Study Abroad programs

<p>Hi Ann- my d is also looking into a program at Lorenzo de Medici. There are several colleges that do have programs there. It does seem great for studio arts, language and they have many classes in economics, political science and international relations taught in English. What I did notice is that some of the host schools may lean towards a particular discipline. Some school websites emphasised studying language or art whereas the host school program she is interested in also emphasized the liberal arts classes. I was also under the impression that most colleges have a Study Abroad Advisor who can steer their own students to programs where the credits would be accepted. As my kid is going to get 14-18 credits anyway, and I'm going to be paying for the semester at her home school, I don't see the downside of paying a little extra for a semester in Europe. It seems she's going to get many great life experiences by studying abroad. I also came across a web site for one of the big study abroad organizations- Council on International Education Exchange- CIEE.org. It seems you can put in info, like if you want to study abroad or work or volunteer- the country you are interested in-the field of study etc etc and they match you to one of their programs. The OP and others may want to check it out as their website does give a lot of info. Ann, I may PM you at some future time to find out more about your d's program.</p>

<p>I thought these numbers were interesting. The percentage of US study abroad students in each region of the world (2003/04) from</p>

<p>Europe: 60.9%
Latin America: 15.2%
Oceana (NZ/Aus): 7.4%
Asia: 6.9%
Multi Regions: 5.5%
Africa: 3.0%
N. America: 0.7%
Middle East: 0.5%</p>

<p>Data from the Open Doors Report:</p>

<p><a href="http://opendoors.iienetwork.org/%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://opendoors.iienetwork.org/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>My daughter studied abroad thru a fabulous British program called Interstudy. They have an office in Boston. She studied in South Africa, a semester in Durban and a semester at Ft. Hare, a traditional black college where she was one of two white sudents out of 5000 enrollment. Ft. Hare was very rural and VERY poor. My daughter made life-long friends, infact she is back visiting right now. For parents it was somewhat scary- the college was closed due to riots over tuition and administration and dogs and guns were used to clear the campus. Interstudy kept us informed and helped her rearrange her studies for the two weeks the campus was shut. H. came back an adult committed to international justice and with an appreciation of all she had in life. Working with AIDS orphans in a poor township will do that to you.</p>

<p>Best of all, Mt. Holyoke let her take a years leave and not pay their tuition. Interstudy was very reasonable and we saved over 20K that year. Many of the LAC's charge you full tuition during the year abroad. </p>

<p>I believe a junior year abroad should expand one's horizons and be a learning opportunity- my daughter's certainly was. Both for her and her worried parents.</p>

<p>Mine will be spending her junior year in Florence, at the Smith program there (which is right in the central square - the oldest established study abroad program in Italy, dating from the '20s.) Unlike virtually all other Italian programs, it requires a full two years of language study prior to attending plus a course in stylistics (writing, etc.), and a pledge that no English will be spoken druing the program. We couldn't have afforded to have her spend a year of study anywhere else without their scholarship assistance, so we are very grateful.</p>

<p>Prior to her attending, she is likely to take up a Smith-paid Praxis internship in Modena, working for a third world develpment organization. While in Florence, she willl be researching the background for the publication of the first opera ever written by a woman, Francesca Caccini in 1626, written for the Medici court in Florence, and which was performed at Smith in early February - we flew out to see it! (The original ms., however, is in Rome at the National Library, so she will be spending significant time there as well.)</p>

<p>All of the credits and grades transfer. There are classes at the University of Florence, and others required through the Smith Center. Health insurance (required) is provided through the college.</p>

<p>Mini:</p>

<p>That sounds fantastic. My wife spent a year as a student in Italy/Sicily on two different occasions and loves Florence and Rome. Your daughter will have a fantastic time.</p>

<p>She's going to be the world's foremost authority on 17th century female opera composers!</p>

<p>My DD will spend the fall semester in Ecuador through IES. It looks great, and it is definitely "off the beaten path", but I wish that specific program had a longer track record. (Started in 2005. :eek:)</p>

<p>"She's going to be the world's foremost authority on 17th century female opera composers!"</p>

<p>One can hope. (LOL! ;)) In the meantime, she told me today that the head of the Smith Bicycling Society is going too, so there is going to be lots of bicycle touring.</p>

<p>Hi Mini- it looks like my d will also be in Florence next spring. But she is looking at a Program at Lorenzo de Medici. No language requirement (that did seem to be the deciding factor for my kid) but she will take a course in Italian (or was it Italian cooking??) while she is there. I'm already looking through travel brochures so we can plan a trip to visit her. A trip to Rome-Florence and Venice is looking very good to me. As d # 2 will also be in college next year, we can actually plan a vacation anytime we want to go. We don't have to go over a school vacation break. We haven't done anything like THAT in 15 years. FYI -Sarah Lawrence also has a program in Florence. The refer to their program as "Lawrence in Florence". I must have a strange sense of humor, as I found that quite amusing.</p>

<p>So, what are the theories on why so many more women than men spend a college year abroad?</p>

<p>My daughter spent a year in Bologna through UC's wonderful education abroad program, which enrolled them in language classes in Sienna the summer before. In Bologna, she lived with Italian students, took studio classes at an art institute, and a class on the history of Italian fascism (all reading and lectures in Italian) at the University of Bologna. To use a clunky word, the experience was incredibly empowering. She can find her way around any city. Not someone with a natural gift for language, she came home fluent and still picks up extra cash translating. She's now confident in her ability to also become fluent in Spanish, in spite of terrible language instruction in high school. Her theory about why so few guys participated in the program is that they couldn't get their act together enough to apply.</p>

<p>I asked my son if he wanted to do a year abroad. He said: "New York City is foreign enough." :) Perhaps, contrary to stereotypes, young women are actually more adventurous than young men in this regard?</p>

<p>Of course, there are other possibilities: guys are more career oriented at this stage, and worry they'll lose ground by taking time abroad; more men are majoring in engineering or sciences, more difficult sequences to interrupt or in which to find equivalent courses; more women are interested in other cultures... other theories?</p>

<p>I would encourage anyone, based on my own college experience and my daughter's to take a full year abroad in a program that is not just an American university transplanted. That's the way to begin to challenge your assumptions, and I believe challenging your assumptions is the basis of a true education.</p>

<p>Maybe it has something to do with the language barrier. My d did find a program in Italy where you can speak English- but most of the other programs were conducted in Italian. The boys I know who studied abroad went to London or Australia. There are probably many other reasons why girls seem more interested in study abroad programs, but classes conducted in another language may be a significant factor.</p>

<p>My S is planning to do a term in London senior year. I think to take math/sci courses in another language is a danting task. I suspect males that are majoring in humanities have far more choices.</p>