<p>I heard the Prez on radio today saying how he thought it would definitely raise their applications. He said that last year they had a little over 3000, and were thinking this might increase applications by 1/3.</p>
<p>If you want more info, go to <a href="http://www.wbal.com%5B/url%5D">http://www.wbal.com</a> and click on Ron Smith--he said on his show that he had also posted a link to the letter that the Prez sent to the Goucher community announcing the program.</p>
<p>In the late 60s, I studied in France at the Universite de Tours/Institute Tourraine (intensive language studies) and the Universite de Poitiers (normal cultural curriculum).</p>
<p>I had the opportunity to interface on a daily basis with French classmates and locals. I traveled throughout France, England, Belgium, Italy, and Switzerland, drinking in history and culture along the way. I hitchhiked (don't try this at home now), slept on park benches (ditto), stayed with families I met during my travels (ditto), met local security guards who protected me when my trains arrived in the middle of the night. I learned that to many French families at the time, simple window blinds were thought to be the height of extravagance, and that few middle class people in small towns (save doctors) owned refrigerators or cars.</p>
<p>The experience got me to look outside of myself, and to see people and their circumstances in the cultures around me. It made me less self-absorbed and self-centered. It fueled my interest in social justice and community service. The experience changed my life forever. It was transforming. I gained a new appreciation for all we have and hold dear.</p>
<p>I cannot speak highly enough of the great need for students to open themselves to this kind of experience. Goucher is showing tremendous vision with this move.</p>
<p>I'm a big fan of study and living abroad but I have to question whether 3 weeks is really going to accomplish much. All too often that's a vacation, not an experience. I think to truly benefit, someone must spend at least a semester, and preferably a year or more. It's certainly a good message from the administration about the benefits of study abroad, and hopefully students will look into longer stays.</p>
<p>Actually, the choice of either studying abroad or completing an internship has ALWAYS been a requirement at Goucher. Now, they've just added funding to make it possible. Iderochi, three weeks is a short time, but many kids don't want to be away from their friends and social life for longer. Goucher has done an excellent job of creating some short term school run programs that really do expose students to another culture, if only for a limited time.</p>
<p>Linfield College in Oregon also pays airfare for your first study abroad trip.</p>
<p>In my mind, though, the school with the most outstanding study abroad program is, hands down, St. Olaf in Minn. The quantity and variety of the school-led programs they offer is simply amazing.</p>
<p>One thing I found interesting from the radio interview is that for their foreign students, they are considering requiring them to spend a similar amount of time in a different region of the US! That, to me, speaks volumes about their reasoning behind this.</p>
<p>I really don't know about it "increasing applications ny 1/3"....if a student wants to they can study abroad at almost any school & if they don't now they must? I don't see how this equates to a 33% increase?</p>
<p>Thanks for posting this info. I printed it out for my son who is interested in Goucher. I guess they feel it will increase apps because most applicants like the idea of a study abroad, and this one would be partially paid. It will be interesting to see how it pans out.</p>
<p>My D visited Goucher, Randolph-Macon, and Wagner over the past few days. She liked Goucher the best & Wagner the least. Her first SAT score was only 1050 (CR & M), GPA 3.3, ALOT of EC's, job experience, and foreign exchange experience (both host & travel), 2 foreign languages (wants to major in International Relations)..just retook SAT's last Sat....their average SAT is 1180...where do you think she needs to get her SAT's to have a chance?????</p>