At the end of winter break, applications for all Fall 2024 study abroad programs, one winter 2025 program, and one summer term program, and one summer mini term opened. For this application cycle, students have the opportunity to choose programs in over 10 different countries along with 1 domestic program. To help students prepare for these applications, the Concordiensis has created a guide for how to apply to study abroad programs and information is also available from the International Programs office ([email protected]).

First, students must apply two terms before they intend to go abroad. Generally, applications open before the start of that term, and are due at the end of the third Friday of the term at 5 p.m. For the Fall 2024 programs, applications are due on Friday, January 19, 2024 at 5 p.m. Unlike other terms, students can only apply to two fall 2024 study abroad programs, and students must rank them. An evaluative committee of 3 faculty members will review applications for each program, and decision letters will be emailed on February 9, 2024 at around 5 p.m. In general, programs in English speaking countries are more competitive than others, so it’s recommended that students apply to programs early in their academic careers, apply often (don’t wait to apply to go abroad exclusively in your Junior year!), and apply to more than one program and to programs in multiple terms. 

In order to be eligible for a study abroad program, students must: be matriculated students at the college, complete two Union classes the term before departure, have a clear account balance, be in good academic and conduct standing, and have an overall GPA of 2.5 or greater. Most programs require a 2.5 overall GPA, but for fall 2024, the Japan, Ireland, and Turkey programs require a 3.0 GPA. The London, England and Lille, France winter 2025 programs require a 2.8 GPA, and the Klemm Fellowship Program requires a 3.2 GPA. If students do not meet these requirements, they may still apply and the application can be reviewed by the evaluative committee.However, the committee will not be able to accept the student. The student will receive a letter with instructions to request a GPA extension through the Dean of Studies ([email protected]) to raise their GPA.Specific programs may also require prerequisite coursework, such as language classes. Students can only go on a full term abroad once, but there is no limit on the number of mini terms they can go on. 

For the application itself, it is recommended that students order passports as soon as possible because the US passport process can take up to 8 weeks currently and can be longer depending on the time of year.  Students also have to have academic advisor approval and submit the names and emails of 2-3 faculty or staff members who may be willing to recommend them. This is because sometimes committees reach out to recommenders to learn more about students. 

Students also have to write an essay on why they want to study abroad, which has also been a deciding factor in whether or not they are admitted. Ginny Casper, assistant director of the international programs office is willing to read and provide feedback on a more polished essay draft. . Students can email her at [email protected] before January 16 to receive feedback. It is also recommended that students make an appointment with Jeremy Schmelkin ([email protected]) in the writing center because he specializes in editing study abroad essays. Students can also submit an optional statement on diversity in the application. 

In addition, “Joe Johnson, the director of the Writing Center, does have students who have been abroad, and they have some sample essays of what you can look at when thinking about your own essay,” Casper, the assistant director of the international programs office, said. In terms of essays that got students rejected from programs, Casper remarked that “some of the biggest things that I’ve seen is honestly an unclear statement of purpose and spelling errors. It sometimes feels like I’m still reading the first draft. And if anything at Union, you learn that you need to rewrite things quite a bit.”

It is possible that students will not be admitted to their desired study abroad program, and instead be placed on a wait pool. In this case, “We kind of look at it as a year long process,” Casper said. “Key dates to look at are: when is the committed student date by? We tend to ask students who have been wait pooled to wait at least a few days after this date, because there will be students who do not commit to a program for whatever reason. We also would like to have students have different options. So it may be if they’re able to go abroad another term, come in and meet with someone in our staff to discuss different programs, because you might find that maybe the fall program wasn’t the best, maybe it was something that’s going to run in the winter or the spring that is a better fit.” 

Students have until January 19 to apply for fall 2024 study abroad programs, and students can learn more about them on the international programs website. Decision letters will be sent on February 9th and students will have until February 20th to commit to the programs. Applications for winter break 2024 and winter term 2025 programs will open before the start of the spring term, and spring 2025 program applications will open before the start of fall 2024.