An Overly-Dramatic Tale of Third Year Applications

Spending a year abroad as a part of one’s Bachelor’s degree was a big selling point for many Sciences Po applicants. But as we approached the 3A applications, there was a lot to stress about. Where do I want to go? Where can I go? When will I know where I am going? Will I get my first choice, my second, my third…? Frustrating. But January 30th came, and the 2As assembled in the library to shed tears of joy or disappointment as the results came in.

Let’s look at the process and the emotional rollercoaster that it was!

Most 2As had to submit a ranking of six universities we wanted to attend by December 3. Simple enough. One only has to consider the programme, cost of living, visa, rent prices, distance from home, drinking age, gun laws, Elon Musk’s fragile masculinity and its implications for everyday life, etc. Once again, we had to pretend that we were equipped and experienced enough to make life-altering decisions which hopefully won’t disappoint our parents.

Anyway, we all somehow came up with six educated guesses that we submitted to Sciences Po with a trembling click of a mouse a solid three minutes before the deadline. The worst was over—or so we thought.

The days went by. We slowly got used to the fact that we already made our choices. We began to get excited about the prospect of maybe going to Columbia or Al Farabi Kazakhstan National University.

But then came the dreadful what-if thoughts. What if I don’t get my first choice? What if I get my last? Or none of them at all?! You start having nightmares about how you are forced to eat fries with mayonnaise every day because Sciences Po sent you to the Netherlands and the housing market bankrupted you, and you wake up in a pool of sweat on the verge of crying. But maybe this was just me. Who knows?

The next stage began in January. The 2As collectively investigated to find out when exactly we will know the results. Now, by a collective investigation I mean the fact that everyone began to hear rumours that each student passes on. Someone heard that someone in Poitiers claimed that their aunt, who is a clairvoyant, said that on the website it says, and so on… Everyone was tense and anxious. But then, we found a lead.

The administration in Nancy told their students that the results will be posted on January 30 at 19:00. The screenshot of the WhatsApp message circulated quicker than your uncle’s newest conspiracy theory on Facebook. L’Union étudiante, a student union, confirmed the news, adding that 93% of 2As got one of their first three choices, and 70% got their first.

It was 12:49, Thursday, January 30. Only 6 hours and 11 minutes left. We approached the climax. No-one could think of anything else. Students who had class at 19:00 emailed their teachers to get excused. A collective assembly in the library was agreed upon so students could receive the news together, shoulder to shoulder, hand in hand. By 18:58, heart beats sync up. Every 2A was breathing in unison as they logged in. We became one entity.

At 7 o’clock sharp, the silence turned into a cacophony of emotions. Our hopes and fears became reality. Our anxiety transformed into tears, laughs, smiles, and hugs. Our choices materialised. At once, our frustration was released. Everyone demanded to know where everyone else is going. We are at ease again just because we now know. Whether we were happy about it, whether we were prepared for it, we at least knew where we are going.

Of course, this is not the end of the story. We may still have to make peace with the results. We will have to deal with even more paperwork. Some of us will have to find affordable housing in Barcelona (the writer of these lines welcomes tips about this at mateandor.kelemen@sciencespo.fr).

Lastly, we will all have to accept the fact that we are leaving. The importance of the friendships that we made here became ever so apparent the very moment we found out that we will be spreading out across all six continents. After all, you begin to value something when you realise you can so easily lose it.