Mathilde Kubiak, 3rd year engineering student

Mathilde is a third year student in the engineering cycle, majoring in Economic Policies and Dynamics, followed by a Master's degree in Economics from the Institut Polytechnique de Paris. She was recruited via the Eco et Sciences Sociales-BL competitive examination. She comes from a preparatory class for the BL at the Henri IV high school in Paris.

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 PARIS?

In preparatory class, I really liked mathematics and economics. I saw in ENSAE the opportunity to study quantitative economics and to discover a rapidly growing field, data science. The prospect of learning completely new things like programming and data analysis was appealing. I also wanted to spend more time playing sports and have a dynamic student life. Finally, I liked the idea of being part of a small class with students from different academic backgrounds, as well as the possibility of meeting new people.

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

I would recommend the ENSAE Paris program to people who are interested in using mathematical tools to answer economic, social or more generally data analysis problems. It is a demanding course with a lot of new teaching, which allows you not to be disoriented after the preparatory class while continuing to be intellectually stimulated. I think that this training is particularly appropriate for those who have an appetite for research, as many courses deal with the mathematical foundations of the methods used and are taught by researchers from CREST (Centre de Recherche en Économie et Statistique de l'ENSAE). The proximity of the school to this center is particularly interesting from this point of view, as it allows students to quickly get in touch with the world of research. But more broadly, the technical skills acquired at ENSAE are highly sought after in the professional world, both in public institutions and in companies, which creates great diversity in terms of possible careers.

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

During the first two years, academic teaching, which is divided into hours of lectures and tutorials, takes up most of the students' time. However, two half-days are free and allow for associative and sports activities. Thursday afternoons are specifically dedicated to sports competitions and associations: one can thus get involved in professional associations, play music, play board games or take care of the school's vegetable garden... The evenings of the week are punctuated by the organization of parties within the different schools of the plateau, and on Thursday evening, it is the KF&T party, the school bar. On weekends, there may be organized trips, sports competitions between schools or larger parties. In short, despite the large amount of knowledge to be acquired, it is possible to have a very rich extra-curricular life and to free up a lot of free time.

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

I was Secretary General of the Forum ENSAE association and a member of KF&T, BDS (Sports Office) and ENSAE Solidaire.

5. IN YOUR OPINION, WHAT ARE THE THREE STRONG POINTS OF ENSAE PARIS?

The size of the classes is undeniably an asset. With about 130 students in the first year and 200 in the second, these small classes create a friendly atmosphere; you can quickly get to know everyone and feel at ease. This also makes it easy to get in touch with the professors, who are always available. Secondly, the quality of the school's teaching is recognized, which gives access to many double degrees in France and abroad, facilitates internships and allows for interesting professional perspectives. Finally, I really liked the geographical setting of the school. The plateau, its sports facilities and large green spaces make it a pleasant place that will bring back very good memories.

6. WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO THOSE WHO ARE STILL WONDERING ABOUT THEIR ORIENTATION AND ARE NOW IN THE BL PREPARATORY PROGRAM?

After two very stimulating years of preparatory classes, characterized by rich and diverse teaching, it is not easy to make a choice of orientation which often implies specializing. What is studied at ENSAE may seem very specific when you leave the BL, but what the school teaches above all is the acquisition of mathematical methods which can then be used in a great many fields. The range of career opportunities is really very wide and is enhanced by the presence of double degrees with, among others, engineering and business schools. As far as I am concerned, I will specialize in energy economics next year. I would like to work on issues related to the energy transition, and the quantitative tools acquired at ENSAE will be very useful in this perspective.