École Centrale Paris
Most French students who were admitted to École Centrale Paris had completed 2 to 3 years of post high school education in sciences through the "classes préparatoires" or "prépas", which corresponds to freshman and sophomore years at US universities. The "classes préparatoires" is itself a selective and academically intensive program that admits less than top 10% of high school graduates in France each year. The entrance examination to the "grandes écoles" including École Centrale Paris is taken by students only at the end of their second year in "prépas" ("Mathématiques spéciales").