Témoignage d’Arthur d’Astorg – Promotion 2020
Hi ! I’m Arthur d’Astorg and I graduated from Sainte-Anne in 2020, so it’s now been six years since I’ve left the international section.
What I learned during my four years in the international section (from 9th to 12th grade) is still useful to me today.
I lived in the U.S. for four years when I was younger, and the international section helped me maintain, and even improve my English through the English-taught classes (literature and history-geography).
Beyond language skills, these courses offered a deep understanding of Anglo-Saxon culture, history, and ways of thinking, allowing me to approach issues from a different perspective than the French one alone. This ability to step back and consider multiple viewpoints has been especially valuable.
I am currently studying at EDHEC, where all courses are taught in English and around 35% of students are international, making English the common language. If you plan to apply to a business school, English oral exams carry significant weight. The early exposure to English oral exams in middle and high school through the international section gave me a real head start during business school admissions and helped me feel comfortable both in class and in everyday exchanges with my classmates.
I also completed a six-month internship in the French Army, where my background in English history and geopolitics helped me better understand certain Anglo-Saxon strategic choices (Monroe Doctrine, NATO/SAETO, Vietnam/Korean War, Falkland war and the Iron Lady).
Finally, the international section was also valuable on a personal level: the two other students in my EDHEC promotion from Sainte-Anne were in the international section, and the early experience with oral exams in middle and high school in English and the strong bonds created within the section have stayed with me.
