ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on a change that has attracted less attention, which is the rise of second-rank elite schools during the second half of the twentieth century that claim the status of grandes ecoles and also contribute to redefining upper-class educational strategies. It also focuses on the nine Institutes d'Etudes Politiques (IEP) that are located in various French cities. The chapter explores the important dimensions of being elite and feeling elite. It investigates why students choose these institutions over others. The chapter analyses how students benchmark elite occupations as they make professional choices. Since it focuses on students' perception of elite status, it deals primarily with interviews that were conducted with students. In discussing their college choices and eventual admission into a provincial IEP, students point to several factors that play a large role in their self-positioning and their perception of an IEP.
