Joining EM Normandie's Grande École Programme through parallel admission starts with a strong application file, and the academic resume is its centrepiece. In a single page it must show a coherent path, readable results and a real life outside class. Here is how to build it for the school's Passerelle competitions.
EM Normandie's selection criteria
EM Normandie recruits through the Passerelle competition 🔗, with two tracks: Passerelle 1 🔗, for Bac+2 candidates (BTS, BUT, second-year licence) who join the Grande École Programme in the third year, and Passerelle 2 🔗, for Bac+3/4 candidates who enter the Master cycle directly. Selection combines a file review, an English test and a motivation interview: your resume is read before you ever speak to anyone, then serves as the basis for the oral.
Behind the resume, the jury looks for three signals:
- A coherent academic level: steady results, honours, year-on-year progress.
- A project that holds together: parallel admission looks like a logical step, not a fallback.
- Openness: languages, field experience, commitments, mobility.
💡 For the bigger picture: our guide to the academic resume for AST applications details what selection panels expect across schools.
Structuring your academic resume
One page is enough, and a simple order works: header, short summary, education, experience, languages and skills, interests.
- The header: name, contact details, a clean LinkedIn link. A photo is optional; if you add one, keep it neutral.
- The summary (two lines): your level, your track and what you are aiming for. For example: "Business administration BUT student applying to the Grande École Programme, drawn to project management and international work."
- Education first: it is the core of an academic file. State the degree, the institution, honours, ranking if flattering, and the subjects that support your project.
- Languages: give a level and, above all, a certified score (TOEIC, TOEFL, IELTS, Cambridge) if you have one. The school requires an English test, so arrive with a visible baseline.
Showcasing internships and extracurricular life
BTS and BUT candidates have an asset that purely university paths do not always offer: internships or work-study. Make the most of them.
- An action verb, a task, a result. "Followed 40 client accounts and chased unpaid invoices: collection rate up 12% over the semester" beats "Accounting assistant".
- Internship before summer job, unless the summer job proves a specific skill (customer service, cash handling, autonomy).
- Associations, sport or culture: student society board, event organisation, team captaincy. Add a figure (budget managed, attendance, duration) so it carries weight.
⚠️ Warning: a bare "student union member" line adds nothing. Say what you did and with what result.
An annotated resume example
Picture a second-year economics and management student targeting Passerelle 1.
- Summary: "Second-year Economics-Management student (Bien honours in semester 3), applying for parallel admission to the Grande École Programme. Project: marketing and data analysis in retail." Comment: the project is precise and the honours are stated upfront.
- Education: "Licence 2 Economics-Management, University of Caen, 2025-2026: statistics, accounting, marketing." Comment: list the subjects that feed the project, not all of them.
- Experience: "8-week internship, marketing department of a regional retailer: updated a 3,000-customer database, analysed an email campaign (28% open rate)." Comment: task, tool, figure.
- Commitment: "Treasurer of a student association (€6,000 budget), organised a 150-attendee forum."
- Languages: "English: TOEIC 820. Spanish: intermediate."
Mistakes to fix before sending
- A two-page resume for a two-year path: cut and prioritise.
- Vague headings ("miscellaneous", "other experience") and lines without results.
- An inflated language level: the English test will expose it immediately.
- Date inconsistencies between the resume, the online file and transcripts.
- A fancy layout that hurts readability and may be misread by screening software.
On that last point, FinanceCV saves you time: the formatting is handled for you and the document stays compatible with automated reading systems (ATS), so your energy goes into the substance of your application.
Ready to finalise your file? Create your resume for free in a few minutes.