentive as well as the administration.

I have learnt a lot at my time at Sciences Po Paris, Campus au Havre. My university life was a mixture of realising my passions, making amazing lifelong friends and experiences, and getting to learn from some of the most brilliant minds in political sciences. I decided to major in Government and Politics and had the opportunity to learn about a diverse range of subjects from constitutional law to energy geopolitics in Central Asia. At the Le Havre campus, Euro-Asian relations is the specialisation and not only does one get to learn a lot about the larger than life region but also meet people from all over the world with similar passions. For a small campus, the student life is active and there is constantly multiple events to go to or participate in. If you are interested in Asia and the social sciences, Sciences Po Paris Campus au Havre is for you. Sciences Po Paris has other campuses for other regions across France including campuses in Paris, Dijon (Eastern Europe), Menton (Middle East and Mediterranean), Reims (North America and Africa), Nancy(Germany-EU? Idk), and Poitiers (Latin America). The Le Havre campus (go mushus!) is an English speaking campus. So, if you are not a French speaker like me, it’s a little less terrifying coming to France and not knowing French. Le Havre isn’t the prettiest French city but the city grows on you and you come to make it your own.

Sciences Po is an incredible experience. The quality and the variety of its assignment are one of its bests assets. There, you develop your knowledge but also your critic sense. Also, you have the opportunity to meet and exchange with personalities. But Sciences Po is even more enriching in the sense that it also encourages you to engage yourself. Sciences Po encourages you to be part of an association, a club, a team sport… It wants you to be commited and responsible and not only in a civic way. Being in a cooking club or in a music band is very well seen. The school even has its own official music band. __One of the other good sides of SciencesPo is that you have to live a year abroad during your studies. Basically, you can go where you want. This is an amazing opportunity.

I have studied in the Menton campus, middle eastern programme.

Choose Sciences Po if you are looking for a stimulating environment surrounded by incredibly interesting people, from all over the world. Some classes are valuable and have great teaching.

Don’t expect a great administration or organisation. You will have to face living in a new environment semi-alone (beside your friends – which become a family in such a small environment). A few classes were disastrous, as is time management – with days as long as 10 hours.

I would choose Sciences Po again for the people I have met, the opportunity of the third year exchange and the automatic entrance into their Master’s programme. Do not expect academic excellence in regional campuses.

I would summarize Sciences Po as a school that offers so many possibilities and openings. Both in the wealth of meetings, in the quality of educational content, or professional opportunities. This school offers everything to flourish to the point that the main danger is to be trapped in the “bubble” Sciences Po.