For Students Who Have Applied
Now that you have officially applied to the specific study abroad program of your choice, you are ready to do some general preparation while awaiting the official admission decision.
- ACCEPTANCE: Your program will be notifying you (most probably via the email you provided on your application) sometime after their published deadlines about your status. From that point on, they will be your main contact for questions related to your program including housing preference, student visa, class registration, etc. Do NOT panic if your friends have been accepted to their programs and you have yet to receive your acceptance even if you've applied at the same time. Please be patient as you will eventually hear from the program providers once your application has been reviewed and approved. Each program has a different timeline and each application reviewed separately.
- CONFIRMATION DEPOSIT: When you receive your acceptance email or packet from your program, you will be asked to submit a deposit to secure your spot on their roster. Amounts range from $200 - $2,000 depending on the affiliated program. Except for participants in affiliated Summer Programs, all other SCU students are NOT responsible for sending this confirmation deposit directly to their program as it will be invoiced to Santa Clara. Participants in Summer Programs offered by our affiliated providers (Arcadia, BU, CIEE, IES, etc) must pay the deposit directly to the provider to confirm their place on the roster; all others do NOT need to pay.
- CONFIRMATION FORMS: Even though Santa Clara will pay your confirmation deposit (except for summer affiliate students), you are FULLY RESPONSIBLE for completing all other confirmation forms to secure your spot by the provider's deadline (usually 10 days after an acceptance). Affiliated Summer Program participants must pay the deposit in addition to completing the proper forms within the set period given by the provider.
While waiting for your acceptance, you may start on these general preparations:
- PRE-DEPARTURE CHECKLIST: (Required) A checklist of policies and procedures, responsibilities and forms, you must fulfill once you have submitted your program-specific applications to the International Programs Office. Be sure to have your parents review this document.
- GET ABROAD COURSES PRE-APPROVED: (Required) Follow the procedure for getting your abroad courses pre-approved to fulfill SCU major, minor, or core requirements.
- PLAN AHEAD FOR CORE 2009 REQUIREMENTS: Helpful tips from the Director of University Core Curriculum for fulfilling core requirements abroad.
- STUDY ABROAD FEES: (Required) Review Santa Clara's study abroad fees which are different from the published fees of our affiliated program providers.
- WORKSHOP SERIES: (Recommended) Prepare for your time abroad by participating in as many of the study abroad workshops as you want. Check our Upcoming Events page for workshops that might of interest to you.
- MANDATORY PRE-DEPARTURE ORIENTATION: (Required) All students are required to attend the pre-departure orientation on Saturday, April 21, 2012, 9:30 AM - 12:30 PM. You will be required to attend the General Session plus your location-specific Group Meetings with returning study abroad students.
- STUDY ABROAD UPDATES: (Required) It is always the student's responsibility to monitor their official university-issued Groupwise email address for the latest updates, policy changes, travel advisories, and information.
- CONTACT INTERNATIONAL AMBASSADORS: The International Ambassadors are former study abroad students who have volunteered to help prepare students for their time abroad. Check out their profiles and contact them via their listed email.
- PRE-DEPARTURE TIPS SHEETS: These tips sheets are provided to you by the International Ambassadors based on their experience while studying abroad. Download them and follow them as you deem useful.
- FERPA WAIVERS: Please check your ecampus if you have already signed FERPA waivers to enable your parents / guardians to access some of your academic and financial information. You are not required to waive your FERPA rights, but do know that if your parents call the University to inquire about your bills and other helpful information, we cannot disclose information to them unless you have signed a FERPA form and filed at the Registrar's Office. Read more>>
TIPS: Keep checking the Upcoming Events page for your Group Meetings and be on the lookout for emails from the International Program Office.
Learn about your location
First, take the time to learn about the country that you will be living in before you depart. Locate several good guidebooks and maps (Lonely Planet, Eyewitness, Frommer’s, Rick Steves’, and Let's Go travel guides have all been recommended by students).
Familiarize yourself with as many aspects of the country as you can. Read up on the country's history and speak with students and faculty who are familiar with your destination- especially those who have been on your specific program. Also, keep up with current events – the internet has a wealth of local resources that will have you feeling more like a native and less like a visitor. The International Programs office also has a collection of guides you may find useful. Your specific study abroad programs (Arcadia, Syracuse, IES, etc.) will provide detailed orientation materials pertaining to each particular city. Be sure to read this material carefully - it contains the answers to many of your most pressing questions. These study abroad orientation packets also often contain info on travel discounts, rail passes and the like.
Prepare for differences in the educational system
Depending on the program and country, school abroad can be quite different from SCU. Classes may have less formal structure and instructors often place more responsibility on the students to organize their studies. At times, you may feel a little lost and wonder if the study hours you are racking up will translate into those credits needed at SCU (they will!). However, also remember that while your studies are very important (because grades do transfer), so are immersion in the culture, developing new relationships, and traveling to see new things. When you are confronted by these doubts about schoolwork or classes, remember that your intellectual growth, improved language skills, and international experience will increase competitiveness for graduate school or in the job market, as well as helping you become a "citizen of the world." After the first few days some will agree with the student who wrote from France that "things here were a little difficult and confusing at first but it's all fitting into place now. I like all the classes and I'm learning a lot." After only a few more days, students' initial doubts are usually replaced by another concern - "My only regret or complaint is the fact that I am unable to stay here longer!"
