How I Secured a Partially Funded Master's at ESCP Business School, France Through the Eiffel Excellence Scholarship

My name is Sparsh Bafna, and I am from Mumbai, India. I would describe myself as a marketing and entrepreneurship enthusiast with a strong interest in business, innovation, and social impact. I pursued the Master in Management (MiM) at ESCP Business School, studying across its Paris, Berlin, and Madrid campuses from 2022 to 2025. During the program, I specialized in Go-to-Market Strategy, Entrepreneurship, and Social Media Marketing.

I decided to pursue further education because I wanted to deepen my understanding of marketing and entrepreneurship at a much more granular and international level. During my bachelor’s, I had already developed a strong interest in business and marketing, but I felt that I needed broader global exposure, a stronger strategic foundation, and a more immersive learning environment to build a long-term career in marketing and entrepreneurship, ideally in Europe.

My name is Sparsh Bafna, and I am from Mumbai, India. I would describe myself as a marketing and entrepreneurship enthusiast with a strong interest in business, innovation, and social impact. I pursued the Master in Management (MiM)at ESCP Business School, studying across its Paris, Berlin, and Madrid campuses from 2022 to 2025. During the program, I specialized in Go-to-Market Strategy, Entrepreneurship, and Social Media Marketing.

I decided to pursue further education because I wanted to deepen my understanding of marketing and entrepreneurship at a much more granular and international level. During my bachelor’s, I had already developed a strong interest in business and marketing, but I felt that I needed broader global exposure, a stronger strategic foundation, and a more immersive learning environment to build a long-term career in marketing and entrepreneurship, ideally in Europe.

Campus France, for my studies at ESCP Business School. The scholarship included:

• A monthly stipend of €1,181 for 24 months
• International flight coverage
• An additional housing allowance of €50 per month

Eiffel Excellence Scholarship Details

I received the Eiffel Excellence Scholarship, funded by the French Government through

Campus France, for my studies at ESCP Business School. The scholarship included:

• A monthly stipend of €1,181 for 24 months
• International flight coverage
• An additional housing allowance of €50 per month

The scholarship did not include a tuition waiver in my case, but it still significantly reduced the financial burden of studying abroad and made my journey much more accessible. The Eiffel Scholarship is highly competitive, and from what I know, it has a relatively selective acceptance rate.

Were You Offered Any Other Scholarships?

Yes. I also received merit scholarship offers from the following institutions, but I declined them because I chose ESCP Business School:

• • SKEMA Business School, Merit Scholarship
  • Audencia Business School, Merit Scholarship

I applied to six schools in total, mostly in France. My shortlisting process focused on school rankings, reputation, program structure, international mobility, alumni strength, and career outcomes. ESCP stood out strongly because of its multi-campus structure, its global reputation for the MiM, its strong alumni network of over 80,000 professionals, and the opportunity to study in multiple countries within one degree. I felt that ESCP offered not just a degree, but an ecosystem that matched my ambitions.

• Emlyon Business School, Merit Scholarship

I found information about schools and scholarships through online research, academic websites, and university scholarship pages. I came across the Eiffel Scholarship while researching French institutions and scholarship opportunities after applying to ESCP.

In my case, ESCP nominated me for the Eiffel Scholarship, and I then completed the required scholarship-related process through the school. One important point for applicants is that the timing of your application matters a lot. If I remember correctly, applying in the first round was important because the Eiffel process is tied to early application cycles.

Educational Background

I took the GMAT and scored 590. While it was not an exceptional score, I do think my overall application was strong enough to compensate for it. I spent around four months preparing for the GMAT using e-GMAT and mock tests. The process taught me discipline and helped me improve my quantitative and verbal test-taking skills, but in hindsight, I would have liked to perform better on the exam.

Before ESCP, I completed my Bachelor’s in Management Studies (BMS) from Narsee Monjee College of Commerce and Economics, India, from 2019 to 2022. I graduated with a GPA of 9.8/10 and was among the top 3 students in my program. My academic background was primarily in finance, but I also had strong exposure to business and marketing, which gradually pushed me toward pursuing a management degree with a stronger marketing and entrepreneurship focus.

My undergraduate education prepared me well for business school because it gave me a solid base in management fundamentals, analytical thinking, and academic discipline. At the same time, it also helped me realize that I wanted to go beyond theory and explore marketing, strategy, and entrepreneurship in a much more practical, international, and business-oriented setting.

How Did You Prepare to Apply to ESCP Business School?

• CV / résumé
• Statement of purpose and essays
• Recommendation letters
• Academic transcripts
• Language scores
• Proof of extracurricular and leadership activities

A professional project/motivation document explaining what I wanted to do with the degree and how the scholarship would support my long-term goals

When I started researching master’s programs, I was primarily looking at top European business schools, especially in France, because I wanted to enter the European market and build an international career. France was particularly attractive to me for a few reasons. First, I had always been curious about the country and its culture, especially since I had studied French in school when I was younger. Second, France has an excellent ecosystem for business education, luxury, marketing, and entrepreneurship. Third, it offered the combination of strong academics, international exposure, and career opportunities that I was looking for.

I applied to six schools in total, mostly in France. My shortlisting process focused on school rankings, reputation, program structure, international mobility, alumni strength, and career outcomes. ESCP stood out strongly because of its multi-campus structure, its global reputation for the MiM, its strong alumni network of over 80,000 professionals, and the opportunity to study in multiple countries within one degree. I felt that ESCP offered not just a degree, but an ecosystem that matched my ambitions.

Looking back, I think there were five major factors that made my application stand out:

• Strong academics
• I had a 9.8/10 GPA in my bachelor’s degree and graduated among the top 3 students in my class. I believe this gave the admissions and scholarship committees confidence in my academic ability and discipline.
• Clear long-term career goals

How Did You Find Information About Eiffel Excellence Scholarship and ESCP Business School?

Social impact orientation

One of the most meaningful parts of my profile was my four years of social work through Vikas Bharati Public School (VBPS). I was actively involved in street plays and awareness campaigns focused on issues such as domestic violence, female feticide, dowry, and menstrual hygiene. We performed regularly—roughly once a week—while also helping write scripts, recruit participants, lead teams, and raise awareness in communities. I believe this reflected not only social commitment but also communication, leadership, and initiative.

Leadership and initiative through internships and extracurricular work

I found information about schools and scholarships through online research, academic websites, and university scholarship pages. I came across the Eiffel Scholarship while researching French institutions and scholarship opportunities after applying to ESCP.

At ACE Overseas Education Consultancy, I worked as a Marketing & Product Development Associate, where I helped onboard 10+ international TEDx women speakers for a summit, managed social media and email funnels, and contributed to planning, coordination, and team training. My work also helped increase speaker participation by 40%.

At IIFL Securities, I worked as a Marketing & Finance Associate, where I expanded investment awareness and convinced 120+ people to open DEMAT accounts, while also learning technical and fundamental analysis and interacting directly with clients.

Entrepreneurial mindset

I had also worked on a startup idea called AMBU-HEALTH, a social-impact venture concept aimed at reducing deaths caused by ambulance delays in India by enabling faster emergency response. The idea received strong validation through competitions, where it secured 3rd position twice in inter-school competitions involving 120+ schools, and it also received 100% funding approval from a venture capitalist at TheUpmarkets Capital. Even though it was at the idea and pitch stage, it reflected the kind of problem-solving and entrepreneurial thinking that I wanted to continue building in business school.

In my case, ESCP nominated me for the Eiffel Scholarship, and I then completed the required scholarship-related process through the school. One important point for applicants is that the timing of your application matters a lot. If I remember correctly, applying in the first round was important because the Eiffel process is tied to early application cycles.

Did You Take Any Standardized Tests? If So, How Did You Prepare for Them?

I took the GMAT and scored 590. While it was not an exceptional score, I do think my overall application was strong enough to compensate for it. I spent around four months preparing for the GMAT using e-GMAT and mock tests. The process taught me discipline and helped me improve my quantitative and verbal test-taking skills, but in hindsight, I would have liked to perform better on the exam.

That said, one of the biggest lessons from my experience is that a scholarship-winning application is rarely built on just one metric. Strong academics, clarity of goals, extracurricular depth, and a coherent story can matter just as much, if not more, depending on the institution and scholarship.

How Did You Prepare to Apply for the Eiffel Excellence Scholarship?

One of the biggest strengths of ESCP for me was the international environment. I met people from a wide variety of nationalities and backgrounds, and that significantly expanded my worldview and my professional network. The multi-campus model also made the experience much more dynamic than a traditional one-country master’s degree.

CV / résuméStatement of purpose and essaysRecommendation lettersAcademic transcriptsLanguage scoresProof of extracurricular and leadership activities A professional project/motivation document explaining what I wanted to do with the degree and how the scholarship would support my long-term goals

The hardest part of the process for me was positioning my story properly through essays and written applications. I had a lot of different elements in my profile, academics, internships, social impact work, entrepreneurial ideas, and international aspirations, but the challenge was to connect them into a single narrative that felt authentic and convincing. I spent a lot of time thinking about how to present not just what I had done, but why it mattered and how it linked to my future goals.

What Do You Think Made Your Application Stand Out?

Looking back, I think there were five major factors that made my application stand out:

1. Strongacademics

• its international student ecosystem
• its clubs and student communities
• its career network and alumni base
• and the overall exposure created by moving across campuses and interacting with students from many countries

I had a 9.8/10GPAin my bachelor’s degree and graduated among the top3 studentsin my class. I believe this gave the admissions and scholarship committees confidence in my academic ability and discipline.

2) Clearlong-termcareergoals

I had a fairly clear vision of what I wanted from the degree. I knew I wanted to build a career at the intersection of marketing, entrepreneurship, and international business, and I was specifically looking for a platform that would help me enter the European market and develop global business exposure.

1. Social impact orientation

Academically, I do not think students would face major problems if they do not know the local language, especially within the program itself, because the coursework can be completed in English.

One of the most meaningful parts of my profile was my four years of social work through Vikas Bharati Public School(VBPS). I was actively involved in street plays and awareness campaigns focused on issues such as domestic violence, female feticide, dowry, and menstrual hygiene. We performed regularly, roughly once a week, while also helping write scripts, recruit participants, lead teams, and raise awareness in communities. I believe this reflected not only social commitment but also communication, leadership, and initiative.

1. Leadershipandinitiativethroughinternshipsandextracurricularwork

Before ESCP, I had internships that gave me exposure to both business execution and people-facing roles.

At ACE Overseas Education Consultancy, I worked as a Marketing & Product Development Associate, where I helped onboard 10+internationalTEDxwomenspeakers for a summit, managed social media and email funnels, and contributed to planning, coordination, and team training. My work also helped increase speaker participation by 40%.

At IIFL Securities, I worked as a Marketing & Finance Associate, where I expanded investment awareness and convinced 120+peopleto open DEMAT accounts, while also learning technical and fundamental analysis and interacting directly with clients.

1. Entrepreneurialmindset

Pointify while I was in Berlin.

I had also worked on a startup idea called AMBU-HEALTH, a social-impact venture concept aimed at reducing deaths caused by ambulance delays in India by enabling faster emergency response. The idea received strong validation through competitions, where it secured 3rd position twice in inter-school competitions involving 120+ schools, and it also received 100%fundingapprovalfromaventurecapitalistatTheUpmarketsCapital. Even though it was at the idea and pitch stage, it reflected the kind of problem-solving and entrepreneurial thinking that I wanted to continue building in business school.

What Would You Have Done Differently if You Were Going Through the Process Again?

Apply early

This is extremely important. In my case, applying in the first round was crucial because the Eiffel Scholarship process is tied to the institution’s nomination timeline.

Build a strong overall profile, not just a test score

Grades matter. Extracurriculars matter. Leadership matters. Social impact matters. Work experience matters. A scholarship application is often about the overall story you present, not just one number.

Be very clear about your long-term goals

If I were going through the process again, I would probably invest more time in improving my GMAT score and refining parts of the application even earlier. I would also spend more time speaking to alumni and previous scholarship recipients earlier in the process to understand how to better position my application.

Make your motivation genuine and specific

At the same time, I would still make the same final choice. Choosing ESCP turned out to be one of the best decisions I made because of the school’s multi-campus exposure, network, and career opportunities.

Don’t let one weaker area define your application

How is Your Experience at ESCP Business School?

My experience at ESCP was extremely valuable both academically and personally. Studying across multiple countries and campuses exposed me to different cultures, teaching styles, peer groups, and business environments, which is something very few programs can offer at this scale.

One of the biggest strengths of ESCP for me was the international environment. I met people from a wide variety of nationalities and backgrounds, and that significantly expanded my worldview and my professional network. The multi-campus model also made the experience much more dynamic than a traditional one-country master’s degree.

How Do You Rate ESCP Business School Academically?

Academically, I would rate ESCP highly because of its combination of strong business fundamentals, practical exposure, international diversity, and career relevance. The school gave me the opportunity to study topics linked to marketing, go-to-market strategy, entrepreneurship, and business growth while also being surrounded by ambitious and globally minded peers.

For someone looking to build an international business career, especially in Europe, the structure of the program and the brand of the school can be very powerful.

How Does ESCP Business School Support International Students?

its international student ecosystem, its clubs and student communities, its career network and alumni base, and the overall exposure created by moving across campuses and interacting with students from many countries

The school’s multi-campus structure itself becomes a major support system because it naturally pushes students to build adaptability, cross-cultural communication, and global networks.

Are Your Classes Conducted in English or French?

My classes were conducted in English. That made the academic transition much smoother for international students.

Would Potential Students Have Any Problems Not Knowing French?

Academically, I do not think students would face major problems if they do not know the local language, especially within the program itself, because the coursework can be completed in English.

However, I would add one nuance: while the language may not be a major academic barrier, it can still matter for social integration, internships, and job opportunities, depending on the country and role. So even if it is not essential academically, learning the local language is still a very good investment for anyone who wants to maximize their overall experience and career opportunities.

What Did You Pursue After the Eiffel Excellence Scholarship?

During and after my time at ESCP, I had the opportunity to work with companies that added significant depth to my professional journey.

At Numberly in Paris, I worked as a CRM, Data Collaboration & Clean Room Strategist Associate, where I worked on audience recommendations, CRM campaigns, audience segmentation, and data collaboration projects across multiple L’Oréal markets. This gave me strong exposure to CRM, performance marketing, and marketing technology.

I later joined L’Oréal HQ in Paris as an Assistant Marketing Manager (Europe Zone – Garnier), where I collaborated with teams across 26 countries, built dashboards to improve reporting efficiency, and worked on brand and competitor analysis for strategic projects such as Olia by Garnier. This was a major milestone in my journey because it gave me hands-on experience in one of the world’s leading marketing and beauty companies.

I also continued exploring entrepreneurship and later built another startup project called

Pointify while I was in Berlin.

What Advice Would You Give Those Looking to Apply for a Similar Scholarship?

If I had to give advice to future applicants aiming for the Eiffel Scholarship or similar scholarships, it would be this:

1. Apply yearly

This is extremely important. In my case, applying in the first round was crucial because the Eiffel Scholarship process is tied to the institution’s nomination timeline.

1. Build a strong overall profile, not just a test score

Grades matter. Extracurriculars matter. Leadership matters. Social impact matters. Work experience matters. A scholarship application is often about the overall story you present, not just one number.

1. Be very clear about your long-term goals

Your essays and professional project should explain not just why you want the degree, but what you want to do with it and why this scholarship matters for that journey.

1. Make your motivation genuine and specific

A generic essay is easy to spot. Try to connect your academic background, work experience, extracurriculars, and future plans into one coherent story. The more authentic and specific your motivation is, the stronger your application becomes.

1. Don’t let one weaker area define your application

Not every applicant will have a perfect GMAT or a perfect profile. If one part of your application is weaker, strengthen the rest of it with strong academics, meaningful extracurriculars, thoughtful essays, and a compelling long-term vision.

Overall, I would say that the scholarship process rewards clarity, consistency, and authenticity. If your application reflects not just achievement but also purpose, it can make a real difference.