Our goal for the last three years of Seconde, Première and Terminale (10th, 11th and 12th grade) is that, by the time they graduate, our students will,

• have achieved the best possible academic results at the baccalaureate of their choice
• have developed a carefully, well thought-out plan for their higher education
• have become totally bilingual, with their fluency validated by demanding exams
• have acquired uncommon capacity to adapt and to be open to the World
• have the option to study, work and excel in the country of their choosing

Lycée students are encouraged to further their studies in English and English-language literature by preparing and sitting outside examinations. The excellent results they can achieve validate their learning experience and reinforce their commitment to succeed. In seconde (10th grade), students sit the University of Cambridge’s IGCSE (International General Certificate of Secondary Education), an exam taken by their peers in the U.K. Students following the IGCSE track also have a special program studying translation from a sophisticated language structure perspective.

At the end of 10th grade,

• French Baccalaureate students who have achieved a mother-tongue command of English (t90 percent) and love literature are encouraged to opt for the Option Internationale —American Section—of the French Baccalaureate (OIB) in 11th and 12th grade, an English curriculum that compares favorably with that of the Advanced Placement (Literature). Also available to French track students is the demanding A2 program of the International Baccalaureate.
  
• International Baccalaureate (IB) students chose between A1 and A2 English, which are both offered at Higher Level and at Standard Level.

All three tracks available at EABJM, the French Baccalaureate—with or without its International Option (OIB)—and the International Baccalaureate (IB) are prepared over the final two years of the lycée, in Première and Terminale (11th and 12th grade). Students choose among these tracks at the end of Seconde (10th grade), when they also decide upon their section, electives and specialty (French bac), or their courses (IB). This is an important time, because once made, these decisions are irreversible, except in the most unusual circumstances.

As they enter Première (11th grade), students feel an increase in pace and pressure that will further accelerate in Terminale (12th grade). Their teachers and directrices are committed to helping them through this transition. Academically, these students are prepared through frequent exam-condition tests, including two full mock exams each year.

Academic achievement in these final school years constitutes determine which future studies will be available, both in France and abroad. We therefore do encourage our students to realize their full potential, but we remain mindful that the anxiety that comes with too much pressure can be counterproductive.

An informed, well thought-out, successful entry into higher education is, for every student, a fundamental goal. The journey begins in 9th grade, and becomes much more specific in 11th and 12th grade. Three complementary initiatives of the school are meant to facilitate this journey:

• First, we give students a taste of life after school, with internships in 9th and 10th grade and with our annual Forum des Métiers, a career fair organized by the students where professionals (mostly drawn from our pool of parents and alumni) set up round tables to discuss their activities with students.
• Second, we inform students and their parents about higher education opportunities in France, of course, but also in the U.S., Canada and the U.K. To do so, the school makes several presentations each year to students and parents specifically focused on each geographic area. As well, we host college and university visits on campus and post regularly all presentations, fairs and open doors as they become available.
• Third, beginning in 9th grade, we encourage students to “dream” their future. Each meeting with their directrice is an opportunity for them to take stock and to be poised for further exploration. To think about the future, debate and confront one’s ideas with classmates, advisors, family and friends is a healthy path to maturity and simultaneously strengthens one’s academic motivation.

Our College Counselling and Études Supérieures pages offer a wealth of useful information