Prépa PolytechEverything you need to know about the EPFL course.
Answers to the questions we're asked most often about preparing for the first year at EPFL.
Is this course right for me?
The course is for anyone entering the first Bachelor year at EPFL directly after their maturité, baccalaureate or equivalent. Whatever your starting level, the guidance is personal and progress is individual. If you're starting at EPFL this autumn, this course is for you.
Is the course available online?
Yes. The course runs on-site in Lausanne and online. Identical program, same small-group format, live. Sessions can be held in English or French depending on the participants.
Which subjects are covered and why those?
Calculus, linear algebra and mechanics — the three subjects with the highest coefficients of the first semester. They are also where most failures in the propaedeutic year are concentrated. We go straight to the essentials. These subjects are common to all sections.
What will I concretely gain?
You leave with three things: solid foundations in the key subjects, the university study methods that high school never taught you, and a head start on the first-semester syllabus. The goal is simple: that you're not caught off guard on day one.
Why only one week?
One intense, focused week beats three scattered ones. We don't redo all of high school — we teach exactly what you need to know before starting EPFL, with the method and pace that go with it. Short, dense, effective.
I'm already good at maths — will the course still help me?
Yes. What we teach isn't just maths — it's the university way of working, pace management, and EPFL syllabus concepts that high school doesn't cover.
Why not just revise on my own?
Revising alone can work, but the EPFL first-semester syllabus is very different from high school — in difficulty, pace and the rigour expected. Knowing what to revise, in what order and with what method is a skill. That's exactly what we pass on in one week.
Does the course include accommodation?
No, the on-site course does not include accommodation. Lausanne has many options in August — youth hostels, sublets, short-term shared flats. We can point you to a few leads if needed.
Can two people register together?
Yes. Prépa Polytech offers a Duo option at 1,700 CHF for two participants, instead of 1,900 CHF for two individual registrations — a 200 CHF saving. To use it, select the Duo offer in the registration form and fill in the second participant's details. Payment is made once, by one of the two.