For them, Parcoursup was last year, but the memory still remains fresh in their minds. As they prepared to take the baccalaureate, they had to, like the thousands of final year students this year, build their orientation project and think about their next wishes on the platform, which publishes training offers for the 2025 edition from this Wednesday.
If Manon still remembers her experience, it’s because she’s had enough of Parcoursup. Failing three years in a row to enter a nursing school, with “no wishes pending or accepted”, the young girl put all the chances on her side last year. “The first times, I only chose training in my department by making only one wish and four sub-wishes. »
No more question of making this mistake: “I made concessions by choosing schools far from home. I really recommend making as many wishes as possible,” explains the woman who finally joined nursing school in September.
Don’t put all your wishes in one basket
Like her, Adrien, who dreams of becoming a journalist, played it safe by making around ten wishes. “I wanted to get a license in information communication, but my Parcoursup advisor advised me to also apply for a license in geography, just in case. » Bingo, it was this request that was accepted on the first day of the admission phase. Enough to alleviate a little the anxiety of the high school student for the rest of the procedure.
Julia was also afraid of putting all her eggs in one basket. For someone who intends to be a lawyer or children’s judge, the choice of law was obvious. “But I risked closing doors if I only asked for that, so I also applied for a psychology degree and preparatory courses,” explains Julia.
The importance of the cover letter
If Adrien has only one regret, for his part, it is not having worked hard enough on his cover letters. “I did it two days before the end of the vows… Not only could they have been better, but I almost didn’t finish them on time,” he regrets. Manon actually advises “doing it in advance to study the content of the training and aim correctly”.
For Younès, who applied for scientific preparatory classes (CPGE) last year, the important thing is “to write the most authentic letter possible”. “You have to take care when they ask for one, because that means they really read them. And also fill in all the sections, such as their interests, that can make the difference with another candidate,” adds Julia.
While many admit to having asked their parents to help them write their letter, Samuel, now a student at Paris Dauphine University in mathematics and computer science, based himself on standard models that he had found online. “I simply spoke with those close to me to get their opinion,” says the man who didn’t have too many ideas of direction when he was in final year.
Desires that change throughout the procedure
Throughout the procedure, it is not uncommon to change your mind, depending on the answers received. Samuel, who had applied to CPGEs outside Paris, to discover other regions, had his requests refused… and ended up understanding that he was not ready to “sacrifice his social life for several years” . When his university sent him an admission offer, he jumped at it.
Adrien, who had focused on the Info com license in Chambéry (Savoie), near his home, at the start of the wishes phase, also changed his mind. Accepted by the same training but in Avignon (Vaucluse), he begins to visit apartments and to imagine a more independent life. So when the University of Chambéry finally gave him a favorable response, he decided to leave for Avignon.
For Julia, the summer was more difficult. “I spent my entire vacation checking every day to see if I had any answers. To ultimately have a proposal from my university two days before the start of the school year. » No need to connect “three or four times a day” to Parcoursup, the platform is only updated once a day.
For the young girl, today very happy to study law at Paris Cité, “we must not lose hope and tell ourselves that something will be accepted”. What also advises Samuel, who received a favorable proposal from Paris Dauphine… on August 31. “I never thought I would be accepted this late. So, anything is possible! »
