Understanding your Study Abroad Program Options
Tags: Study Abroad, Chinese, Taiwan, China, China Travel

“Where do I even start?” It can feel both overwhelming and exciting to think about the possibility of going to a country where you may know some or little of the language, and most definitely not all of the culture. Let’s start by focusing on three steps that can get you started with your study abroad research. Then we’ll look at three major program categories: direct exchange, approved programs, and third party programs.

1. Become best friends with your study abroad advisor: As strange as it sounds, their biggest value to you is their love of rules and deep expertise in university regulation. Speaking to a study abroad advisor will help you understand the framework within which you can explore programs, and whether what you’re looking for conveniently falls into that framework. While you may find love at first sight with available program offerings, you may also find that a summer program, internship, or specialty provider fits your needs better. If you gravitate towards non-affiliate programs which are not officially approved by your university ask what the implications of a semester of leave would be. You may find that as long as your classes are approved by your professors and registrar you’ll still be able to transfer them back.

2. Meet with your academic advisor: Some majors have much more stringent requirements than others. If you need credits towards your major, find out which classes you could transfer from another university. Based on your school policy, you may simply be able to show a syllabus from another university class to your professor to determine if Biology 102 at your school is the same (or close enough) to Living Organisms 103 at your host institution.

3. Decide how you’re going to pay for the program: If you decide to go on a university approved study abroad program and currently receive a financial aid, you may be able to apply the funding towards your study abroad program. I knew classmates who even received a cheque for the excess money when studying abroad in countries with cheaper tuition than their home institution! Check with your financial aid office if that may be an option for you. If you are planning to receive support from family, makes sure you bring them into the conversation early on about which programs you’re considering and why. Your sponsors will want to know what they’re paying for, and in some cases may be willing to pay for some programs and not others. Having this conversation early and honestly and help avoid study abroad heartbreak. Finally, consider government or foundation programs like Fulbright, Boren, or Critical Language Scholarship which all provide full or almost full financial support for your travels.

Now you’re ready to look at program options.

Typically you’ll have some combination of the following options: university direct exchange, university approved program, and third party program (ie. not affiliated with your school).

University direct exchange programs allow you to experience what it’s like to be an international student at a partner school. Universities participating in these types of exchange program have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the partner school to establish an official partnership. Typically this means there is a set number of students being nominated by each school that are sent as exchange students.

Pros:

Hassle-free and limited administrative headache : these programs typically have an application process that is guided by your school.

: these programs typically have an application process that is guided by your school. Academic credit : all or some of these classes tend to be approved for transfer credit.

: all or some of these classes tend to be approved for transfer credit. Dealing with the familiar: with established partnerships like these, you can easily access previous student testimonials, or connect with students directly. Some universities even have student ambassadors specifically for helping other students learn more about their abroad experiences.

Cons:

Limited country options : Universities are selective with which partners they choose and therefore may not have partnerships with schools in less popular places like Taiwan, which otherwise might make for a great study abroad experience.

: Universities are selective with which partners they choose and therefore may not have partnerships with schools in less popular places like Taiwan, which otherwise might make for a great study abroad experience. Limited academic options: in some cases these partnerships will be beneficial just for specific majors, so make sure to ask if this is the case.

University approved programs are vetted programs that are typically through a third party program provider like AIFS, CIEE, IES, American Councils, CET, or others. The academic quality of the program has been approved by your school, and some or all of the classes offered through these programs have been deemed as acceptable for transfer credit. Typically universities will list these organizations on their study abroad website.

Pros:

Academic credit : all or some of these classes tend to be approved for transfer credit.

: all or some of these classes tend to be approved for transfer credit. More options : schools tend to have a bigger selection of affiliate or approved programs than they do direct exchange partnership.

: schools tend to have a bigger selection of affiliate or approved programs than they do direct exchange partnership. Close community: these programs tend to have students from similar schools and majors, usually only from the U.S., which often creates early bonds among program participants.

Cons:

Academic credi t: you will need to make sure the specific classes you take are approved, and not just the program overall.

t: you will need to make sure the specific classes you take are approved, and not just the program overall. Limited diversity and local interaction: students tend to enroll from similar schools and in some cases even similar majors. If you’re looking for local immersion, you’ll likely face the challenge of leaving the comfort of your cohort to make friends outside this closely knit bubble.

Other programs not approved by the university can include either third party program providers that have not been approved by the university or universities that do not have MOU’s with your school. While these can seem off-putting at first, there are several considerations that may actually make these the best option when evaluating these programs. My third year in college, I enrolled directly in National Taiwan University, taking a leave of absence from my home institution. I petitioned my school to allow me to take more advanced linguistics courses there which were not offered at home, and ended up with both a rigorous academic experience and great mix of both local and international students in my social circle. Here are some other things to consider about third party programs:

Pros:

Tailored to your interests : you can find programs for almost any specific interest, so if your focus is on dance anthropology, tech entrepreneurship, or sustainable agriculture you may want to look outside your school’s programs to identify a provider with expertise in your area of interest.

: you can find programs for almost any specific interest, so if your focus is on dance anthropology, tech entrepreneurship, or sustainable agriculture you may want to look outside your school’s programs to identify a provider with expertise in your area of interest. More credit options : rather than taking classes, you may be interested in doing an internship or research project for credit. Many providers specialize in experiential learning like internships or language intensives, which can be a great way to truly experience something different from what your home institution can offer.

: rather than taking classes, you may be interested in doing an internship or research project for credit. Many providers specialize in experiential learning like internships or language intensives, which can be a great way to truly experience something different from what your home institution can offer. Full-ride programs: you can find fully-funded options especially through non-profits and government initiatives, like Fulbright, Boren, or the Critical Language Scholarship.

Cons:

Financial aid : It can be harder to have your school’s financial aid transfer over to these third party providers.

: It can be harder to have your school’s financial aid transfer over to these third party providers. Taking leave: You may need to take a semester of leave from your home university to attend these. In my opinion, this is not a negative but just something to be aware of if your school has certain residential or “home credit” requirements.

Now that you know what your options are, you’re ready to dig in. For university and university affiliated programs, consult your school’s own study abroad website. For third party providers, check-out GoAbroad or GoOverseas and filter for your region of interest.

As you’re going broad in your research, you’ll notice there are plenty of places to party hard, or be immersed in local culture, so think about what else it is that you want to get out of this experience. Before you know it you’ll be left with memories. Now imagine yourself at the end of your study abroad program and list 3 things you want to walk away with. These could be personal, academic, or professional in nature.

What did you notice? How might these answers inform your program search moving forward?