Beyond Parcoursup: Why I Traded the Standard French Uni Route for 3 Cities in 3 Years

If you’re finishing high school in France right now, you’re likely living in a state of permanent Parcoursup anxiety. The endless vœux, the ranking stress, and that sinking feeling that your entire future is being decided by an algorithm that doesn’t actually know who you are.

I was in your shoes a couple of years ago. I knew I wanted something international, but the more I looked at the standard French options, the more disappointed I felt. Most business schools and universities claimed to be global, but when you looked closer, it usually just meant a single Erasmus semester or a short three-month internship in your third year.

I didn’t want a trip abroad, I wanted a life abroad. I wanted a degree that carried serious global weight, while also allowing me to live in vibrant cities throughout my studies. That’s when I discovered Forward College, and it offered me an alternative to the typical Parcoursup path.

I didn’t want a “trip” abroad, I wanted a life abroad. I wanted academic excellence that wasn’t just a French diploma, and I wanted to actually live in the heart of Europe. That’s when I found Forward College, and it totally broke the Parcoursup mold.

Flipped Classrooms

Coming from the French lycée system, I was mentally prepared for the amphithéâtres: sitting in a hall with 300 other students, typing notes while a professor talks not to you, but at you, for hours.

Forward is the complete opposite. We have small classes of around 15 students. It’s personal; the professors actually know my name. We use a “flipped classroom” model, which means we do the reading and prepare the material before class so that classroom time can be spent debating ideas, discussing concepts, and sharing perspectives.

Unlike the colles in Classe Prépa, which are designed to test your limits, we have one-to-one sessions that are genuinely supportive. If I have questions about a particular course or want to discuss a specific chapter in more depth, I can do so there. My fellows know my interests, career goals, and challenges. They give me tailored advice instead of broad, generic feedback.

The Degree: The Weight of LSE and King’s

In France, we’re conditioned to think that the Grandes Écoles are among the best possible paths. But I realised that choosing a degree from the University of London, with a curriculum designed by LSE or King’s College London, wasn’t just an alternative, it was an upgrade.

For me, the global prestige of an LSE-led degree, combined with the experience of living in three different European capitals, far outweighed the traditional route.

By choosing Forward, I wasn’t sacrificing academic rigour, I was gaining it. Having an LSE-led degree while living in three different EU capitals immediately makes your CV stand out. It’s one of the reasons Forward students go on to study at institutions such as Sciences Po, HEC Paris, and Bocconi, or start careers at the UN, Amazon, and L’Oréal. For a French student, this parcours is a major differentiator.

The 3-City Journey

There is a particular kind of adrenaline that comes with packing your life into a suitcase every September, knowing you’re not just going on holiday but moving to a new capital city. While many of my friends back home are hoping to spend a semester abroad through Erasmus, I already know I’ll be moving to a new country every year.

Year 1: Lisbon. Sunny days, a thriving startup scene, a student-friendly cost of living, and an incredibly welcoming atmosphere for your first year away from home. The perfect place to build friendships and start university life.

Year 2: Paris. Returning to France, but living at the Cité Internationale Universitaire de Paris, which feels like a global village. It’s a vast 34-hectare campus with around 40 residences, each representing a different country, from the Maison du Portugal to the Maison de l’Inde.

Year 3: Berlin. A capital of culture, creativity, and technology. You’re surrounded by startups, entrepreneurs, and global tech companies, making it an exciting place to finish your studies.

The journey is international not only because of the different capitals you live in, but also because of the people you meet. I’m studying alongside students from more than 40 countries. We moved together from Lisbon, where we first met, to Paris, and now to Berlin for our final year. Those friendships, built across three countries and countless experiences, are just as valuable as the degree itself.