Eiffel Excellence Scholarship: the most prestigious French scholarship you can get
Mikhail Miroshnichenko joined EDHEC MiM Finance after his Bachelor’s degree in Economics from the Higher School of Economics. He was awarded the prestigious Eiffel Excellence Scholarship.
What is your background prior to EDHEC?
I am from Russia. I studied at one of the most prestigious linguistic schools in Moscow with an in-depth study of the French language. I graduated with honors, received a gold medal (the highest award for Russian students).
After that, I received a Bachelor's degree in Economics from the Higher School of Economics, which is also considered the leading university in Russia in this field.
How did you learn about the Eiffel scholarship?
I first heard about this scholarship when I was in school because we had a lot of topics related to the French education system and various tools that can help us continue our education abroad. In the first years of my bachelor's degree, I was not sure I wanted to try and enroll in foreign universities/Business schools, but in the 3rd year, the priorities changed. I visited the fair dedicated to masters, which was held in Moscow in early 2020, where I had the opportunity to talk with a representative of EDHEC, who once again told me about the Eiffel Excellence Scholarship. After that, I started planning the application process and decided to try the Eiffel Excellence Scholarship as one of the possible options.
How was the process of applying for the scholarship?
Firstly, shortly before the start of the COVID pandemic, I passed the international exam in French (received a C1). This was not directly related to my EDHEC application, because I am studying in an English-language program, and knowledge of French is not mandatory. In any case, I realized that this exam could demonstrate my language skills, firstly, to the Eiffel committee and, secondly, to potential employers, because DALF does not have an end date and I should not extend it. After that, I passed IELTS, and it took longer than I thought because of the limitations of the pandemic. At the beginning of November 2020, the Russian adviser of EDHEC contacted me once again about my participation in the Eiffel application process, and we began together to prepare all the relevant documents and motivation letters.
How long did you wait for the results and how did you find out that you had succeeded?
The deadline for submitting applications for Eiffel was around the end of December, and the final results were published only on April 29. However, I cannot say that this wait was long, because I also had to pass the GMAT during this time period, and besides, April 30 was my deadline for the final qualifying report at HSE. I always had so much to do that I even missed the publication of the Eiffel results, but the EDHEC advisor called me to congratulate me. It was a fantastic moment!
How does it feel to be chosen among thousands of candidates?
Of course, it's a great honor for me. I didn't expect to be chosen because there were so many worthy participants all over the world. It was a very difficult competition with the best students. This is a huge motivation for me to develop and do everything in my power.
What kind of benefits do you get?
My life in France began not so long ago, and I cannot say that I have already opened all benefits of this scholarship, but I can say with confidence that the amount of money I get monthly is enough to fully live and to save some. During these two months, I have never had the need to ask for financial assistance from my parents, or something like that, but I understand that prices in different cities can differ significantly. However, it seems to me this scholarship is good even for Paris since Nice is also a city with fairly high prices.
Why did you choose EDHEC Business School’s Master in Management, Finance?
As I have already mentioned, I visited a masters’ fair in Moscow, where I had an opportunity to talk with an EDHEC representative. This program fitted my bill because it includes a mandatory gap year for internships and I can finish Business School with a year of practice, which can really help me to find after that an offer or a long-term contract. It matches with a very developed career office which really helps students to prepare for application in companies. Also, I admired that EDHEC is practice-oriented and tries to follow all modern trends in economics (sustainable finance, climate economics). Finally, there is a lot of famous professors who are known both for their extensive scientific activities and for their vast practical experience.
What are the main takeaways so far?
I am happy with my everyday life here. I'm grateful to everyone who made this possible.
