I have no idea how the whole "study abroad" thing works...

Applying to College
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<p>I'm a transfer student in California. Up until today, I was planning to attend UC Santa Barbara for my junior and senior year, just like any other typical student. However, today my mother told me that, basically, I have no choice but to study abroad, perhaps through UC Irvine's Education Abroad Program.</p>

<p>Well, I have absolutely no clue where to even begin. I've spent the last two years preparing for transferring to a UC, and now all of a sudden I find out I'm supposed to find universities somewhere else in the world that will:</p>

<p>1) Accept me, a transfer student,</p>

<p>2) Presumably through UCI,</p>

<p>3) And give me enough financial aid to make it financially feasible.</p>

<p>...She's said she want me to apply to Oxford (in the UK). I might be wrong, but it seems like Oxford would be insanely hard to get into, and I am not even close to a straight-A student. Moreover, would that university even accept me as a transfer student? I've done prerequisites for UCSB, but not UCI and certainly not Oxford.</p>

<p>I just have no clue what to do. All I wanted was to go to little ole' UCSB for two years, but now I've got to figure out how to study abroad. Even more insane, I plan on pursuing accounting. Who ever heard of a study abroad program for accounting?! o.O</p>

<p>My major at UCI would be Business Economics, if that makes any difference.</p>

<p>Please, I feel like a deer in the headlights. Two years of preparation has all of a sudden become moot, and I have no clue what to do.</p>

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<p>There are several great schools in london for business/economics. Namely the London School of Economics and I believe City University London.</p>

<p>It seems odd that she is forcing you to study abroad? Has she considered the fact UCSB might allow you to study abroad for a semester, junior year, or even just for the summer?</p>

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<p>^ She doesn’t want to pay the extra expenses for dorm and food at UCSB. Apparently she thinks London will be cheaper…</p>

<p>Oh, and would I even be able to get into either of those schools? I used to be an A/B student, but last semester I got a D and an F, and this semester I’ll end up getting two F’s (and in the same exact two classes that I failed last semester…).</p>

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<p>Studying abroad in europe will indeed be expensive if you attend a school in Western European countries (Uk/France/Spain etc.). London being the worst I imagine.</p>

<p>Just hop onto some of the school websites and check out what tuition + dorms run and translate it into US dollars using a website like xe.com.</p>

<p>I’ve looked into Oxford & LSE myself for doing a semester or year abroad and the total cost to attend is higher than in-state tuition at any UC school.</p>

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<p>I may be wrong on this but aren’t some schools (if not all) in Sweden pretty cheap if you are an international student?</p>

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<p>Um, no. The UK schools do not accept transfers from US schools, least of all community colleges. Plus, they do NOT offer financial aid–the costs are at least $30k USD per year.</p>

<p>I doubt your mother was seriously suggesting Europe :P</p>

<p>[Undergraduate</a> Admissions: Financial costs and support for international students](<a href=“http://www.cam.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/international/finance.html]Undergraduate”>Study at Cambridge | University of Cambridge)</p>

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<p>

Yeah, that’s what I expected.</p>

<p>

If it wasn’t already implied, my mom isn’t particularly smart…</p>

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<p>All the UCs offer both the UC Education Abroad Program (EAP) and the International Opportunities Program (IOP). Most also offer summer Travel-Study courses. UC students on any campus are eligible.</p>

<p>There are significant differences. </p>

<p>EAP participants stay registered at UC while abroad, continue to earn credit and make usual progress towards their degrees, and pay the same fees they would pay if they remained on their home campuses. EAP and Travel-Study courses are UC courses and therefore are considered “in-residence.” Units, course titles, and grades are posted on your UC transcript. Thus, if you are a California resident, your UC EAP educational fees will be the same as if you were on your home campus. Room and board charges are separate, but depending on where you go, and the international exchange rates, these are likely to be about the same or even less expensive than living on campus. </p>

<p>The EAP program includes more than 100 institutions in 35 countries around the world that have reciprocity agreements with UC. There are currently 16 in the UK; however, neither Oxford nor LSE has a reciprocity agreement and they are not part of the EAP. </p>

<p>The IOP program isn’t as limited. You can receive transfer credit for study abroad programs offered by other US universities or directly from a foreign college or university (not a Center, Institute, or Academy). You may also work, volunteer, do research or teach, but you cannot receive credit for non-study programs. You may meet General Education and major requirements this way–it is wise to have a written agreement approved in advance–and in order to receive transfer credit for study, the program must provide a transcript. When your foreign transcript is received and approved, the units (but not course titles or grades) will be posted on your UC transcript. (Your foreign transcript will have the titles and grades.)</p>

<p>You might attend Oxford or LSE through the IOP program (if you can be admitted; you apply directly to your IOP program according to their instructions). But you will not be considered “in-residence” at UC. You would need to pay their regular tuition and fees (for non-European foreign students), and you might or might not be eligible for financial aid. </p>

<p>IOP Affiliates are study abroad providers that have been recognized, because they offer several program options which are not available through UC EAP, and past UC participants have been satisfied with their experiences.</p>

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<p>[Language</a> immersion](<a href=“http://www.my-language-travel.com%5DLanguage”>http://www.my-language-travel.com) - I believe you need to suck it up and learn to read, since you’ll find that as you get past basic level that the available resources for continuing to learn will narrow significantly if you don’t know the characters.</p>

<p>To teach a language we must learn the Language … We are required to be on our toes to keep learning and teaching. It has a positive influence.</p>

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<p>Oxford is incredibly competitive for study abroad, and with the decline in your grades that you noted, I’m not sure you would make the cut. </p>

<p>Also, when does she expect you to study abroad? At my institution at least, the deadlines for application for the next academic year have already passed. (though this may be different at a UC, I’m not sure why it would be)</p>