Could someone tell me the differences between the Language Study Abroad program and Foreign Study Abroad program?
My own nutshell would be that the LSAs are language/culture immersion programs while the FSPs are focused on a subject – e.g., Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome for the Classics trips. The latter are a LOT of work (travel, learn, evaluate, write/write/write), but I don’t know anyone who did not find them rewarding. Here’s couple of blogs to give you a taste of FSP life:
https://greecefsp.■■■■■■■■■■■■■/
https://romefsp2015.■■■■■■■■■■■■■/
I’m the parent of a '19 who is now considering his study abroad options. I have to admit, I read every word of the school’s webpage on the different programs available and was left with the same impression as the OP–I wish someone would explain to me the differences! @AboutTheSame you have at least helped me begin to be able to differentiate them!
@b1ggreenca : Unfortunately my only experience is with the FSPs and I’m guessing as far as the LSAs are concerned, but the immersion thing is the vibe I get from the descriptions. D was one of the kids on the 2011 Greece FSP I linked to. One of the really interesting things was that they were not all Classics majors (although I’m pretty sure every Classics major in her year did either Greece or Rome, and at least one did both), and, if you read the blog, you get a very good picture of Dartmouth students on the road. Study hard; play hard – even when what they knew as Greek life (see what I did there?) is irrelevant. The bonds they built with the professors in charge were … amazing. I kind of think that a student cannot go wrong with any choice and that the only bad choice would be to not do one at all. I will say that I hope the Greece FSP does not go to Ankara anymore, although it would be a shame to miss what it offered, and there are risks anywhere in the world – and it is a “learning experience” as a parent to realize that your beloved child is not only living life 11 hours ahead of you but is on the other side of the world. Be prepared to be strong. And thank God for Skype (not that most of the hotels had a strong enough signal to make it useful).