<p>Well, it's not quite the same as college admissions, but the application sure felt like it and the excitement about new adventures is the same. D got accepted for her study abroad program this week. So, it's official: Argentina, China, and India in the fall.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.bu.edu/ihp/programs/c21c/%5B/url%5D">http://www.bu.edu/ihp/programs/c21c/</a></p>
<p>Congratulations. Argentina, China, and India...an unusual combo. What's her major or thematic area of study?</p>
<p>D's applications aren't due yet but she's been working on them.</p>
<p>The program is called Cities of the 21st Century and would dovetail with almost any social science major. Several recent alums have ended up in MIT's Urban Policy masters program. Many go into foreign service work or international service organizations.</p>
<p>The academic part consists of four courses (which consist largely of guest lecturers and site visits with government, business, and NGO leaders):</p>
<p>Political Economy: "Urban Politics and Economic Development"</p>
<p>Anthropology: "Culture and Society of World Cities"</p>
<p>Sociology: "Urban Planning in a Global Context"</p>
<p>Environmental Studies: "Urban Ecology and Sustainable Environments"</p>
<p>The cities are Buenos Aires, Beijing, Shanghai, and Bangalore -- all of which are former "third-world" cities experiencing extremely high growth rates, especially with mass-migration from rural areas to urban centers. They all present a stark contrast between the "old" cultures and booming 21st century commercial centers.</p>
<p>All of them have populations in excess of 10 million, except for Bangalore which is a tiny 6.5 million (although growing like kudzu). Bangalore is interesting because it's the home of the Indian IT industry, so you have gleaming western-style campuses (Dell, etc.) juxtaposed against extreme poverty.</p>
<p>Wow. What a fabulous sounding program. If she hasn't already, she should read The World is Flat before going to Bangalore. The recent study abroad program I heard about (from a rum-di-dum school) consisted of living in a dorm in Switzerland with all US professors. The only unusual learning going on consisted of polishing downhill skiing techniques.</p>
<p>Very interesting program. Should be quite the experience. Congrats! She's going to have a great semester.</p>
<p>I have to say to all you parents of high schoolers, the admissions process NEVER ends. Actually, a few days ago, my college soph also got admitted to her study abroad program of choice but I hadn't thought to post anything but since there is a thread, I'll join in. My D only applied to ONE program, eek. My daughter is going into architecture. She wanted to do a semester abroad that is architecture based and there are not that many of those. She is going to Syracuse's architecture program in Florence in the fall. She is very excited. She attends Brown. </p>
<p>I have to say that the acceptance type thing is neverending. Last summer, she had to get accepted into a program as well. Now, this same D is applying for jobs in France for this summer. Has preliminary bites of interest from two but nothing final yet. And then there is grad school down the line. Always something. </p>
<p>Other D is in a field that involves constant auditioning....another form of admissions/acceptance, on a regular basis. She is currently auditioning to get into professional summer stock theater. </p>
<p>So, if you think April of senior year is the end of this whole deal, think again. :D</p>
<p>wow -- sounds great! I will keep it in mind for my son -- he is still in high school, but always looking forward for great opportunities.</p>
<p>Sooz
Strikingly different having a tacitern S to your 2 lovely Ds; my S may mention he's applying for a summer program, but then I don't hear back about it. I'm not privy to the applications and never asked to edit an essay. When his excitement does spill over, and he shares good news, its great. Bad news doesn't seem to be shared.</p>
<p>
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My D only applied to ONE program, eek.
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<p>That seems to be par for the course. I don't think these programs (especially outside of Europe) are that competitive (compared to college admissions), but there isn't any way to really know how many apply, how many are accepted, etc. You can logically figure out that the odds of a good architecture student from Brown getting turned down are slim to none, but still...it's nice to have it all firmed up! </p>
<p>My daughter's program historically has a Swarthmore student or two each year. I figured that, logically, they would have to be nuts to reject an applicant from the school that met all the guidelines and had relevant academic and EC experience. After all, they ultimately rely on the professor/advisors at each school to recommend the program. But, six weeks after the early application date with no word -- they clearly weren't just rubber-stamping acceptances on a rolling basis. The application process was extensive. Transcripts, professor recs, essays, sample of a college paper, interview.</p>
<p>InterestedDad, I agree that it wasn't as bad as college admissions and afterall, she only applied to one program. She knew other Brown students who had done this program in the past. It was Rolling Admissions and they did have essays, teacher recs, transcripts, etc. involved. But still, I had to wonder what would happen if she didn't get in? </p>
<p>So, actually, I didn't tell this part of the story but your post now does bring this up.....My D got all of the stuff into the program the first week of January. Actually, she had to wait, I take that back because it required a GPA but Brown doesn't have a GPA so she needed a transcript and had to wait until the grades came in from first semester and had arranged to have a transcript sent here and she left me the application to mail with it (she was away at three weeks of training camp for her college team). So, it all went in on the early side or at an OK time. </p>
<p>There was one thing in the materials that I wanted my D to contact them about. It mentions this whole process about getting the Visa and what they had to do and how they will be taking her Passport for some time and she'll eventually get it back. We didn't know when she'd get it back (this is all after you get admitted which she of course was not yet). She is hoping to get a job in France this summer and will need her passport back by June 1 or so. So, she emailed them to ask about this and hadn't heard back. I asked her to call and inquire (as she is also hearing back from a couple France jobs right now). I told her that while she was on the phone with this query, she could also just ask about when she should get her admissions decision. It has been over a month at least. So, she did call last week. She sent me copies of several email exchanges. I think I would have died if I heard the first call. The person tells her on the phone, "your application was not complete...there is no portfolio." Well, my D did NOT apply to the program that requires a portfolio...that program is just for the five year BArch students such as Syracuse's own students, but NOT for those applying to the program she was applying to which they consider "pre-Architecture". She mentioned that and it was a mistake. Frankly, even IF she was an appicant to that program, you'd think they would have contacted her to say it was missing something. I shudder to think what would have happened had she not called because her app just sat on a pile in no man's land. The person immediately sent her an email apologizing and said that she was reviewing her app that very day and to expect she'll be getting an acceptance shortly. She got her acceptance later that day, in fact. Who knows if she hadn't called about the original matter, what would have happened with the app. She'd just be waiting and it IS rolling so other apps must be coming in now. I think she is working out the Passport thing with them and they have promptly exchanged many emails about it all. Now, there are umpteen forms and Visa stuff and more deadlines, deposits, etc. Fun stuff.</p>
<p>InterestedDad: ah. That's a very interesting unifying concept. How neat.</p>
<p>TD:</p>
<p>The same outfit does a few more programs, all involving travel and homestays on multiple continents:</p>
<p>One is related to medicine and focuses on health issues in various countries.</p>
<p>Another is more anthropology related and focused in indigienous tribal cultures in rural areas: the Mauri in New Zealand, etc.</p>
<p>They also do a full-year program centered more specifically on ecology and globalization.</p>
<p>A couple of questions:<br>
How does the cost of these programs compare with the cost of kid's regular college? Does the cost of your own college enter into the calculation of the cost of the program?</p>
<p>Are such programs available to students who have recently graduated from college? If, say, you have good reason to stay at your home college for four straight years, might it still make sense to do this type of study abroad?</p>
<p>Thanks.</p>
<p>I found that the starting point for researching study abroad has to be finding out how your particular college handles the finances. At my daughter's school, you continue to pay the same tuition, room, and board (after financial aid) to the school and the college picks up the tab for the study abroad. In this case, the cost of the study abroad program is essentially the same as a semester at her school. </p>
<p>However, at many colleges, you pay the cost of the study abroad program directly and the college's financial aid may contribute based on a new FAFSA calculation. With this setup, there is obviously an incentive to explore lower cost study abroad programs. I've seen programs that range from $8k - $12k on the low-end to $24k for a semester.</p>
<p>The system at my daughter's school can be an expensive arrangement for lower cost programs. Some students just take a semester off and do the lower cost programs without credit for that reason. Her school's particular system is most advantageous for students receiving large amounts of need-based aid; less advantageous to full-fare customers.</p>
<p>These particular IHP programs do occasionally have post-grad students. They also include students from colleges around the world, so a typical group includes both US and international students. But, most study abroad programs seem to be limited to undergrads.</p>
<p>Thanks. More questions.</p>
<p>Some college seem to run their own programs, attended largely or exclusively by their own students. Apart from the unlikelihood that such programs would satisfy special focus cases (e.g. architecture), is this a good thing or not necessarily?</p>
<p>Is there a big difference among programs as to the extent of mixing with the locals (or as certain types used to say, living on the local economy)? Especially in non-english speaking countries there must be a big difference between living in an American college student cocoon vs. attending foreign language classes with local students, living in local student type housing, etc.</p>
<p>Interesteddad and Soozie </p>
<p>Congrats on your kids getting into their first choice study abroad programs. D will not find out about her study abroad until March 10.</p>
<p>E, </p>
<p>Daughter's school has an extensive study abroad program at her school in addition to exchange programs with other universities. Tuition and fees are paid to the school. Some study abroads are led by professors at from the college. Depending on the program students may stay in Dorms or with host families.</p>
<p>Programs run the gamut:</p>
<p>Some programs are run by specific colleges. For example, my daughter's college has its own programs in France and Ghana. These programs involve professors travelling with the students plus courses at a local university (usually specifically for those students). Larger schools and schools that have historically emphasized their language departments tend to have more of their own programs.</p>
<p>Often, the programs, although run by one college, have consoritium members. For example, the Hamilton College program in Spain is also affiliated (I assume meaning cost-sharing) with Williams and Swarthmore. Students from the affiliated colleges get priority, but there could be students from other schools as well.</p>
<p>A friend of my daughters is currently on a Georgia Tech program to New Zealand. That is a group of exclusively GA Tech students with GA Tech professors.</p>
<p>Other programs are independent programs that are affiliated with a particular school for administration (transcripts, etc.). A good example is the well-regarded ICCS program in Rome. Decades ago when my wife went on the program, it was affiliated with Stanford. Now, it is a "Duke" program and about a dozen other schools have special relationships -- meaning they send a lot of students. My daughter's program falls into this category. It's been affiliated with several different schools over 30 years and is currently under Boston University's umbrella for transcripts, offices, etc. It is also affiliated with a couple of MIT's Urban Planning faculty.</p>
<p>Finally, there are several organizations (including a couple of really good ones), that are totally independent and run programs all over the world. SIT and CIEE are examples.</p>
<p>Programs also vary considerable in terms of immersion. You might live as a group of American students in a special dorm at a local university. You might live in program supplied apartments. Or, you might do "homestays" where you live with a local family. You kind of have to evaluate each setup independently. For example, my daughter's program is mostly homestay in each country -- although the students travel together and converge each day in the host country for courses, field study, etc. I think that particular program needs the support of a travelling group. It is very stressful in terms of travel, culture shock, and immersion. They fly 36 hours from Buenos Aires to Beijing and immediately go to live with Chinese families, often with some serious language barriers. So, having two students live with each family and getting through it with the group is invaluable.</p>
<p>On the other hand, it would be much more manageable to do a totally independent program, enrolling as an individual exchange student in a foreign university if you are tallking Great Britain or Australia where there are few cultural impediments.</p>
<p>Sybbie:</p>
<p>Yes. I was looking at their offerings and they do have a lot. They especially have a lot of summer quarter programs for credit on the D-plan -- although it looks like a lot of their students also do non-affiliated programs.</p>
<p>We have the impression that Oxford programs are more competitive than some. You seem to need higher GPA and be seen as ready to handle the tutorials. My son is just trying to begin thinking about this as a freshman. There is related info and interesting posts and link to archive on recent thread on travel to England in Parent Cafe.</p>
<p>My sense is that the Oxford programs are certainly more competitive than the average study abroad program. My daughter's school suggests a minimum of a 3.4 to 3.5 GPA, preferably higher, to be competitive for the direct enrollment programs at Cambridge or Oxford. The additional hurdle is that the British academic calendar really means a full-year study abroad to get full benefit. For this reason, you have to be super-strong to get a single semester slot.</p>
<p>Of course, there are about eight million programs for Oxford -- from direct enrollment to many programs run by US colleges that have "x" number of reserved slots to programs (like Williams in Oxford) that send a couple dozen students from a single school to live together as a group in dedicated housing. Based on the sheer number of slots available in all these programs, I don't think it's impossibly selective.</p>