grande école
elite higher education institution
Intermediate Noun Feminine
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Pronunciation
/ɡʁɑ̃d e.kɔl/
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Cultural Note
Grandes écoles (HEC, Polytechnique, ENS, Sciences Po, etc.) are highly selective institutions unique to France. Admission requires passing extremely competitive entrance exams after two years of classes préparatoires. Graduates of these schools form much of the French business and political elite.
📝 Example Sentences
Il rêve d'intégrer une grande école d'ingénieurs.
He dreams of getting into a prestigious engineering school.
Les grandes écoles forment une grande partie de l'élite française.
The grandes écoles train a large portion of the French elite.