You said "Grande Ecole" ?

• Strong 'esprit de corps' and alumni network
• A highly selective admission process: students are admitted through a nationwide examination or by virtue of excellent academic records
• An unwritten hierarchy: the Grandes Écoles have always been very competitive among themselves. The resulting hierarchy is fairly stable because of the competitive admission system, where the most prestigious institutions attract the best students.
• Long studies, i.e. 5 years of higher education
• Doctoral studies are also offered by some Grandes Écoles.
• A small size : a 'Grande École' is usually of the size of a university department, with at most of 300 to 500 graduates per year