Struggles between merits and inequalities at a prestigious school.
In December 2024, a thought-provoking debate was held, delving into the effects of the 2020 admission reform at Sciences Po Paris. The discussion, moderated by Clement Pin from INSEI - Grhapes, focused on the report titled "Les enjeux de la réforme des admissions à Sciences Po Paris," co-written by Marco Oberti from Sciences Po - CRIS & LIEPP, Alice Pavie from Université Laval - CIRST & LIEPP, and Mathieu Rossignol-Brunet. The report, available on the Hal website at this link: https://our website.hal.science/hal-04822549, provides an analysis of the social, academic, territorial, and gender dimensions of the reform, questioning the transformations of merit representations and diversity policies.
The debate, open but with mandatory attendance, proposed a reception following the discussion. Participants included Marco Oberti and Alice Pavie, who shared their insights on the reform's impact on the profiles of candidates and admitted students.
The 2020 admission reform at Sciences Po Paris introduced the "La Convention Éducation Prioritaire" (CEP), a move aimed at diversifying the student body by offering opportunities to students from disadvantaged socio-economic and territorial backgrounds through specific dossiers, rather than relying solely on traditional competitive exams. This shift in merit criteria extended beyond exam scores to include elements of social background and educational environment, thereby transforming merit and diversity policies towards greater inclusion.
The reform aimed to increase social and territorial diversity, with ambitious goals such as a 30% rate of scholarship students and the expansion of the CEP procedure to around 60 non-French institutions. However, due to the limited available information, a detailed analysis of the reform's specific effects on the profiles of candidates and admitted students cannot be provided at this time.
The debate was organised by CRIS and the Laboratoire Interdisciplinaire d'Évaluation des Politiques Publiques (LIEPP). In 2020, Sciences Po Paris implemented a reform of its admission procedures, marking a turn in its recruitment policy by integrating Parcoursup and reaffirming its ambition to combine excellence and diversity.
For a comprehensive understanding of the report's findings and the debate's discussion, access to the report directly or excerpts from it would be beneficial. Otherwise, consulting Sciences Po official communications or academic publications on the 2020 reform would be necessary for precise insights into the transformations of merit and diversity policies, as well as the shifts in the profiles of candidates and admitted students.
The debate delved into the effects of the 2020 education-and-self-development reform at Sciences Po Paris, specifically focusing on the impact of the reform on the learning profiles of candidates and admitted students. The report titled "Les enjeux de la réforme des admissions à Sciences Po Paris," provides an analysis of the transformations of merit representations and diversity policies as a result of the reform.
