Being declared eligible for the ECRICOME Tremplin competition guarantees nothing: it's your cover letter, then your interview in front of the panel, that decide your admission to Rennes School of Business. Here's how to prepare both without leaving anything to chance.
What the Rennes SB panel expects
Rennes SB's parallel admission panel isn't looking for a candidate who recites the school brochure. It evaluates three things at once: the coherence of your professional project, your ability to argue under pressure, and your fit with a school that claims a strong international positioning (campuses in Rennes, Rabat and Rennes-Saint-Malo, an Asia opening).
What gets assessed:
- Clarity of your professional project (no need for a fixed career plan, but a coherent direction)
- Real understanding of the Grande École program and its specifics (tracks, majors, international exposure)
- Ability to draw on concrete examples from your background (BUT, BTS, bachelor's, prep class) rather than generalities
- English, tested during part of the interview depending on the session
The exact interview format (duration, share of English, number of panelists) is published each year on the official competition page: ECRICOME Tremplin Bac+3 Competition - Rennes School of Business 🔗. Check it before preparing your arguments: the format evolves from one session to another.
💡 Learn more: before drafting your letter, first structure your resume and application file for parallel admission to Rennes SB - the letter should extend the CV's throughline, not repeat it.
Building a convincing cover letter
The plan that works
- Hook: a specific fact or experience that justifies your application to Rennes SB (never a generic sentence about "the school's excellence")
- Background: what your BUT, BTS, bachelor's or prep class really taught you, with a concrete or quantified example
- Why Rennes SB specifically: two or three elements unique to the school (target major, international dimension, class size) - never a list copied from the website
- Professional project: where you want to go, while staying honest that this project may evolve during the Grande École program
- Closing: a direct sentence of conviction, no generic formula
Substantive mistakes to avoid in the letter
- Copying excerpts from the school brochure (the panel reads these every year and spots them instantly)
- A letter interchangeable with any other school in the ECRICOME competition
- A professional project too vague ("working in finance") without concrete translation
- More than one page: beyond that, you dilute your argument
Frequently asked interview questions
The panel rarely asks trick questions - it mainly checks that what you wrote holds up in a direct exchange.
Almost systematic questions:
- "Why Rennes School of Business rather than another school in the Tremplin competition?"
- "Tell me about a situation where you had to convince a group or manage a disagreement"
- "What did your BUT/BTS/bachelor's teach you that other competition candidates don't have?"
- "What is your professional project, and how does Rennes SB concretely prepare you for it?"
Questions in English (depending on the session):
- "Tell me about a professional or academic experience you're proud of"
- "Why do you want to study in an international business school?"
Sample answer
To the question "Why Rennes School of Business?", a weak answer settles for "because it's a good, well-ranked school." A strong answer anchors the choice in a precise need:
"My BTS in Accounting and Management gave me solid technical foundations, but I notice I lack the international dimension and network to target corporate finance positions abroad. Rennes SB interests me for its Rabat campus and its Finance major, which would let me build this hybrid technical and international profile I couldn't have developed alone."
This answer works because it links a personal observation (the identified gap), a precise element of the school (campus, major), and a goal (hybrid profile) - exactly the structure the panel wants to hear.
⚠️ Warning: never memorize an answer word for word. The panel immediately spots a recited answer as soon as it asks a follow-up question, which breaks the spontaneity expected during the interview.
Mistakes to avoid during the interview
- Reciting your cover letter: the panel has already read it, it expects elaboration, not repetition
- Belittling your current background ("my BTS is useless"): this weakens your credibility instead of strengthening it
- Not having questions to ask the panel at the end: this can read as a lack of genuine interest
- Staying vague about your professional project: a precise project you accept may evolve beats permanent vagueness
- Neglecting English preparation if the session's format includes it: a timed mock test changes a lot on the actual day
You shouldn't have to choose between polishing the substance of your application and losing time on its formatting. FinanceCV generates a clean, ATS-compatible resume and cover letter in minutes, so you can focus entirely on preparing your arguments and your interview.