For the past week, it has been possible for final year students to express their training wishes on Parcoursup. Although the offers are numerous, some are demanding and accept few candidates. Here is the mistake you should definitely not make if you want to have every chance of being admitted to the course of your dreams.
Since January 15, 2025, it has been possible to enter your wishes on Parcoursup and complete your file. If the year 2024 brought together nearly 945,000 candidates on the platformthe year 2025 looks just as promising. For high school students new to the state website, it can be difficult to navigate and stand out from other students. Between BTS, licenses and specialized schools, it can sometimes be complicated to be admitted to the desired courses, especially if the latter are among the most selective.
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To do well and put all the chances on your side, there are simple methods, that many candidates do not necessarily think about putting it into practice. If the latter tend to believe that “no one reads the applications anyway”, the reality is very different. According to Career Kueen, a career coach who provides tips on social networks, it is essential to take care of your file in order to stand out and to show all the skills acquired during the school career. However, there are many who commit a particular error when formulating wishes, to the great regret of the specialist.
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This mistake that almost all students make on Parcoursup
In a TikTok video, the recruitment expert explains that, Not filling out the interests box may be detrimental to students. “Even though the box is optional, it is important to fill it out because it helps you stand out from the rest”she assures. “Even if you think it's not necessary because of your good grades, it's imperative to do it because sometimes that's what can tip the scales”, she insists. On the official Parcoursup website, it is specified that the “Activities and centers of interest” section aims to highlight personalityas well as the values and qualities of the student. The objective is not to make a simple enumeration, but to develop your interests outside of school. This may concern a personal project, summer jobs or simply passions. These elements will allow the recruiter to better understand the candidate and discover who he really is.
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To use this box wisely, Career Kueen recommends list all activities carried out outside the school environment. The important thing is to explain what the student learned from these experiences and what skills he developed. These small details added to the application allow you to enhance the individuality of the candidate and to push recruiters to select this type of profile rather than another with very good grades, but which does not highlight their personality.
What to put in this section to stand out?
The section of interests is divided into four distinct parts: management or leadership experiences, civic engagement, professional experience and openness to the world. For each of these sections, the specialist recommends choosing your activities carefully in order to maximize your value. Here is what she recommends for each title:
Supervisory experience:
-For this title, the objective is to identify experiences involving group responsibilities. To do this, it is possible to register all activities where the candidate had a management roleeven in a small committee. This may concern leisure centers, scouting or babysitting. The coach specifies that it is important to detail the context, missions and motivation of each activity.
Citizen engagement:
This criterion refers to volunteering. The specialist explains that this activity makes it possible to check whether the student has participated in a project that was close to his heart, without remuneration. This may involve involvement in an association, help between neighbors or services provided to people in difficulty (elderly people, disabled people, etc.). Here again, the coach believes that it is essential to note the context, the actions undertaken and their impact.
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Professional experience:
In this section, it is simply about list jobs done and internshipsspecifying the dates and actions carried out in each sector. Careen Queen emphasizes that it is important to add professional projects. “If you have created something, opened a YouTube channel or a blog, this can be interesting to mention, because it shows your curiosity and your investment. The activity must, however, be linked to your professional project to strengthen the application”she adds.
Opening to the world:
This section may seem vague because many do not know exactly what to include. However, it reflects the student's personality well. In this category, it is relevant to mention the sports practiced, the interests outside of school, the passions… “These activities must nevertheless have a link with the professional world”, she emphasizes.
