The image of preparatory classes improved

Simple correction or beginning of a true reversal of trend Difficult to answer with certainty. Entries in the competition for entry to the schools of management at the end of preparatory classes, regarded as the "Royal way" go upward. Of course, the progression is low 4 percent but it barely comes after three consecutive years of decline, a drop of 20 in all. "The image of preparatory classes improved." "The communications efforts, including in the direction of high school students, bear fruit," said Jacques Chaniol, Director of the ESC Tours-Poitiers. Recent debates on "the social openness" and the good integration of graduates of these "networks of excellence" have no doubt also contributed to strengthening the attractiveness of the "prépas".

Remains that the modest recovery this year observed covers divergent developments. It is indeed as if you attended a "bipolarization" of management schools: while some maintain or increase, from one year to another, their number of candidates, others clearly have difficulty attracting students from classes prépas. In the first category, on rangera five schools say "Paris" (1), so that half one dozen others as Audencia, Grenoble EM, ESC Lille and schools of the Bank of tests Ecricome, each with more than 3,000 candidates. CET ( 16.7) and Essec ( 11.2) were thus seduced respectively 383 and 502 Specifica more than last year, and expand their pool. "Parisian school, students enroll directly online, without going through their preparation, and therefore may be less than in the past self is-censorship", explains Bernard Belletante, Deputy Director General of Euromed.

Behind the ESC Amiens, which exempted stock candidates for registration, the Escem (Tours-Poitiers) and the Ceram, which brought together their applications (single registration, common oral), display the boosts. "Our partnership with the Ceram is paying, analysis Jacques Chaniol.". The simplification that we have thus proposed meets a need. But, on the other hand, we start to collect the dividends of the work done since 2001.

In General, accreditation pay: with the exception of the ICN, schools that attract more than 3,500 candidates received the AACSB label (2) or Equis and often both. And if the ESC Lille moves 5.8, so that she could benefit in time his accreditation Equis, obtained too late. ESC Clermont, just get in December the AACSB label, it progresses from 14 points but still attracts only 1.270 candidates.

In contrast, is observed declines, exceeding 20, for half a dozen schools, starting with the IECS Strasbourg ( 29,7). "A true break seems to be happening within the network between the schools with more than 3,000 candidates and others, note Jacques Chaniol." After all, schools are not necessarily intended to play a leading role. It can be very good institutions in regional or specialized vocation.

Competition sharpens

Still necessary but that the gap is not indefinitely increase between "head" schools and those in tail of platoon. As the current balance is fragile: it is sufficient that some establishments of cities open the gates of their recruitment to even more difficult situation the smaller schools.

Not to mention that the competition sharpens. Number of potential applicants to business schools are moving finally to the University or to the IEP (3). Even abroad: Canadian institutions (HEC Montréal mainly, but also the universities of Ottawa and Laval, Quebec) recruit more and students of the hexagon. British universities began they also explore the French market. "It is difficult to draw definitive conclusions from the results of this year, observes carefully Bernard Belletante.". But, in any event, it is desirable that the prépas recruit more, particularly in opening to other profiles. "Otherwise some schools may find themselves one day on the fringes of the network.