I am a rising junior and am aware that studying abroad this school year is out of the question.
But what are the benefits of studying abroad senior year for a semester (spring)?
Please share your experiences and thoughts. I look forward to all of your responses!
I would highly suggest that you go for Fall semester rather than spring for your senior, though even better go this spring! I did a quick search online and some programs such as Greenheart travel are still accepting applicants until mid October (check with your preferred organization however, I was only giving the example of the one I did when I studied abroad). The problem with going your senior year, and especially your last semester of college, is that you’ll possibly miss the graduation with the class you’ve been with for the past 4 years, and if there are any complications with transferring your course credits to your US highschool for graduation requirements you’ll not be home to resolve those issues. I myself had a surprise phone meeting with my new high school counselor (it changed while I was aborad) when I was abroad in France my junior year, with her yelling at me “Who approved this! This is entirely a mess!” It was a scary situation at the time, but I was so glad to be able to go back my senior year and work out the details with my school, take the classes we’ve compromised on, and was able to graduate on time and go to a great university that I’m at today. Situations like this would be incredible difficult to resolve when your abroad so close to the finish line
You’ll have to do your research pal. But I’d say It’s best to search for the start of the semester on the country you wish to study.
Are you in college or high school? Oh, I went back and looked at your title.
In that case, while I am not sure it is a good idea to travel at all during the hectic senior year, check out CIEE. They have amazing funding opportunities and are an established program with strong reviews.
If you decide to travel, though, I would say the spring might be best, but you’d miss the admitted students weekend events wherein you re-visit schools which have accepted you and see which one feels best.
Another option is to spend a summer abroad. One of my kids did that summer before senior year.
Start of the semester is the best choice imho. But you need to familiarize yourself first on the country before you go to school. I believe 1-2 months will do, so that you know someone already and you know the basic culture of them, so that come first semester, you won’t worry and you’re already prepared.
Start of the semester is the best choice imho. But you need to familiarize yourself first on the country before you go to school. I believe 1-2 months will do, so that you know someone already and you know the basic culture of them, so that come first semester, you won’t worry and you’re already prepared.