Can a first year in life sciences apply??

Hi everyone!
I’m moving to Switzerland on December 1st, 2026, for a research internship at EPFL, and I’m honestly getting quite stressed about finding accommodation.

I’ve been applying to FMEL student housing since September, but I still haven’t heard anything back. Since December is approaching, I’m starting to worry that I won’t find a place in time.

My biggest problem is my budget. Most of the rooms I find in Lausanne cost CHF 1,000 or more per month, which is unfortunately way beyond what I can afford. I’m a student, and even though I’ll receive some funding for my internship, I need to keep my living expenses as low as possible.

I’m open to living in Lausanne, Nyon, or anywhere in between, as long as I can reasonably commute to EPFL by public transport(-40/50mins).
I don’t necessarily need a fancy place; a simple room in a shared apartment with other students would be absolutely fine. I’m also open to living a little farther away if it means finding something affordable.

I’d really appreciate advice from anyone who has been in a similar situation!

• Is it normal for FMEL to take this long, and should I keep waiting?

• Are there any websites, Facebook groups, WhatsApp groups, or other platforms where I can find rooms for around CHF 600/800 per month?

• Are there any towns or areas near Lausanne or Nyon where accommodation is cheaper but commuting to EPFL is still manageable?

• Are there any student residences, shared apartments, or other affordable housing options that international interns often overlook?

• Would it be realistic to find something for December at this point?

I’m feeling a little lost about what to do next, so any genuine advice, personal experiences, or leads would mean a lot to me.

Thank you so much! ❤️

Hi everyone,

I'd appreciate your feedback and advice regarding my chances of getting admitted to the MSc in Data Science program at EPFL.

I graduated with a degree in Artificial Intelligence and Data Science from a Tier-3 college in India, with a CGPA of 7.7/10.

I completed an internship as a Database (Big Data) Administrator at a US-based AdTech company, which eventually converted into a full-time role. I’ve been working as an Associate Database (Big Data) Administrator at the same company for the past 1.2 years.

I’m now interested in pursuing an MSc in Data Science at EPFL. However, I’m concerned that my undergraduate college’s reputation and my CGPA might put me at a disadvantage during the admissions process.

Realistically, what are my chances of getting into EPFL? How much weight does EPFL give to undergraduate grades and the reputation of the institution, compared with relevant work experience and other aspects of an application?

I’d especially appreciate insights from anyone who has applied to or been admitted to EPFL’s MSc in Data Science program with a similar academic background.

Thanks in advance for your advice!

I'm a chem student first time applying.. just wanted to know

1. Relative competition for chem students since 95% of the labs in EPFL comprises of bio labs ..

2. Students from which background have much more competition compared to others?

3.And which students from which background mostly apply to EPFL?

1. How many of u have applied this year? Could you share your profiles ? So I can get an idea of where I stand?

Hi! I am thinking of applying. I am a CS student at Williams College in the US. I have attended two years of college and will be completing my first year of Williams College soon. I do not have any projects that I feel confident putting on my application. Do you think my chances of getting accepted into the program would be unrealistic?

Hi guys, I'm a moroccan guy currently enrolled in Sciences Physiques, which is a scientific track of the moroccan baccalaureate but not the most demanding one which would be Sciences Maths

On the admission criteria/requirements page, one of the bullet points says:
"mathematics and physics were studied and examined at the highest possible level (see below) and the certificate is in a scientific stream"

I believe Sciences Maths students have 2 hours more in math per week than me

It also says that a "physics-chemistry" subjects can't count separately for physics and chemistry, but that's how it's set up in Morocco

Any idea on my chances?

I am in my first year in epfl maths section, we will start in November in one week and ai am a bit late on everything, physics, maths ICC, exams are on Jan, so I still have November and December, if I start working hard now will I make it ? How many hours do you think i should burn per day knowing that I can sit for more than 1 hour straight working, I also cant get rid of my phone, I have to have it next to me and I keep looking at it, I just cant put it in another room amd lock in as everyone suggesting, please help, I need a practical advise.
Any drives for ICC ?

Really just want to know how hard it is to get in.

For a bit of context on my background, I will have a bachelor's in "Micro and Nanotechnology Engineering" at NOVA FCT, Portugal, a 15.5/20 GPA by the time I apply (top 10%) and roughly 11-12 months of research experience, probably no papers.

Hi I'm applying for the EPFL E3 program and it is my first time writing a research statement, if someone who is experienced with writing one before can u pls dm would help a lot

Hi everyone!
I’m a former EPFL student, and I wanted to share a project that means a lot to me.

Together with a friend, I recently co-founded Shams, a Swiss non-profit association aiming to bring reliable solar electricity to orphanages and children’s centres in Syria.
Our first project involves installing a solar PV system with battery storage at a children’s centre near Damascus, supporting around 60 children.

We’ve already completed the technical studies, identified local suppliers and established several partnerships. We’re now raising funds to make the installation happen!
I wanted to share this initiative with the EPFL community because any kind of support would mean a lot to us, whether it’s a donation, a useful contact, advice or simply spreading the word.

Feel free to reach out if you’d like to learn more or get involved!
Website: https://shamsolar.org
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/shamsolar/
Thanks everyone!

From EPFL website:

If you will have a four-year degree you can apply for PhD, MSc, or both. The admissions criteria in both cases are the same: we are looking for high potential to excel in research and coursework at EPFL. If you apply for MSc you must explain in your statement of purpose why you would prefer to pursue a MSc degree instead of a PhD for which you are also eligible. If you are applying for both MSc and PhD, please indicate this fact in both of your statements of purpose.

Source: https://www.epfl.ch/schools/ic/admissions-graduate-school/

So if you are someone who applied to EPFL while holding a 4 year bachelors degree, did you apply for MSc or PhD ? If MSc, how did you explain your preference in the SOP ?

And most importantly, I am thinking of applying to both but I am not sure if that will decrease my chances of being admitted to MSc. The way I see it is, being admitted to PhD is extremely improbable for me so if apply for PhD can impact my chances of being admitted to MSc, I don't want to take that risk. Does anyone have any insights into how this affects the application ?

Hi,
does anyone know someone you did a master in financial engineering at EPFL while having done a bachelor in economics or management at UNIL/UNIFR or UNIGE ?
Thank you 🙏

I am applying for the program this year and it is my first time writing a research statement. I have been trying to learn more about it but most of the material on it is for PhD peeps and that seems more than what is expected here, idk, pls someone who can give any advice on it i'll appreciate it a lot

Hey I’m a 24 year old applying for masters in architecture in epfl. What is the acceptance rate for this course? Also, please share tips for portfolio. It’d be of great help to know your insights!

Hello, as above

am I the only one who can't access to the e3 website?

Hey everyone!

My friends and I are students ourselves, and we know how difficult it can be to find a job that fits around uni rather than the other way around.

That’s why we’re working on Dispoo, an app to help students find flexible jobs that work with their studies.

We’re still at the beginning, and before building anything, we want to understand what students actually struggle with and what would genuinely help them.

If you’re a student, we’d really appreciate 2 minutes of your time to fill out our survey. Your answers will help us decide what to build and how to make it useful for students like us.

Survey: [insert link]

Thanks a lot for helping us bring this idea to life!

The Dispoo Team :)

Would like to hear any suggestions from you guys

As a prospective Canadian student (applying to CMS for a 2027 start, and then hopefully continuing to Bachelor starting 2028), I have been reading about the ongoing process of revamping Bachelor study plans starting 2028, under the initiative "s'EPanouir FLourish":

https://www.epfl.ch/education/educational-initiatives/sepanouir-flourish_en/

Basically, in this new age of AI, the vision is to engage students in different ways (group based work on complex questions through research and engineering design projects), while the study plans would require fewer courses, worth more credits.

At this point there is a Feasibility report giving general directions, and now the sections are supposed to design their individual study plans with this in mind, for a 2028 implementation:

https://www.epfl.ch/education/educational-initiatives/sepanouir-flourish_en/debriefs-events/

These documents are internal, so it is hard for a prospective student to follow these developments. For anyone who knows more about this, what are some of the noteworthy directions they want to implement?

Anyone who is applying this year or who got in last yr could you plz help us figure out application process…. Personal essay and scientific essay…..
what’s the weightage for essay, grades and lor?
Any things that we should keep in mind before applying?

Hey, I had a question on which I can’t decide what to do. I plan on applying for the MFE program on this window, I come from an Italian university with an average of 28.5 and weighted 28.7, by the time of my application.
I have many extracurriculars but I know EPFL doesn’t really care about those. I have 2 reaserch publications in math and statistics and was awarded a merit based scholarship of the amount €14,000.

My question is, is it worth giving it a shot in this cycle or trying to improve my gpa and possibly do some single courses in other universities here, and apply next year.

Thank you guys in advance.

Is there anyone skilled enough to use the 3D Printing room of EPFL?

Je galère actuellement pas mal dans mon cours de chimie de bachelor et je me demandais où est-ce qu’on pouvait trouver des étudiants des années supérieures qui donnent des cours d’appui?

Hello,

I am EU citizen proficient in English and French. I have finished in March this year my Master's studies at EPFL in Computer Science. I have also finished my Bachelors in Computer Science at EPFL.

Since that time, I have been unable to find any employment in my field. I have sent more than 150 applications to relevant job postings.

I had 9 first interviews, 4 second interviews, 2 third interviews, and 1 fourth interview. I have not received any job offer.

This is all despite the fact of having experience with relevant programming languages and technologies, having 2 publications (I was in the Research Scholar program), and 2 relevant internships.

I have tried searching for job abroad in the EU, but I found even less interest in my skills than in Switzerland.

I'm starting to wonder whether I'm doing something wrong, or whether there's something about my profile that isn't working. Has anyone else gone through a similar experience?

After six demanding years of study, it's discouraging to feel that my skills aren't attracting interest, and the situation has been weighing heavily on me.

Hi all,

A somewhat atypical question for those of you who attended/are attending a Master in whatever quantitative area (preferrably math). A concise background on me that'll hopefully help motivate my question:

A little more than two years ago I was admitted to ETH Msc Math and EPFL MFE for the 2024/2025 AY. Although very keen on finance I was still interested in pure math and I went for ETH. The summer before studies I developed a serious health condition and in the second semester I dropped out because I couldn't handle such demanding studies alongside it anymore. I have just recently gotten my condition under decent control and started reconsidering my old ambitions - which ultimately would be to live in Switzerland, working in the finance industry.

I'd like to apply again for the same two programs for a start in the next AY, so assuming the best possible scenario where I'd have to choose between the two again:

The one thing that always felt scary during my time at ETH was the high level of mathematical creativity that felt required by most of the exercises. I hold a bachelor's degree in pure math from a more than decent italian uni, and although I had nearly perfect grades there, I remember feeling hopeless in front of most exercises at ETH. That is, I could understand theory just fine, but the exercises felt from another planet wrt what I was used to. A random exercise sheet (publicly accessible): https://metaphor.ethz.ch/x/2025/fs/401-3642-00L/ex/BMSC_Sheet_5_Solutions.pdf

While I recognise I was far from being at my best because of my health conditions, I am looking for some opinions and data to take an informed decision about the future of my education.

I often heard that ETH's approach is considered to be much more heavily theoretical, so I'd like to ask you: does the level of the exercises in the link (or any type of exercises from the direct experience some of you may have had at ETH) resemble that of your studies at EPFL? If so, do you think it's worth spending this year trying to bridge the gap or should I just give up on this idea?

Sincerely thank you if you have the time to answer.