<p>Hello everyone,
Which colleges are well known for their good language study abroad programs? Thanks.</p>
<p>Your question is a little broad. Kind of like asking, "which restaurants are well known for good food...."</p>
<p>There are many kinds of study abroad programs and a variety of approaches by different schools. Some operate their own programs. Some approve many programs in many countries run by other schools, etc.</p>
<p>Some pick up an entire group of students and move it to a college and dorm abroad. Some have programs that integrate more tightly into the local culture (homestays, etc.)</p>
<p>You should be able to research the study abroad policies and program options at any college website. Just search for "study abroad" and find the study abroad office website.</p>
<p>What languages are you thinking about?</p>
<p>one college a bit off the radar but with a strong program is Kalamazoo, a small LAC in Michigan. Something like 80% of the students there spend time studying abroad, so they have a program with all the hooks in place.</p>
<p>I am thinking about Spanish. Is there a place where I can see what colleges operate their own programs or what percentage of students participate?</p>
<p>Agree with mikemac to look at Kalamazoo College. Huge emphasis and participation in study abroad. A link to K College's sponsored programs...search for placements in Spanish speaking countries: <a href="http://www.kzoo.edu/international/programs.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.kzoo.edu/international/programs.html</a></p>
<p>Interesteddad brings up a great point. Most colleges will approve a study abroad program even if it's not offered at that college. Heck, I know someone who got approval to study abroad in Tibet. </p>
<p>I would examine the academic calendar, though. Colleges on the quarter system aren't always compatible with foreign semester programs.</p>
<p>Speaking of colleges "off the radar," Goucher requires all of its students to study abroad.</p>
<p>I've lived in Kalamazoo my whole life, and what everybody says is true: Kalamazoo College puts a VERY heavy emphasis on studying abroad.</p>
<p>some known for great study abroad:</p>
<p>American University
Amherst College
Bates College
Beloit College
Boston College
Bowdoin College
Bucknell University
Carelton College
Colby College
Colgate University
Connecticut College
Dartmouth College
Dickinson College
Duke University
Earlham College
Elon University
Emory University
Furman University
Georgetown University
George Washington University
Goucher College
Grinnell College
Hartwick College
Indiana University-Bloomington
Kalamazoo College
Lewis and Clark College
Macalester College
Michigan State University
Middlebury College
New York University
Pomona College
Rhodes College
Skidmore College
Smith College
Stanford University
St Olaf College
Swarthmore College
Syracuse University
Trinity College
Union College
UC-Berkeley
UCLA
U. Colorado
U. Illinois-UC
U. Maryland
U. Michigan
U. Minnesota
UNC
U. Notre Dame
U. Penn
U. Richmond
U. Texas-Austin
UVA
U. Wisconsin
Wake Forest
Washington and Lee University
Wesleyan University
Williams College</p>
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I am thinking about Spanish. Is there a place where I can see what colleges operate their own programs or what percentage of students participate?
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<p>For many years, study abroad was concentrated in Europe. What tended to happen is that many of the top colleges put together a program in a particular country. For example, Smith has a great program in Paris. Swarthmore has one in Grenoble. And, so on and so forth. Often, colleges cooperate with each other. One of the top programs in Spain is operated by Hamilton College in conjunction with Swarthmore and Williams:</p>
<p><a href="http://www.hamilton.edu/academics/hcays/%5B/url%5D">http://www.hamilton.edu/academics/hcays/</a></p>
<p>This has all the attributes of a top language immersion program. All teaching is conducted in Spanish. Students live with Spanish homestay families, etc. Less rigorous programs (in a place like Spain or Italy) conduct classes in English...which kind of defeats the purpose for that kind of a study abroad program.</p>
<p>The other popular option are programs put together by an outside study abroad organization. Examples include the programs offered by SIT (<a href="http://www.sit.edu/studyabroad/index.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.sit.edu/studyabroad/index.html</a>) and IHP (<a href="http://www.ihp.edu/)%5B/url%5D">http://www.ihp.edu/)</a>. These programs are often thematic. An environmental program in Chile. A health care program in Bolivia, etc. My daughter just got back from one of the IHP programs. There were students from Swarthmore, Williams, Vassar, Wellesley, UPenn, BU, Harvard, Berkeley, Bard, Barnard, and Hunter on her trip which took her for five weeks each in Argentina, China, and India, living with homestay families in each country. There are some fantastic programs that are on the approved lists at most good colleges.</p>
<p>In general, you will have more options at a college that has a long approval list of programs -- their own, other college programs, and independent programs. Colleges that limit students to their own programs tend to have fewer options, particularly if you are looking outside of the standard Europe, Australia, New Zealand locations.</p>
<p>Also, there are several different ways of handling the money and financial aid aspects of financial aid. Some schools have you just continue to pay the college (minus financial aid). Others have you pay the study abroad program directly (and provide financial aid assistance). This can impact the type of program you choose as there is quite a range of program costs.</p>
<p>Here's an example of a college foreign study office that lists a ton of approved programs:</p>
<p>On the links at the left side of the page, you can choose "Swarthmore operated programs" or "Program with Special Arrangements" (like the Hamilton Madrid) or complete lists of programs in English-speaking and non English-speaking countries.</p>
<p>These are pretty comprehensive lists of top programs. It's a decent starting point to see what's out there.</p>
<p>This list is pretty easy to navigate, too:</p>
<p>The percentages vary quite a bit. If you are talking just full semester or year programs, study abroad by 30% to 50% of students is not unusual at top colleges. Higher for women, lower for men. If you include summer programs or January-term programs, the percentages can be much higher.</p>
<p>My advice would be to focus on the colleges first. Then, as you narrow your list, double-check the study abroad options to make sure they offer programs that fit your needs. The only way to find out what colleges really offer is to dig around on their study abroad websites.</p>
<p>One more point: Some of the colleges that operate a lot of their own programs may not be the most desireable options. For example, Ga Tech, Dartmouth, and others operate most of their own programs. However, the programs involve picking up 30 kids from the college and moving them to a university overseas. These programs can be a lot of fun (especially if you like to go bar-hopping with your homeboy buddies), but they kind of miss the point of study abroad in some ways. I'm actually not that impressed with many of these programs. I'm partial to programs that push a little harder, through language and/or cultural immersion. I mean, lets face it. Packing up 30 American kids and plopping them down in Scotland is not all that culturally challenging in this day and age.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.middlebury.edu/academics/sa/%5B/url%5D">http://www.middlebury.edu/academics/sa/</a></p>
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Ga Tech, Dartmouth, and others operate most of their own programs. However, the programs involve picking up 30 kids from the college and moving them to a university overseas. These programs can be a lot of fun (especially if you like to go bar-hopping with your homeboy buddies), but they kind of miss the point of study abroad in some ways.
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<p>The study abroad option at Dartmouth goes further than what ID describes and there are a vast array of programs .There are language study abroad programs (LSAs) where the student is immersed in a language and culture and Foreign Study abroad programs(FSPs) . The majority of dartmouth's study abroad programs take 15 students per term (the exchange program at Oxford only takes 4 students per term). One course is taught by a dartmouth professor and the students can take 2 other courses the the university. Actually very few study abroad courses take place on campus as many (especially the language programs) students live with homestay families. Even at programs where there is housing on campus, students have the option of off-campus housing.</p>
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The study abroad option at Dartmouth goes further than what ID describes and there are a vast array of programs .
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<p>Actually, the programs are pretty limited. Sort the column by region.</p>
<p>Only two countries in South America. Two in Africa (S Africa and Morocco). Two in Asia. Nothing in the Middle East. Nothing in India. One in Eastern Europe. It's a very Western European oriented list. In fairness, most US students stick to Western European programs, so Dartmouth is simply focusing its efforts where the demand is.</p>
<p>Compare the breadth of offerings to the lists of pre-approved programs at the Wiliams and Swarthmore sites. It's just an entirely different approach and one that students interested in study abroad should consider.</p>
<p>I do believe it is possible for Dartmouth students to participate in outside programs, but you have to apply for transfer credit on a case by case basis. The study abroad website does not offer those as primary options and the quarter system can make scheduling difficult. The entire structure steers students towards Dartmouth's programs.</p>