Caroline & The Casiraghi's - University Life

[Coquine]

Ah thanks, I see now. You have a point there. Indeed, people I know from B/L were all revising during Easter vacations and wouldn't have time to make a nice little trip to Monaco.

 

[Grace]

As you've been so kind to explain us the French schooling system in detail (I knew more or less how it worked, but not the details...) what's the difference between an A/L and a B/L?
Thanks again,

Kisses

 

[Coquine]

Ok, my English is not that good but I’ll try to explain. I’m not an expert, so anybody can correct me if I’m wrong. (I just know a few things about it because I have two French friends, who are in prépas and I once made a paper about the French schooling system (I study French at university) and read a lot about it on the internet). So (hypo)khâgne is the general term. Then you have two options, A/L and B/L. The difference between the two is that in B/L you have maths and social studies while in A/L you have instead geography, more languages with in the most lycées obligatory Latin or Greek and philosophy and literature are considered more important. So A/L is the ‘real literary’ section and B/L is more ‘multi-disciplinary’ and general. With B/L you can also participate in the concours of HEC, ESSEC, Sciences-Po, etc., which are commercial and political schools. But there are not much lycées who offer the option B/L and I just went checking on the website of Fénelon and they don’t offer it. So Charlotte is certainly in A/L and her concours starts 17 may. I’m sorry to have caused confusion in this topic but in the mean time you all learnt something about la douce France and that can’t be bad (ok, I’m sorry, I adore France and French a bit too much ).

 

[Grace]

Thanks a lot! I really appreciated your explanation.
So Char wants to go on with real literary studies; I thought she might go on and study something more "government oriented" like Science Po or International Relations. It makes sense that her exams would start on May 17.

Thanks again, Kisses

 

[monacofan]

i hope she does well on her exams then!

 

[CasiraghiTrio]

Thanks a lot! I really appreciated your explanation.
So Char wants to go on with real literary studies; I thought she might go on and study something more "government oriented" like Science Po or International Relations. It makes sense that her exams would start on May 17.

Thanks again, Kisses

But Coquine said she's on the A/L course, which I took to mean the more humanities (philosophy, literature, geography) related course. The B/L course is the more political science, government related course, isn't it?
Grace, I would have guessed as you have guessed before reading Coquine's post, because of the Bunte rumor about Charlotte studying government and finance at Lycee Henry IV, but now Coquine seems to say that Charlotte is on a track that is more about philosophy, languages, geography, literature (the A/L)? Unless I misunderstood, which is highly possible!

 

[Coquine]

But Coquine said she's on the A/L course, which I took to mean the more humanities (philosophy, literature, geography) related course. The B/L course is the more political science, government related course, isn't it? You're right.
Grace, I would have guessed as you have guessed before reading Coquine's post, because of the Bunte rumor about Charlotte studying government and finance at Lycee Henry IV (once again, as Tutu said, you can't study government and finance in prépa, you can do an economic prépa but I still believe Point de Vue saying that Char is doing khâgne in Fénelon), but now Coquine seems to say that Charlotte is on a track that is more about philosophy, languages, geography, literature (the A/L) (If Point de Vue says that Char is studying khâgne in Fénelon, it can be only the A/L option because they don't offer B/L and as I said I believe Point de Vue and not Bunte)? Unless I misunderstood, which is highly possible!

I'm sorry to cause all this confusion about A/L and B/L, I hope it's clear now.
I also want to add that you don't have to continue necessarily literare studies in Normale Sup, if you succeed in the concours, you're free to choose but it is probable that you stay within the human sciences if you did a khâgne before. And this is all in case Char would succeed in the concours of Normale Sup, if she really does, she's not only beautiful, royal and rich but also incredibly intelligent ! If she doesn't, there are a lot of other possibilities besides Normale Sup, like for example Sciences-Po, as Grace indicated.

 

[CasiraghiTrio]

I'm sorry to cause all this confusion about A/L and B/L, I hope it's clear now.
I also want to add that you don't have to continue necessarily literare studies in Normale Sup, if you succeed in the concours, you're free to choose but it is probable that you stay within the human sciences if you did a khâgne before. And this is all in case Char would succeed in the concours of Normale Sup, if she really does, she's not only beautiful, royal and rich but also incredibly intelligent ! If she doesn't, there are a lot of other possibilities besides Normale Sup, like for example Sciences-Po, as Grace indicated.

Hey, a couple days ago I noticed Sciences Po is very close to where we theorize Charlotte is living. If Pierre is living in the same area, I think it may be true that he studies there. Sciences Po is a fantastic school especially to study law!

 

[PARAZAR]

Hey, a couple days ago I noticed Sciences Po is very close to where we theorize Charlotte is living. If Pierre is living in the same area, I think it may be true that he studies there. Sciences Po is a fantastic school especially to study law!

It's actually to study political sciences. My sister studied there.

 

[CasiraghiTrio]

There is not such a thing as a prépa in diplomacy. It is the same if she is at lycée fénelon or henri iv, NOBODY studies diplomacy and politics there. What that german magazine probably misunderstood is that a lot of prépa pupils of this lycées stay there for 2 years in order to prepare an exam for a Grande École (Ulm, in paris), and that most of the Grandes École pupils go there to study politics, economy, and so on in order to start a career as a high rank civil servant.
Charlotte is in prépa littéraire, no matter whether she is at fénelon or henri iv

That makes complete sense. Thanks, Tutu, for the explanation. Also, thank you for your explanation about the trio's early education. That was fascinating. In 2002/2003, around there, I heard rumors of Andrea having bad grades too. I heard he did poorly on his bac. What would be the advantage of a boarding school in Paris, I wonder? If it is like boarding schools in the US, I am thinking the advantage was that he had smaller classes and more attention. Is the curriculum at French boarding schools the same as in the "state" schools?

 

[Coquine]

She finished her exams since Tuesday. So, hourra, we probably will see new pictures.

 

[CasiraghiTrio]

She finished her exams since Tuesday. So, hourra, we probably will see new pictures.

How long do the results take to come back?

 

[flewinck]

Why do you think Charlotte finished her exams already? Even, why are you all so sure that Charlotte is still studying? Holiday in France starts on July 1st...

She finished her exams since Tuesday. So, hourra, we probably will see new pictures.

 

[mari]

Why do you think Charlotte finished her exams already? Even, why are you all so sure that Charlotte is still studying? Holiday in France starts on July 1st...

I don't know why she's so sure, but it depends on your level. Some of my friends at uni already finished and I finish only Tuesday

 

[Coquine]

(Hey guys, I’m not the kind of person who will spread silly rumours ! But I’ve learned my lesson, in the future I will immediately mention an official source.)

I don’t think it, I know it because a friend of mine, who’s in khâgne as well, sent me all excited a message that it was finally over. And if you don’t believe me, go and check the site of the ENS : http://www.ens.fr/concours/Organisation/Calendriers.htm
The answer to CasiraghiTrio’s question : As you can read on that site, she will get her results of the written exams on the 27th of June. If she passed these, then she’s called ‘admissible’ and she has to take the oral exams and if she passed these as well, then she’s finally accepted to the ENS. From now until the 27th, she will probably be preparing the oral examination. So let’s keep our fingers crossed because there are so many participants and so few places !

 

[louisgarrel]

do you think it's possible to find an exame like the one she took online...
because i think it would be cool to take the same test as her

 

[Coquine]

You find the programs of this and all the previous years on the same site. Here it is : http://www.ens.fr/concours/Organisation/programme_2006_AL.pdf

 

[louisgarrel]

thanks a lot coquine...

 

[CasiraghiTrio]

No wonder Char and Felix have no time to go to Monaco now and hang out during the Grand Prix. It will be wonderful if both of them get in at ENS but the chances are slim, so even if one gets in or neither gets in, they will either try again next year or do something else just as valuable. In America, they would surely get into any school they wanted because that is the way it works here. When you have connections, in the US, you get in. But at ENS, which doesn't have "benefactors", the professors who decide who gets in aren't likely to even know who Charlotte Casiraghi is. So it will be down to pure merit.

 

[auroraDaniel]

But at ENS, which doesn't have "benefactors", the professors who decide who gets in aren't likely to even know who Charlotte Casiraghi is. So it will be down to pure merit.

If Charlotte does get into ENS with ENS reputations like that, then all I can say is "WOW' and start wondering if I can be like that also......

 

[teense]

Charlotte seems to be so wonderful. She is beautiful--she could lead a Paris Hilton life but instead ,she leads such a dignified life.
She has a passion to learn and has such a respect for education. Charlotte is elegant and has such a talent for horse riding--she could train for the olympics if she wanted... She is devoted to her little sister and a supportive sister to her brothers.
I sure wish her Uncle could find someone like her.

 

[Sancia]

If Charlotte does get into ENS with ENS reputations like that, then all I can say is "WOW' and start wondering if I can be like that also......

To get into ENS is something wonderful, but there are universities with a very good level too. I know personally some people who would have deserved a lot to get into ENS but who failed twice or three times at the exam.
Furthermore, it would surprise me if we see Charlotte tomorrow at Monaco: if she's "admissible" and goes to oral exam, she'll need to have worked a lot between the written and the oral exam. There are preparations to the oral part currently in all the french khâgnes.

Oops, I forgot my source: myself, as a former khâgne-student.

 

[CasiraghiTrio]

Charlotte seems to be so wonderful. She is beautiful--she could lead a Paris Hilton life but instead ,she leads such a dignified life.
She has a passion to learn and has such a respect for education. Charlotte is elegant and has such a talent for horse riding--she could train for the olympics if she wanted... She is devoted to her little sister and a supportive sister to her brothers.
I sure wish her Uncle could find someone like her.

She seems to have a brilliance of mind, or at least a craving to have it, but her passion for equestrian sports may not have ever been Olympic-worthy. Her old show jumping results were usually quite average, nothing particularly stellar. She was good, but not great. Sometimes she had a shining moment, such as winning the Stars race, the charity jockey event in Fontainebleau, in 2001, or coming in second place in the Friends Cup at the Monte Carlo jumping in 2002. But those were isolated instances and by no means proved consistent throughout her equestrian "career", if you can call it a "career." It was more like a hobby, albeit a very passionate and devoted hobby. I am not intending to diminish her accomplishments. Far from it. She was very talented at show jumping, but certainly not in the league of Olympians like Athina or Doda or the Roziers or Princess Haya of Jordan. She was not even quite up to par with Valentine's league. She was just a very good amateur. That was always my impression, anyway.

 

[flewinck]

Come on people, I know this is again off-topic stuff but anyway. It looks you all know everything about her, and it looks you know more about her than herself! Since when does everybody know where she is studying? Even, why do you think she's studying?

And about the school level in France: I'm sorry to say but French education is on a low level. You've indeed a few very good schools and universities, but that's it. If we can compare it with Belgium e.g. that we've to say that Belgian students are much better prepared and educated. And for the best univ education we still have to go to the USA (Harvard, Yale, Stanford, MIT,...)!

 

[Sancia]

Come on people, I know this is again off-topic stuff but anyway. It looks you all know everything about her, and it looks you know more about her than herself! Since when does everybody know where she is studying? Even, why do you think she's studying?

And about the school level in France: I'm sorry to say but French education is on a low level. You've indeed a few very good schools and universities, but that's it. If we can compare it with Belgium e.g. that we've to say that Belgian students are much better prepared and educated. And for the best univ education we still have to go to the USA (Harvard, Yale, Stanford, MIT,...)!

How do we know? Because papers like Point de Vue are reporting Charlotte is studying in a very good khâgne in Paris. Having done a khâgne myself, having studied for the same exams, I know where are the very good khâgnes in Paris and how difficult are the exams.

 

[Coquine]

Oh, there’s Mister Critical again. I certainly don’t pretend to know everything about Charlotte. As for where she’s studying, last year we saw pictures of her leaving lycée Fénelon several times and Point de Vue, which is in general a reliable source, mentioned as well that she’s indeed studying at Fénelon. I admit that we can’t know for sure where she’s studying this year. She could have changed to another lycée but that she’s studying, is for sure because her godmother said that in an interview to Point de Vue during the Bal de la Rose. As for her applying to the ENS, I won’t answer for personal reasons but I don’t pretend that she didn’t present herself for other concours. To place all your confidence in only one concours, isn’t indeed a good idea. Finally, as for your statements about Belgian education, I think (the following is my personal opinion, so I understand if you don’t agree with me) Belgian universities are indeed better than the average French ‘fac’ but certainly not better than the grandes écoles. It’s tougher to get in a grande école (well, that’s logical because everyone can enter freely almost every Belgian university) and from what I hear and read, prépas are really difficult. You can’t have a lot of extra-curricular activities (Charlotte, for example, dropped the riding competitions). I study at the KULeuven, which is among the best universities in Belgium (although I say so myself), and believe me, you can easily party on here till november and april and still pass your exams with reasonable grades.

Edit : Sorry Danielane, I repeat a bit what you're saying but seems that we posted at the same time.

 

[Sancia]

And about the school level in France: I'm sorry to say but French education is on a low level. You've indeed a few very good schools and universities, but that's it. If we can compare it with Belgium e.g. that we've to say that Belgian students are much better prepared and educated. And for the best univ education we still have to go to the USA (Harvard, Yale, Stanford, MIT,...)!

What's your source about this statement?

 

[Sancia]

To place all your confidence in only one concours, isn’t indeed a good idea.

In fact, khâgnes students don't have much choice. The khâgne prepares to only one concours (and is for that very different of scientific or economic preparatory classes). So if you failed, you have nothing, but you can get into university. After two years of khâgne, you can get into university's third year. After three year of khâgne, I got into university's fourth year (but you need to have some university exams). I didn't into ENS, but I'll very soon achieve a master in the Sorbonne.

 

[Coquine]

The khâgne prepares to only one concours.

I didn't know that. What about Sciences Po ?

 

[Sancia]

I didn't know that. What about Sciences Po ?

You can take Sciences Po exam but you'll need to prepare it by yourself, which means lot of work added to the lot of work of the khâgne.
It seems there's now specifics khâgnes for Sciences Po, but not in Paris. The famous parisian khâgnes' main goal is ENS.