France Study Abroad (ideas?)

Parents Forum
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<p>Hello,</p>

<p>Sophomore S is starting to look for colleges. It's so exciting! I suspect he will end up at a small or medium LAC but at this point he is just beginning the search so he is open to larger settings.</p>

<p>He hopes to double major in art and math. He is pretty serious about art, has been taking classes for a couple of years at a local non-profit school for the arts and even had stuff in shows. Of course I am biased re his talent (!) but the point is, he really is passionate about art. His idea of heaven is to hang out at the Met in NYC. </p>

<p>On the other hand he also LOVES math. The turning point at high school freshman year (he hated it at first) was the day he came home from a math meet: "Mom, it was the best time, EVER." Kids sit at desks working on problems which only a couple of them even solve. Then eat pizza. Pardon the pun but...go figure. </p>

<p>It is too early to define THE LIST but....we are starting to get ideas. Geography will dictate limits (as will fin aid). We are looking for schools that are strong in both Math and Art and have great fin aid. We plan to do Questbridge so eight schools below are partner schools. Then we really need a couple of matches with good fin aid -- or specialized scholarships for math, art, or in one case, local residents.</p>

<p>Thing is, S went to France with grandparents and loved it, says he will want to spend junior year there. We speak Spanish (having lived in Mexico) but his HS does not offer French. Anyway what I am confused about it that most schools don't offer their own programs but rather join with others, or send kids through an independent program.</p>

<p>Does anyone know about these schools and study abroad?</p>

<p>Yale, Brown, Stanford (dreaming!) - less than 10% acceptance</p>

<p>Amherst, Williams, Pomona, Middlebury - less than 20% acceptance</p>

<p>Haverford, Vassar - less than 30% acceptance</p>

<p>Not QB schools:<br>
Hamilton - less than 30% acceptance</p>

<p>Bard, Connecticut - less than 40% acceptance</p>

<p>Any experience with these schools in terms of study abroad in France?</p>

<p>We won't know about chances until SATs but working backwards in terms of selectivity, he will have a shot at at least a few of these schools...and one is all he needs!</p>

<p>Thanks parents as always I appreciate hearing the voice of experience!</p>

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<p>When looking at a study abroad for a lower income family, look for schools that offer programs directly through their school vs an outside “study abroad” program. Usually these schools your tuition and fees are the same as they would be if he stayed on campus that year, but you generally have to pay for your plane ticket and any extensions to the semester. Also, your financial aid will cover your study abroad too. Not all programs have that.</p>

<p>As for which schools to consider, what does he want to do with his math and art degrees? That is really more important than anything. Keep in mind that all of these schools have about 20,000+ kids applying to them that “look” just like your son so he needs to stand out somehow–outside of GPA and test scores.</p>

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<p>Yes, I vaguely remembered that fin aid limitations was the reason I didn’t go abroad. My college had a few great programs which would have been possible (tho not easy, since I would have had to come up with the plane fare in addition to summer earnings as usual) but they weren’t in places that interested me, and the one that did interest me was for a year – not a semester – so I was afraid to take the plunge. But money really was the main factor.</p>

<p>So your advice is very very well-taken.</p>

<p>As for selectivity, yes, we will probably end up setting the “reach” bar a couple rungs lower than they are now. On the other hand Questbridge is a one-shot deal, so why not include Stanford and others? As long as we keep in mind the importance of safeties…I am sure I willl be asking for more help once we get SATs or at least PSATs for an idea of scores.</p>

<p>Thanks for the advice!</p>

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<p>We’ve visited some of those schools and other LAC’s, and a few of them will even pay for your plane ticket to study abroad. Financial aid usually transfers if the school approves the program, and if it is not on the current list, the student has to do some paperwork to get the program approved. I don’t have my notes handy on which ones said they paid airfare (maybe Pomona was one?), but it sounds like you have a lot of research to do on study abroad! </p>

<p>My daughter did a CIEE program in Brussels which she enjoyed, but make sure he reads reviews of any program before signing up.</p>

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<p>Bard doesn’t run a study abroad program in France, but they do permit students to participate in programs run by other schools. I know a student who did a semester at the Sorbonne and received full credit for the experience. I don’t believe any financial aid is applied if you don’t participate in a Bard-run program, but it is reinstated upon your return.</p>

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<p>Many study abroad programs are language based, ie French in France, italian in italy, with classes taught in those languages. And his majors focus may not match up with the programs taught in France, which may not include math.</p>

<p>My daughter was terrible at languages and she found a program in Prague where classes were taught in English. Her college worked with the program, so all credits were accepted toward her major, history. </p>

<p>Bring a math major in France, unless he finds a program taught in English accepted by his college, it may not be possible. Art may be more possible, but it’s the language that may an issue.</p>

<p>My daughters program had students from dozens of various colleges.</p>

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<p>Thanks everyone for all the great info!</p>