How To Pick A Study Abroad Program

By Kylie Fife on October 14, 2016

Picking a study abroad program can be stressful, but it doesn’t have to be. Read through this list of things to consider when picking a study abroad program, and hopefully it will help you figure out how to pick your dream program!

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1)    What do you want out of your study abroad experience?

What’s important to you? The country, the language, the cultural experience? Are you interested in internships while you’re abroad? Or maybe you want to be somewhere that you can travel a lot. Keep these objectives in mind when looking at study abroad programs.

2)    Consider your language ability

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Can you speak a different language well enough to take a course taught entirely in that language? Does your language ability/amount of language courses taken meet the prerequisites for certain programs? If so, consider studying in a country that speaks the language. But if your main language is English, that doesn’t limit your options to just countries that speak English. Many of the larger overseas universities have programs entirely in English, like those in Paris, Berlin, Rome, Barcelona and others.

3)    How long do you want your program to be?

Narrow down your possibilities based on the countries with universities that have programs in languages you’re comfortable in and decide how long you want your program to be. A semester? A whole academic year? Just something over the summer? A lot of the time, some programs have multiple lengths, like just the fall semester, just the spring semester, or the entire year. Summer programs usually only last a month or two, but sometimes they have different themes each year so it can be fun to choose a program in a topic you’re interested in.

4)    Consider your major and course preferences

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Does your major have certain programs? Make sure to talk to an advisor to find out if there are specific places that your major allows you to go.

It’s also important to consider what kinds of courses you want to take while abroad. Do you want to take care of your electives or take courses for your major? A lot of programs have multiple course options so it’s possible to take both electives and major courses!

5)    Where do you want to go?

Now that you know where you can go, decide on exactly where you want to go. Do you prefer living in a city? Look at programs in big cities. And just because you’re not comfortable living in big cities doesn’t mean your options are severely limited. There are lots of great universities in small towns, too.

6)    What is your ideal housing situation?

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Okay, so now you have it down to where you want to go, so it’s time to look at housing options. Some study abroad programs have you live with local families, some will have residence halls, some will have apartments. A lot of programs usually include multiple options so don’t let housing scare you too much.

7)    Think about costs

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Cost varies by program and study abroad can be expensive, so make sure that you can afford the program. It’s also important to apply for as many study abroad scholarships as possible. And if you want to make money while abroad, think about programs that include possible paid internships.

8)    Other considerations

GPA: Is the course GPA-based? Does your GPA meet the criteria? Be sure to either maintain or obtain the minimum GPA requirements for your program.

Prerequisites: Complete all required prerequisites. I cannot stress this enough. Make sure you know the pre-reqs you need, because sometimes they can sneak up on you.

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