Since 2017, the preparatory class has been accompanying students between secondary school and higher education in arts. Although it does not automatically entitle students to enter the first year of the Orleans School of Art and Design, the preparatory class offers its students the opportunity to move towards higher creative studies by preparing for the entrance exams to the schools of their choice, in a privileged environment.
Registration
Apply via the online application form, available from February 2026 for entry in September 2026. You will be required to upload all the documents related to your application. All admission interviews will take place by video conference, in French.
Two admission sessions will be held. A third session may be organized depending on the number of places available.
Please make sure you have prepared all your digital documents in advance (see list below), including proof of payment of the €35 application fee if you choose to pay by bank transfer.
Once your application form has been submitted, your documents will be processed and an invitation to the interview will be sent to you during the week preceding the interviews.
Application file
- A photocopy of your baccalauréat certificate or a certificate of enrollment in the final year of secondary school (Terminale)
- A copy of any higher education diplomas obtained, if applicable
- A copy of a valid identity card or passport
- An artistic portfolio* consisting of visual/artistic works (PDF format)
- A typed free-form text** (maximum 2 pages, PDF format, in French Langage) explaining your background (personal, academic, extracurricular, professional) and your motivation for joining the ÉSAD preparatory class
- Payment of the €35.00 application fee by bank transfer to:
- Bank: TPORLEANS
- Account holder: ETS REC EPCC ESAD ORLÉANS
- Transfer reference: Admission prépa / candidate’s name
- IBAN: FR76 1007 1450 0000 0010 0106 312
- BIC: TRPUFRP1
No refunds will be issued (Resolution no. 2 of the Board of Directors dated June 30, 2011, and Resolution no. 4 dated December 6, 2011).
Documents required for non-French speakers
As the classes are using French as communication langage, all the applicants need to be able to speak and understand French, and testifies their French level.
Original certificate of the Test de Connaissance du Français (TCF) with a score between 400 and 499 points, or the DELF B2 diploma.
If you do not have one of these two documents, your application will not be considered. These exams can be taken abroad at universities, French Institutes, Alliances Françaises, or any other center accredited by France Education International.
Admission requirements
- Hold a baccalauréat (all streams accepted) or an equivalent foreign qualification, or be in the final year of secondary school subject to obtaining the baccalauréat; exceptionally, candidates without a baccalauréat but with final-year level may be admitted by decision of the Director General.
- Be under 25 years old at the start of the 2026 academic year.
- Be motivated, curious, committed, and engaged with art, design, and culture.
- Wish to pursue a career in art, design, architecture, applied arts, landscape design, or other cultural professions.
Admission interview
Candidates will receive their invitation to the video conference interview no later than the week preceding the interview dates. Invitations will only be sent once all required documents have been submitted. No in-person interviews will be held.
*Guidelines for the artistic portfolio
The portfolio must consist of a single PDF file bringing together all of the candidate’s work.
Large digital works (videos, etc.) must be uploaded to an online platform and included in the portfolio as web links within the single PDF file.
The portfolio may include as many works as the candidate wishes, within a maximum file size of 100 MB.
Candidates are encouraged to include all types of work (photographic, sound-based, technical, craft-based, etc.) in addition to graphic and visual productions. Please focus primarily on relatively recent work (approximately the last two years).
**Guidelines for the free-form text
This document must be a single PDF of no more than two pages. It should explain what motivates you to apply to the preparatory class at this time. Tell us about your background in the broadest sense, your aspirations, your future study plans, your first artistic experiences as a viewer or practitioner, your strengths and weaknesses, and anything else you consider relevant. It has to be written in French.
These two elements are not graded; they allow the jury to better understand your initial approach prior to the motivation interview.
Admission session dates
1st admission session (application deadline: May 11, 2026):
- May 19, 20, and 21, 2026
2nd admission session (application deadline: June 17, 2026):
- June 23, 24, and 25, 2026
Session 3 (if places remain available):
- Late August / early September
Any incomplete application will not be processed. Application fees cannot be refunded in the event of failure to attend the interview or submission of an incomplete file.
Practical information
Language of instruction
French
Annual tuition fees
€1,235 (€615 for scholarship students)
Enrollment in the preparatory class grants student status, allowing access to need-based grants.
Contact
Thomas Perrin
Preparatory class coordinator