Please find below information about ESRA International programs and the application process.

If you don’t find an answer to your question feel free to contact us at international@esra.edu.

• What level of English is required for taking part in ESRA International programs ?

  – Applicants must have a good level of conversational and written English. We understand that international students come from different backgrounds and have varying levels of English, but classes and workshops do imply the ability to write essays, take notes, learn technical vocabulary and succeed at exams.

  – You do not have to justify your level of English if you are : an applicant who is a native English speaker OR an applicant with a high-school or higher diploma from an English-language school or university.

  – If this is not the case, you must provide standardized English testing results (preference for TOEFL, but IELTS and TOEIC can also be considered).

  – If neither of these cases apply or accessing a testing center is too difficult, please contact us by email or join a separate written statement with your application explaining your situation.

• How do I get a student visa ?

  If you live outside of the European Union, you will need to get a student visa to participate in the 1 Year or 3 Year ESRA International programs.

  If your application is accepted and you complete your student registration, you will get an official letter from the school supporting your application for a student visa. You will have to prepare and complete your application, then bring it to a French consulate or embassy. The process can take 3 months or more, so please make sure you apply well in advance if you will be requiring a student visa.

  Summer program applicants can come on a simple tourism visa if their nationality allows them to stay in France for the duration of the summer course.

• What requirements are there for applying ?

  – Applicants must provide a valid proof of identity (passport, EU national identity card)

  – Applicants must fill the form on the website to receive the application and brochure. They must then read the guidelines and complete the ESRA International programs application, providing all the listed required supporting documents.

  – Applicants for the 1 Year and 3 Year programs should have at least a high-school diploma or higher. (If you do not have a high-school diploma but still want to apply for these ESRA Filmmaking programs, please contact us before you apply to explain your educational background, so we can better advise you).

  – You must be open-minded and tolerant towards different cultures and faiths. ESRA International programs are for applicants from all parts of the world and you must be ready to share in an intercultural experience.

• Are there opportunities for scholarship ?

  There are two options for obtaining scholarships to cover part or all of tuition fees :

  Some students look for and obtain scholarship funding from non-profit foundations, non-governmental or governmental organizations, ministries, and other institutions that provide educational scholarship funding, fellowships, or student loans. Students are responsible for searching and applying for these sources of scholarship funding, in their home country or region. A great ressource to find them is the Campus France website at this link : http://campusbourses.campusfrance.org/fria/bourse/#/catalog
  For the part covering tuition fees, scholarship funding should be paid directly to ESRA.

  ESRA International Filmmaking scholarships – If an ESRA International program is fully enrolled (20 to 30 students per class), a few scholarships will be offered to students to cover part or all of their tuition fees, on the basis of merit and of financial need. Only applicants who have sent a full application will be considered for the scholarships, which are only for students who cannot, even with the financial assistance of their parents or guardians, afford to pay full tuition. Scholarships cover school tuition, not accommodation or travel expenses, which students must be able to cover.

• What about food, housing, and insurance ?

  Although the admissions team can provide some helpful links and information, searching for housing and food are the responsibility of the students and/or their parents or guardian. Housing and food costs are not included in the school tuition fees.

  The same is true for insurance. You must, as a student coming to France, have health and travel insurance that is appropriate and corresponds to your needs.

• Eligibility and Age

  For ESRA International 1 Year and 3 Year programs, students must be at least 18 years of age upon applying for the first year of the program OR turn 18 during the first academic year. The age limit for the programs is 30 years of age; however, students older than 30 can still apply and be accepted on a case to case basis, depending on the strength of their application. Recent high-school graduates who are passionate about filmmaking can benefit from the programs as much as professionals seeking career development or change.

  For the Summer programs, applicants must be at least 18 years of age OR be accompanied by at least one supervising adult if they are under 18 (who will sign the application and who will take responsibility for the student during out-of-school hours).

• How long is the admissions process ?

  APPLICATION

  Once a full application has been received by the ESRA International Admissions team a confirmation email is sent to the applicant. A week or two after sending their application, applicants will be contacted so that a 15-20 minute interview (over the telephone or by video using Skype) can be setup between them and a member of the ESRA International admissions team. After the interview, applicants will receive within 1 to 2 weeks an email confirming whether their application to the school has been accepted or not.

  REGISTRATION

  If an applicant is accepted into an ESRA International program they will receive within two weeks a registration form and have to pay a registration fee so that they can be considered as a registered student.

  After registration, international students from outside the European Union who require a student visa to attend classes at ESRA in Paris will be given an official letter of registration from the school, which they can then use when applying to French consular services for a student visa. The duration of the French student visa application process varies and can take several months. The school is not responsible for the duration of student visa applications, nor for any rejection of a student visa by French consular services. Registered students who have paid the registration fee and who do not obtain a student visa for France are fully reimbursed the registration fee.

• What are the different elements of the application ?

  Please fill a form below on this website to receive the ESRA International APPLICATION FORM and BROCHURE or send an email requesting the documents to :

  international@esra.edu

  In order to complete your application, please :

  –  Fill out the APPLICATION FORM and write a PERSONAL STATEMENT (at the bottom of the form)

  –  Send us a CV and a LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION (1 Year and 3 Year applicants only, not required for Summer programs) from one of your teachers (high school, university) or from a professional contact

  –  If you are not a native English speaker and have no high-school or university degree in English, please provide the results of English-language proficiency testing (preference for TOEFL, but IELTS and TOEIC can also be considered) (1 Year and 3 Year applicants only, not required for Summer programs)

  –  Join a RECENT PHOTO (scan / print) AND a valid PROOF OF IDENTITY (scan or photocopy of passport, EU national identity card)

  –  Provide copies of your academic degrees (high-school or above), diplomas, or professional certifications (1 Year and 3 Year applicants only, not required for Summer programs)

  –  Optional : If applicants have prior experience in filmmaking, they can include a portfolio, writing samples, short films as links or DVDs, a showreel, a website

  –  Once you have sent your full application, with all required documents, you will receive a confirmation email. After this confirmation of receipt of your application, you are required to pay the APPLICATION FEE (80 Euros for 1 Year and 3 Year applicants, 40 Euros for Summer programs), by wire transfer. Wire transfer information is available in the application form and in the brochure.

• How do I send my application ?

  – Please fill a form below on this website to receive the ESRA International APPLICATION FORM and BROCHURE or send an email requesting the documents to :

  international@esra.edu

  – The ESRA International APPLICATION FORM is a saveable PDF document, so applicants can download it, fill it in, save it, and send it back with all requested documents by email directly to :

  international@esra.edu

  – Make sure you have all the required documents before sending your application. Supporting documents should be PDFs or image files that are small in size (1 to 2 MB per file). If you have already worked on film projects, provide links to videos rather than sending large video files directly by email.

• What are the deadlines for applications ?

  We strongly encourage applicants to send their applications several months in advance if they want a better chance to be accepted into their selected program and if they will require applying for a student visa to France.

  The following deadlines apply to 1 Year and 3 Year program applicants and Summer program applicants :

  APPLICATION DEADLINES

  For 1 Year and 3 Year program applicants	September
  For Summer program applicants	June

• What are the options for payment of tuition fees ?

  For the 1 Year and 3 Year programs :
  Tuitions fees can be paid as one installment or in 2 to 4 installments.

  For summer programs :
  Tuitions fees can be paid in 1 or 2 installments, which must be received by the week before the start of classes.