Sneaking into higher education: a strategic use of cosmopolitan capital

The role of cosmopolitan capital in shaping access to higher education remains underexplored in the sociology of education. While many studies have examined the internationalisation of education, few have examined how families mobilise their international resources when navigating entry into higher education. Based on a field study conducted in four French Lycées abroad (in Germany and the United Kingdom), combining 46 interviews with a questionnaire, this research analyses the differentiated uses of cosmopolitan capital among upper-class families. Far from being limited to competencies or experiences, cosmopolitan capital is strategically mobilised: school choices, language options, extracurricular activities, and the use of private guidance experts. This strategic use of cosmopolitan capital consists mainly of tips and tricks to break into top higher education institutions. Second, it may involve forms of international mobility that enable students with lower levels of academic achievement to bypass national educational hierarchies.