Enlighten Me - Study Abroad

One thing no one mentioned yet on this thread is that there are at least 4 different approaches to study abroad.

At one end, you have short-term programs taught by university faculty where all the students are members of the university. These programs may run during one of the summer terms or during Spring, Fall, or Winter breaks. The benefit with these is that they usually offer credits with the university. The downside is that due to the short duration and singular university makeup of the students means that there is probably relatively little cultural immersion. You didn’t mention what year your first child was in, but this may be a good option for him/her.

Most of the universities that D and I have looked at have exchange partnerships with other universities that allow students to spend a full semester or more abroad (some even have campuses in other countries). These partnerships usually have the benefit that you pay your normal tuition and can use your financial aid. Additionally, the partnerships usually guarantee that credits will transfer (even credits required for the major if the program is run through the college/department offering the major). Classes may be taught in English, or may require proficiency in the host countries predominant language (it really depends on the program). Due to the duration of the program and the fact that the student is taking courses at the host university rather than taking a class taught by a faculty member from the home university, I think you can expect significantly more immersion in the host nation’s culture.

Some universities offer “Cohort” programs where students from different countries and participating universities spend semesters attending different universities in different countries as a group. These programs seem to be aligned to specific majors such as International Business. I believe that throughout this program the home university tuition and fees apply, as well as financial aid.

Finally, universities may be willing to accept coursework provided from other schools that they do not have a formal partnership with. A student could take a semester or more off from the home school and attend another school abroad. In this case, financial aid from the home university will not apply, and you’ll have to pay the host university directly (which could be more or less than the home university). There’s no guarantee that the home university will offer credit for the coursework.

“there are at least 4 different approaches to study abroad…”

Very good summary. There is of course at least one additional option, which is to go abroad for the full 4 years. To me this seems to make the most sense either where you know someone outside the US (so that you aren’t going to a completely strange land far away), or where you aren’t going very far.

DS1 is a graduating HS senior. DD2 is currently 10th grade, and DD3 is 8th grade. (2-year stair-step babies.). Things have changes so much since I did undergrad or even grade school. CC has been a game-changer for me and our family already. Thanks everyone!

And for what it’s worth, there is another option which is to take a gap year before you ever go to college and spend it somewhere. I spent a year in France living with a French family. The first semester I studied French (even though I’d had four years of French in high school) the second semester I audited a bunch of university courses as well. I read French newspapers, watched French TV, got to go through an election when the president died in office. I arrived in college refreshed, having been off the treadmill for a year. I spoke fluent French so I could take advanced literature. I discovered to my surprise that German was a snap once I’d learned one foreign language. (I’d been pretty much a dunce in French in high school.) And I ended up writing my thesis on low cost housing in Paris and Berlin. I got a grant to spend the summer in Paris and Berlin at least in part, because I would be able to do research in the original language. I actually think intensive language study before college makes a lot of sense.

@TQfromtheU for architecture, Notre Dame’s is a five year program. The third year is spent studying in Italy, traveling all over the country to understand how classical and modern architecture combine. It’s truly an amazing program with a lot of emphasis on sustainable design.

OP - my kid has gone abroad both summers after Freshman and Sophomore years - to Berlin and then to Seoul to study languages. After her summer immersions, she is now fluent in both German and Korean. So as to not bore the others with a recitation of how that went and my initial angst over it, you can read some of my older posts or PM me. I can say that her time abroad has been great and, after the fact, I see that she was right in pushing me to accept her decision to do it.

The first summer she paid for it with a combination of financial aid, small loan and family contribution. The summer in Seoul was fully subsidized (air fare, room, board, tuition at Sogang University and tutoring costs) by a fellowship she received.