EPITA admits hundreds of students every year through parallel admission, but the process differs noticeably from a business school's: beyond the resume, the application must demonstrate real technical ability in computer science, later validated through written tests and an interview. Understanding what the committee looks for in the file changes how you build it.
Understanding parallel admission at EPITA
EPITA offers parallel admission into the engineering program at year 1 (ING1) or year 2 (ING2), either full-time or as an apprenticeship, depending on the candidate's level and background. The most common path goes through the Advance Parallèle competition 🔗, shared across several engineering schools, but EPITA also runs its own parallel admission applications 🔗 for candidates coming from a BTS, BUT or bachelor's degree.
The process happens in two stages: an application file first judged admissible by the academic team, then, if shortlisted, a summons to written tests in mathematics, English and computer science, followed by a motivation interview. The resume isn't graded as such, but it shapes the first reading of the file and serves as the backbone of the interview.
💡 Go further: our article on the various parallel admission paths after a bachelor's degree details the academic profiles most frequently recruited by computer science engineering schools.
Required application documents
The EPITA parallel admission file generally includes:
- Academic resume: education, technical projects, experience
- Transcripts from the last two years of study
- Copy of the last degree obtained (or a provisional certificate of completion)
- High school diploma transcript
- Proof of current year of study
- Motivation letter, mandatory for apprenticeship applications
This level of administrative detail means the resume doesn't need to repeat the entire academic path, already covered by the transcripts: instead, it should highlight what a transcript doesn't show - personal projects, open-source contributions, internships, hackathons.
Highlighting a BUT, bachelor's degree or engineering-prep background
Candidates recruited through parallel admission at EPITA most often come from a BUT in Computer Science, a computer science/mathematics bachelor's degree, or a science-track preparatory class looking to switch paths. Each background has different strengths to highlight:
BUT Computer Science: supervised development projects, company internships, already operational programming skills (languages used, frameworks)
Computer science/mathematics bachelor's degree: theoretical rigor, academic projects (algorithms, data structures), a possible end-of-degree internship
Preparatory class (redirection): strong work capacity and mathematical level, worth highlighting even without direct computer science experience, by mentioning personal coding projects done on the side
📊 Go further: for candidates coming from a BUT more broadly, our guide on parallel admission after a BUT details how to structure this transition, including outside the computer science track.
In every case, a resume for EPITA benefits from citing specific technical projects rather than declarative skills: mentioning a language with no concrete example of use ("Python: intermediate level") convinces far less than a named project with its result ("Built an inventory management app in Python/Flask, used by 15 test users").
Annotated EPITA parallel admission resume example
For a candidate coming from a BUT in Computer Science targeting entry into ING1:
"[Name] — EPITA parallel admission candidate, ING1 Engineering Program BUT Computer Science, [IUT], 2nd year completed, Honors Internship (10 weeks) — [Company]: built an internal reporting module in Python, cut report generation time by 40% Supervised project: web app for association management (React, Node.js, PostgreSQL), 4 contributors Technical skills: Python, Java, SQL, Git, foundations in algorithms and data structures Languages: English B2"
This format highlights both academic rigor (honors, graded projects) and demonstrated operational ability through concrete examples - exactly what a science recruitment committee looks to evaluate alongside the written tests.
Common mistakes to avoid in the application
⚠️ Watch out: these mistakes come up regularly in parallel admission files for computer science engineering schools:
- Listing technologies with no proof of use: a resume that lists ten languages with no associated project looks unconvincing to a technical committee
- Overlooking soft skills: the ability to work in a team (supervised projects, hackathons) matters too, since computer science engineering is no longer a solitary profession
- Failing to justify a redirection for candidates coming from a prep class or another track: the committee wants to understand the coherence of the project, not just the academic level
- An incomplete file by the deadline: a missing transcript or document can make the file inadmissible, regardless of the resume's quality
- A resume that's too long: beyond one page for a junior profile, the essentials get diluted
Final checklist before submitting
- The resume fits on one page and highlights concrete projects, not just declared skills
- All required documents (transcripts, diplomas, motivation letter if applying for an apprenticeship) are gathered
- Education and experience dates are consistent, with no unexplained gap
- Technical vocabulary is precise (languages, frameworks, methodologies) rather than a bare keyword with no context
- No spelling mistakes, including in technology names
Once your technical file is ready, don't let your resume's formatting become an extra hurdle. FinanceCV automatically generates a structured, readable resume, a format that works just as well for this admission file as for your future internship or apprenticeship applications in computer science.
Ready to prepare your EPITA application? Create your resume for free in just a few minutes.