Studying abroad
14 articles 7 country guides
United Kingdom, Netherlands, Canada, United States, Belgium, Switzerland… choosing a destination, understanding its rules, preparing your application.
Country guides
7 country guides
Studying in Belgium: a complete guide for francophone families
Medicine without PASS, European fees, cultural proximity: why Belgium attracts so many French families every year.
Direct application to each university / haute école
Studying in Canada: a complete guide for francophone families
Preferential tuition for French students in Quebec, two parallel systems, recognised academic quality: what families need to know before targeting a Canadian university.
Provincial platforms (OUAC for Ontario, ApplyAlberta, EducationPlannerBC, BUREAU for Quebec)
Studying in France: a complete guide for francophone and international families
Universities, grandes écoles, classes préparatoires, BTS, medicine, Parcoursup: the reference guide to understand the French higher-education system from the inside.
Parcoursup (post-bac) / Études en France (non-EU international students)
Studying in the Netherlands: a complete guide for francophone families
Over 2,100 English-taught programmes, European tuition, recognised quality: why the Netherlands has become the favourite destination for francophone families.
Studielink (single national platform)
Studying in Switzerland: a complete guide for francophone families
EPFL, ETH Zurich, luxury hospitality: a world-class university system accessible to French students, but with a cost of living that changes every calculation.
Direct application to each university
Studying in the United Arab Emirates: a complete guide for francophone families
Sorbonne, NYU, Heriot-Watt, Birmingham, Murdoch: why the Emirates have become a globally unique higher-education hub.
Direct application to each university
Studying in the United Kingdom: a complete guide for francophone families
UCAS, tuition fees, visa, application: everything a francophone family needs to know before targeting a British university.
UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admissions Service)
All articles
14 articles
How many universities to choose in the UK: is 5 the right number?
UCAS allows 5 choices maximum. But should you always use all 5? And how to split them between ambitious, heart, and safety?
7 min read
Administrative steps to study abroad: the complete checklist
Visa, health insurance, bank account, diploma recognition, parental authorisations: the full checklist so nothing is forgotten before departure.
7 min read
French lycée or international school in Dubai: the real decision criteria
LFIGP, AFLEC, Jean Mermoz, ICE, GEMS, Repton, SISD: a structured comparison of school options in Dubai for francophone families.
5 min read
Cost of higher education for an expat family: France vs UK vs USA
What does a Bachelor's really cost in France, the UK and the USA for an expat family? Honest comparison, hidden fees included, across 3 or 4 years.
9 min read
Sending your child to a boarding school in Europe: who it's for, what it costs, and how to do it
UK boarding school or French internat: real costs, decision criteria, enrolment procedure — including mid-year.
6 min read
Geopolitical crisis and schooling: what to do when your child's school goes online during a pivotal year
Your child is preparing the IB, Bac, or IGCSE and school has just gone online due to a crisis. Here are the concrete options, without panic.
8 min read
Student housing: how to find a place when your family lives abroad
Finding student housing from Dubai, Singapore, or New York: the traps, the platforms, the deadlines, and what expat families always discover too late.
5 min read
Conditional offer, Unconditional offer: decoding UCAS responses
You receive a UCAS response saying 'Conditional offer: AAB'. What does that mean in French Bac grades? How do you choose firm vs insurance?
7 min read
IB Diploma: Personal Statement, Common App, Parcoursup — adapting your application to 3 systems
One academic journey, three different files. How an IB student adapts their application to UCAS, Common App, and Parcoursup without drowning.
9 min read
Binational families: how to navigate between two education systems
Franco-British, Franco-American, Franco-Lebanese: when two school cultures share the same roof, post-secondary orientation becomes a delicate arbitration.
8 min read
The weight of language tests in an international application
IELTS, TOEFL, Cambridge, Duolingo: which test for which destination, what score to aim for, and when to start preparing.
7 min read
UCAS Personal Statement: the structure that works in 2026
4,000 characters, 15 drafts, one text for 5 universities: how to structure a UCAS Personal Statement that genuinely stands out.
6 min read
IB Diploma or French Bac in the UAE: how to choose for your child?
IB Diploma or French Baccalaureate in Dubai and Abu Dhabi: an honest comparison for international families living in the UAE.
6 min read
Why so many expat families hesitate between France and studying abroad
Stay international, return to France, or try a third country? The hesitation is normal. The right decision criteria, much less so.
5 min read
Studying abroad has become a realistic project for an increasing number of French-speaking families, whether they live in France, in the network of French lycées abroad, or in an already-international family. But it’s also a field where each country has its own rules, its own calendar, its own academic culture, and where a miscalibrated application costs you dearly.
This pillar gathers our destination-by-destination guides, and the comparisons that help families decide when they hesitate between two systems. The logic is always the same: no abstract ranking of « best destinations », but an honest reading of for whom and under what conditions each country is relevant.
You’ll find here:
- Detailed country fact sheets (UK, Netherlands, Canada, USA, Belgium, Switzerland, Germany…)
- Comparisons that cross multiple systems (IB vs French Bac, UK vs Netherlands, cost comparisons)
- Guides on the foreign application platforms (UCAS, Studielink, Common App…)
- Concrete questions about visas, equivalencies, financing, housing