I have tried to avoid asking a "soft question" on here because I'm not sure if they are appreciated or not. However, this is one that has been bothering me. I was recently talking to a few friends of mine about my desire to study in France. I have a B.S. in Math, and am working towards a Master's degree.
We poked our noses around and posted various threads on different websites. So far we have gotten a lot of advice such as "Don't waste your time." Or other things such as "French universities have terrible math programs." However, constructive advice has eluded our questions. We are just generally met with antagonism towards the idea of studying in France.
My question is specifically this: what is a reasonable French university at which I can study mathematics. I would like to study in France. I have a reasonably strong command of the language. However, I may be hamstrung by the fact that I had only had ok/good grades in my math courses. Lot's of B's and B+'s. Anyway, I'm not looking for the oppurtunity to study at the grande ecoles. At the same time, I would not want to go to their equivalent of some sort of third-rate state university. I'm just interested in trying to seek out an oppurtunity to be abroad while studying mathematics.
Best Answer
The French system is a bit weird. The best places to go are not the university, but the so-called «grandes écoles». So if you want the best, you should go to either the Ecole Normale Supérieure of Paris, or the the Ecole Normale Supérieure of Lyon, or the Ecole Normale Supérieure of Cachan or the Ecole Polytechnique. Beware that the selection level is quite high.
Now the second best places to go are big universities, which are not so bad. I recommend Jussieu (Université Paris 7), or Chevaleret (Paris 6). The main difference is that there is almost no selection at the first year undergrad level, whereas for the «grandes écoles» the selection is a huge national exam 2 years after high school... (you have to be in the first 200 out of several thousands to be in the ones I mentioned).
Hope that helps ! You should come, France is a nice country to study in ! =)