I found it very interesting that so many French students associate the word "elite" with education and academic achievement, while most of the American students associate it with social standing and classism.

I'm curious about whether this is related to France's long history of aristocracy and monarchy, and America's emphasis on the working-class. Is there in general less emphasis on social mobility in French culture, or is "elite" simply used more often in an academic than social context?

Unfortunately, the American (contrary to French) culture does not place as strong of an emphasis on education as we should.  Perhaps this is the reason why so many of our younger children are unable to graduate and obtain college degrees.  Being a primary hub for finance (NY at least), American culture has been primarily money-driven, using wealth and what can be achieved by wealth to separate the classes.  

Given that "Elite" is associated more with education than with wealth, does French society expect students to go far in education and be academics? i.e. is that a tangible, desirable end goal?

This would be in contrast to American students being expected to earn lots of money, the tangible, desirable end goal being extreme wealth.

Is there a word in French that has a similar meaning and connotation as "elite" does in English? Is classism a concept that exists or is discussed often in French society?

Also, I wonder whether the connotation of "elite" in English is a reflection of American society's more dismissive attitude toward education, or whether it's the other way around. I feel like schools that have traditionally been recognized as top schools in the US, like Harvard, have an elitist association, and maybe that's discouraging younger students from seeing higher education as a desirable goal?

I agree with Wahbi's point. I am from a francophonic nation, Lebanon, and indeed the elite are the ones who are educated. The higher the level of education, the greater society regards you. Professors, doctors, engineers and artists are highly regarded for their education and academic achievements. 

I think that it is really interesting how the word means different things to different cultures. I think that traditionally in the United States, "Elite" was reserved for those who were educated, but the educated also had enough money to go to school. Since school is becoming a bigger part of the American culture I think that "Elite" may have changed from just the educated to the rich. If it is more accesible to get an education then it is not limited and therefore the educated are not "Elite."

The question that comes to my mind is: How easy is it to move up into the Elite?

In America, it is very difficult to do so. Garnering enough money/fame/etc. to constitute 'Elite' is a long, arduous process, only a few of whom are lucky and able enough to do so. If France's Elite is based more upon education, then, ideally, it would be easier to graduate classes. Is this so?

Il ne faut pas confondre élite et classe sociale élevée. Ce n'est pas parcequ'on fait partie de l'élite qu'on est forcément riche. (et réciproquement)

Quand je parle d'élite, je pense surtout à l'élite intellectuelle, qui va de pair avec un certaine éducation mais aussi avec une certaine culture littéraire et historique. Des gens qui prennent du recul par rapport aux infos fournies par les medias et lisent entre les lignes. Des gens qui se sont créée une véritable opinion sur la société et sont prêts à en débattre. Je pense aussi aux écrivains engagés. 

Du coup, faire des études ne suffit pas à faire partie de l'élite.

C'est en tout cas ce que je pense, mais peut-être que certains y associent autre chose.