<p>“Also known as The Floating Mattress.” </p>
<p>LOL, idad, I choked on my coffee! :)</p>
<p>"Who cares what one small LAC most people have never heard of thinks? "</p>
<p>quibble</p>
<p>which LACs are better known than Swarthmore?</p>
<p>None so much that it matters. Outside a very narrow group nobody has heard of any LAC outside their area. Nobody in Seattle has heard of Swarthmore or Williams. But they have heard of UPS and maybe Whitman. A guy I worked with in Seattle went to Williams. He said I was one of a very few people who had ever heard of it–and that’s among college educated professionals.</p>
<p>Feel free to look at the list of approved programs from any top college. Williams has a superb list of approved programs, too:</p>
<p>[Williams</a> College :: Office of the Dean - Williams College Guide to Study Abroad](<a href=“http://www.williams.edu/dean/saguide.php/#Programs]Williams”>http://www.williams.edu/dean/saguide.php/#Programs)</p>
<p>Swarthmore’s approved programs:</p>
<p>English-speaking: [Swarthmore</a> College Off-Campus Study Office](<a href=“http://www.swarthmore.edu/Admin/ofs/planning/englishspeakingworld.html]Swarthmore”>http://www.swarthmore.edu/Admin/ofs/planning/englishspeakingworld.html)</p>
<p>Non-English speaking:
[Swarthmore</a> College Off-Campus Study Office](<a href=“http://www.swarthmore.edu/Admin/ofs/planning/nonenglishspeaking.html]Swarthmore”>http://www.swarthmore.edu/Admin/ofs/planning/nonenglishspeaking.html)</p>
<p>These are two of the most comprehensive lists the top study-abroad programs in the world. These are widely-recognized quality programs. The students who go on many of these programs are typically the best students from the best schools. The study abroad offerings, and how they structure study abroad, is one of the things I would look at in evaluating a college.</p>
<p>Many of the top private universities have excellent lists, too – although sometimes they push their own island programs pretty heavily. Larger universities and public universities typically have weaker offerings because they must offer programs priced to match their tuition and fees. You tend to see a lot of island programs where, for example, 40 kids from pack up and move their classrooms (with their professors) to a university in New Zealand. Fun semester, nice travel opportunity, but not the kind of immersion that the top programs can offer (keeping in mind that the top programs are often $20k to $25k per semester).</p>
<p>If you want to see what’s out there in top programs, start clicking on the options from the Williams and Swarthmore lists (or similar lists from comparable schools). Because schools like these typically only run a few programs themselves, they have spent years identifying the top programs – programs affiliated with other schools, programs run by consortia, and independent programs. If you don’t care what the top undergrad focused colleges in the country think about study abroad programs, then that’s fine too. *Semester-at-Sea *is not on the approved list at ANY of these schools. That ought to tell you something; these are pretty lengthy, comprehensive lists.</p>
<p>From the Swarthmore introduction:</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>BTW, Here’s Harvard’s list of approved programs. I think you’ll see many of the same familiar faces as the Swarthmore and Williams lists. This stuff is not rocket science. The study abroad pros know the good programs. For example, you will always see the *Hamiliton in Madrid *and the *Affiliated in Kyoto *programs on these lists.</p>
<p>[Approved</a> Programs Index, OIP, FAS, Harvard University](<a href=“http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~oip/approved_programs/index.html]Approved”>http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~oip/approved_programs/index.html)</p>
<p>Here are the approved “multi-country” programs at Harvard (the category Semeseter at Sea would fall into):</p>
<p>[Approved</a> Programs to Multiple Countries, OIP, FAS, Harvard University](<a href=“http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~oip/approved_programs/multi_country.html]Approved”>http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~oip/approved_programs/multi_country.html)</p>
<p>Coincidentally, it’s identical to Swarthmore’s list of multi-country programs: SIT and IHP programs.</p>
<p>At a Macalaster info session, the admissions director specifically singled out Semester at Sea as an unapproved program.</p>
<h1>25</h1>
<p>like anyones heard of Harvard</p>
<p>If she’s interested in spending study abroad time at sea, she might think instead about SEA Semester or a similar program (there’s another one out of Mystic I think). These are programs that teach students how to sail tall ships, while simultaneously acting as a field program for marine and ocean sciences. It’s much more substantive, and requires a lot of discipline, but is more likely to be on the approved programs list. It doesn’t go around the world (sailing around the world takes a while), but it does have cool programs in several different areas.</p>
<p>I would second Interesteddad’s recommendation to look through the list of programs approved by Williams and Swarthmore - I agree that these programs have been carefully vetted and approved based on years of experience. My sons both attended a program which is on both the Williams and Swarthmore “approved” lists. Each son had to obtain the approval of their home college to attend the program (since it was not sponsored by their home college), and each noted in their petition that the program was approved by Williams, Swarthmore and a number of other top academic schools. There are so many programs out there it can be hard to sort through them all - the lists prepared by Williams and Swarthmore were very helpful.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I’d pay attention to that…</p>
<p>Study abroad options present an process where parents can play an important role in setting some parameters and widening the horizons. There are so many fantastic programs, but most college sophmores probably are thinking more about study abroad being a fun semester than an opportunity for challenge.</p>
<p>I’m pretty sure that my daughter wouldn’t have considered the program she ended up doing, in a million years. In fact, we had somewhat heated conversation where her mother and I expressed reservations about the value in a (decent) island program she mentioned. (Months later, she admitted that she had guessed from the start we would shoot down that program…)</p>
<p>That conversation led to us setting three criteria, at least one of which had to be met to justify a program with a Swarthmore price tag:</p>
<p>a) True fluency in a language (i.e. total immersion, homestays, etc – like the Hamilton Madrid program.</p>
<p>b) An academic program that signficantly contributed to a major or career interest.</p>
<p>c) A culturally awakening experience. For example, I would not count a semester in England as a sufficient culture awakening in the same way that I would count a semester in Bejing or India or Viet Nam or Ghana.</p>
<hr>
<p>The conversation also eventually led to me suggesting that she should take a look at the [IHP</a> Cities of the 21st Century program](<a href=“http://www.ihp.edu/page/cities/]IHP”>http://www.ihp.edu/page/cities/) because it looked like a truly incredible experience – a month each in megacites on three continents (Buenos Aires, Beijing/Shanghai, and Bangalore). She said it “sounded horrible”, but then called me back a few days later and said that it looked “interesting”. Interesting enough to make a coffee date later in the week with a senior who had just returned from the trip. She ended up doing that program and I am still in awe of the many experiences she had – from a personal tour of the Factory 798 art district in Beijing with Huang Rui (one of the artists who defied the Cultural Revolution and staged a major contemporary art festival in Beijing). To a daily auto-rickshaw commute in Bangalore. To hang gliding in the foothills of the Andes (I lost the rest of my hair). To vacationing in a grass hut on cliffs overlooking the Indian Ocean. To a weekend at a “New Socialist Countryside” farm village in China. To a tour of the Pudong district by the head of the Shanghai development committee. To living with a family in a Beijing high-rise that didn’t speak one word of English. To the month long homestay in the trendiest neighborhood in downtown Buenos Aires and contrasting that to visits to one of the shanty-towns that isn’t even on the map.</p>
<p>So, you’ll have to pardon me if I have little use for 600 American kids on a party boat cruise ship with joke classes. There are so many great programs out there that are literally experiences of a lifetime. I mean, when else are you going to compare and contrast megacities on three continents in three months, living with a family and experiencing life in each for a month while studying with leading government, business, and NGO leaders about issues impacting these huge rapidly growing urban areas?</p>
<p>Wow, IDad! That program sounds awesome! I had encouraged S & D to consider some sort of study abroad but both were not impressed with the offerings their U suggested. They seem to be “island programs,” where they bring the students & profs & teach their curricula. 
Oh well, that saved us some $$, but I really had wished they had done one or more of the programs. Our D’s friend is spending a year studying in Paris & appears to be having a great time. She is living with a family & her parents went to visit her for the Christmas holidays.</p>
<p>A friend’s S was allowed by his folks to take some time to travel after he graduated from the U (they kept his health insurance active with cobra). He traveled quite a bit & learned to scuba dive. He kept a blog with photos. He stayed at several different places and learned to stretch his $$$ – sometimes alone and sometimes with one or more people. He grew a lot and was immersed in the culture. He came back & went to grad school. Another friend’s D graduated from her U & then went to europe with her BF. They worked on organic farms across Europe, which seems to be a growing trend. These types of activities are another alternative for allowing kids to grow and probably cost MUCH less than $25K. Just mentioning more (unstructured) options.</p>
<p>I second Smithie’s recommendation to look at other Maritime Studies programs if it’s that component that interests her. I know many people who’ve done the Williams-Mystic Maritime Studies program, and they all say fantastic things about it. I couldn’t recommend it more highly. The students live at the Mystic Seaport and take classes in Maritime Literature, History, Policy and Marine Science, plus electives like Blacksmithing and Sea Chanties. There are three lengthy sails, one to each coast of the lower 48. </p>
<p>Sure, you’re not abroad, but it’s still a fantastic experience. More info at [url=<a href=“http://www.williams.edu/williamsmystic/Home.html]Home[/url”>Williams-Mystic | The Coastal and Ocean Studies Program of Williams College and Mystic Seaport Museum]Home[/url</a>].</p>
<p>etselec, that Mystic Seaport programs sounds great!
I wonder if “Sea Chanties” means drinking rum and singing “Yo ho ho & a bottle of rum.” Now that would be some elective! :)</p>
<p>Semester at Sea (SAS) has been around since 1960s. I just launched my son on the Spring 2011 voyage, January 12, 2011. I attended a parent reception on the ship with 450 other parents. A significant number of the parents were alumni themselves and many had sent more than one child on SAS voyages, which I found to be a very strong endorsement. My son got a merit scholarship from SAS, a study abroad scholarship from his home university and is doing work-study on the Ship to get a 15% credit toward the tutition that covers everything except books and side trips. When compared to all the costs of a semester and with my son contributions, I am not sure the cost is that much more than expense of a semester with housing, food, tutition, entertainment all as separate line items. </p>
<p>Before we enrolled, we did the research, talked to his home university, and talked to SAS Alumni and were comfortable with it being the right choice for him. Since he left, I have been reading the blogs of students onboard with him. Classes are very real, with lots of reading and writing requirements with the added benefit of some very powerful speakers to supplement their education. His roommate is visually impaired and able to travel the world because of the accomodations made by SAS. The demographics of his student body are at: [Semester</a> at Sea - Student Body Profile](<a href=“http://www.semesteratsea.org/admission-and-aid/admission-information/student-body-profile.php]Semester”>http://www.semesteratsea.org/admission-and-aid/admission-information/student-body-profile.php). With nearly 600 students with an avg GPA of 3.29 from 254 colleges and with homes in 46 states, Washington DC, Puerto Rico, and 15 additional countries outside the US, I do not know how anyone can generalize this population of students as anything except good students and I particularly object to the universal boozing label based on rumors and jealousy. I am sure that each of the Spring 2011 SAS students have gone on this voyage for various reasons; as the Dean told the parents, it does not matter why they start the journey, but what they take from the journey. Every alumni I spoke to said that SAS was the greatest experience of their university years (or life) many changing majors after finding new personal direction. I am proud of my son for his decision to take this trip and know that in just a few weeks he is has already experienced things some of us only dream of-- crossing the equator, traveling down the Amazon, staying in a native village in the Amazon while completing a community project, returning to the ship to write a detailed paper on the Manaus economy. I recommend parents go beyond this blog to find out about SAS and to provide their children with guidance about studying abroad based on solid facts and what they know their child seeks.</p>
<p>Perhaps the safety precautions have been tightened up.
I hope so.
[Dangers</a> of Semester at Sea](<a href=“http://www.cherese.org/articles/deadly_program.html]Dangers”>http://www.cherese.org/articles/deadly_program.html)</p>
<p>*I particularly object to the universal boozing label based on rumors and jealousy. *</p>
<p>jealousy?
:rolleyes:
To contrast the students experience linked above with my daughters- she took a year off before college to earn money for her own travel program.
She was able to travel for almost 5 months in 2009 and the bulk of her money was spent on air fare, not on day to day expenses.
She arranged for her own stay through [Projects</a> Abroad](<a href=“http://www.projects-abroad.org/]Projects”>http://www.projects-abroad.org/), that ended up being about 1/6 of the cost of a Semester at Sea.</p>
<p>I think it is great that you created a name on CC in order to defend your families choice-but there are other options that aren’t so expensive.</p>
<p>I think that info is very old and has little to offer to the current state which is under a new admin/college.
Udub had a program go very bad much more recently. Are you down on all Udub programs?</p>
<p>[Students</a> compensated for Ghana study abroad program: UW offers $2,500 each for program mismanagement - The Daily of the University of Washington](<a href=“http://dailyuw.com/2008/2/19/students-compensated-ghana-study-abroad-program/]Students”>http://dailyuw.com/2008/2/19/students-compensated-ghana-study-abroad-program/)</p>
<p>And drinking while abroad is not just on a boat.</p>
<p><a href=“http://uwnews.org/article.asp?articleID=60726[/url]”>http://uwnews.org/article.asp?articleID=60726</a></p>
<p>Doesn’t the Naval Academy have a free version of “Semester at Sea”?":)</p>
<p>I agree with barrons that the information posted by emeraldkity4 (as much of this string) is dated or worse, unfounded. I was aware of the tragic 1996 event before my son enrolled in SAS. The facts are it happened over a decade ago, the ship is different (build in 2002), the sponsoring school is different (UVA) and health and safety is a priority (maybe in part because of the tragedy). [Semester</a> at Sea - Health & Safety](<a href=“http://www.semesteratsea.org/our-ship/overview/health-safety.php]Semester”>http://www.semesteratsea.org/our-ship/overview/health-safety.php). That said, risk of studying abroad is real whether on a school sponsored trip or an independent excursion. </p>
<p>I did not create a name in CC to defend my family choice or suggest that there were not other outstanding study abroad programs, most that are cheaper than Semester at Sea. I stumbled on this chat looking for blogs from my son’s shipmates and was surprised that there were so few facts. Posts seemed based in rumor and baseless opinion, with only a few exceptions. Nothing is for everyone. Some like public schools, some private, some large and some small. </p>
<p>Like interested dad, I think the best resource is someone with actual recent experience, and this forum seems ideal for that type of information. Read a current SAS voyagers blog: [Semester</a> at Sea - Health & Safety](<a href=“http://www.semesteratsea.org/our-ship/overview/health-safety.php]Semester”>http://www.semesteratsea.org/our-ship/overview/health-safety.php) . I do not know this student, but hope my son has a chance to spend time with her on this voyage-- as a classmate and friend, not as a drinking buddy or sexual partner. Or read about students who traveled recently: [Baylor</a> senior’s Semester at Sea introduced the world, one port at a time Baylor Proud](<a href=“http://www2.baylor.edu/baylorproud/2010/05/baylor-seniors-semester-at-sea-introduced-the-world-one-port-at-a-time/]Baylor”>BaylorProud » Baylor senior’s Semester at Sea introduced the world, one port at a time) or [A</a> Semester at Sea: One Student’s Journey](<a href=“http://www.universitylanguage.com/blog/20/semester-at-sea/]A”>http://www.universitylanguage.com/blog/20/semester-at-sea/). It is an over-generalization, if not misrepresentation, to label SAS as the “booze cruise” or “floating mattress.” It is unfair to the students who worked hard to take the voyage of a life time and make the most of it. (BTW, I am jealous of my son’s opportunity to visit 11 countries in 104 days, so maybe I transferred that to other comments in this string.) </p>
<p>Project Abroad looks like a great program, but it does not mean it would have been a fit for my son; nor was Semester at Sea his only choice. EmeraldKity4 is rightfully proud of her daughter and her choices as I am proud of my son and his. I like interested dad criteria, not that the criteria is the same for everyone. As Interested dad did with his daughter, set the criteria, keep open to options, talked to home university and alumni of the programs. Budget, student maturity, academics whether in the criteria or not must be considered. Look for the facts about a program and find the program that fits the student. </p>
<p>Bottom line, I simply want to encourage students and their parents to find people who have been on Semester at Sea if researching that option. I also hope any student studying abroad is encouraged to be safe. As another article on the “Semester at Sea 1996 tragedy” reports, “The vast majority of deaths and injuries during foreign study, however many there might be, happen while students are off on their own. Like similar tragedies at home, many involve drinking and drugs.” [USA</a> Today Article](<a href=“http://www.saraswish.org/usa-today.htm]USA”>http://www.saraswish.org/usa-today.htm)</p>
<p>As parents, it is a challenge to figure out how to address the choices related to alcohol whether on boat or land or at home or abroad. Thank you for the insightful article, barrons.</p>
<p>correction to link for current blog: [i’ll</a> bring you an adventure](<a href=“http://semesterwithme.blogspot.com/]i’ll”>http://semesterwithme.blogspot.com/)</p>