Louise Blart, 3rd year engineering student

Louise is a student in her third year of the engineering cycle in Data Science, Statistics and Learning. She was recruited through the GEI-UNIV competitive exam. She has a degree in mathematics and computer science applied to human and social sciences from the University of Lille.

To help you see more clearly the training offer proposed by ENSAE Paris, students share their experience.

1. WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO ENROLL AT ENSAE?

In my undergraduate studies, I liked the combination of the three main subjects of my program (mathematics, economics and computer science). It was therefore quite natural for me to turn myself to data science. I applied to the GEI competitive entrance exam to enter ENSAE, a school that met many of my post-graduate criteria: deepening my theoretical background in mathematics, having multiple choices of specialization, excellence and reputation of the program in the professional world.

2. WOULD YOU RECOMMEND THE ENSAE PARIS PROGRAM? IF SO, FOR WHAT REASONS?

Yes, I would recommend the ENSAE Paris program. It is a theoretical program, quite intense, which allows to have technical skills sought after by companies. Most of the teaching is done by researchers for the lectures and doctoral students for the TD/TP. This division is quite pedagogical, although some courses lack a little practice for my taste. The pedagogical team is alert and ensures that each student can be accompanied individually, whether it be for the courses or the internships.

3. WHAT IS A TYPICAL WEEK LIKE FOR AN ENSAE STUDENT?

The typical week of an ENSAE student varies a lot depending on the student's background, the year he or she is in and the academic goals he or she has set. For me, the first two years at ENSAE were studious. You had to adapt to a new work rhythm and there were a lot of classes. The third year is more applied and flexible because you can do a work-study program, a master's degree or a double degree in parallel, choose the courses that interest you, do a year of long internships, go abroad...

Student life also gives rhythm to each week with breakfasts, parties, sports competitions, concerts, meetings with companies or even weekends organized by the different associations of the school and the surrounding schools. The atmosphere on the plateau is pleasant.

4. ARE YOU OR HAVE YOU EVER BEEN PART OF A STUDENT ASSOCIATION AT THE SCHOOL? IF SO, WHAT WAS YOUR ROLE AND WHAT DID YOU GET OUT OF THIS EXPERIENCE?

I was the treasurer of the Sports Office. This experience could have been incredible with the organization of sports events with people sharing the same passion, weekends, running races, sports afternoons... if Covid had not gotten involved.

5. IN YOUR OPINION, WHAT ARE THE STRENGTHS OF ENSAE PARIS?

For me, the strengths of ENSAE are that it is a school on a human scale whose training is in line with the skills sought after in the professional world and allows students to specialize in one of the three specialization tracks in 3A, with a multitude of optional courses to choose from. Finally, ENSAE supports its students, for example with the alumni network and the organization of meetings with companies and public figures.

6. WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO THOSE WHO ARE STILL WONDERING ABOUT THEIR ORIENTATION AND ARE NOW STUDYING FOR A DEGREE IN MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTER SCIENCE APPLIED TO HUMAN AND SOCIAL SCIENCES?

The undergraduate profile is quite different from the preparatory profiles of ENSAE Paris. Personally, having a degree in Mathematics, Economics, and Computer Science, I was less strong than the students coming from scientific preparatory courses in the math classes, and than those coming from literary preparatory courses in the economics classes, but I still had a little bit of background in all the subjects. In the end, all this made up for itself. I just had a multidisciplinary profile and not a specialized one like the students who had done preparatory courses. You shouldn't be afraid of that. Especially since 1A is a year of harmonization divided into two courses: the mathematics course for scientific profiles needing to catch up in economics, and the economics course for literary profiles needing to catch up in math. Finally, it is interesting to find all these profiles in the same school, because it allows them to complement each other in the 2nd and 3rd year projects. A Bachelor's degree profile has its place at ENSAE!