The Proccess of Applying to Study Abroad

So you think you want to study abroad. What now? To help you get an idea of the processes involved with picking a program, applying and getting ready to study abroad I decided to outline the general process here: (usually it's a GOOD idea to start a year in advance)

Pick a country:

whether there's a certain language you have already learned or want to learn, or a certain corner of the world is calling your name - this is completely your pick! Things to consider when choosing a destination may include:

- language
- cost of living
- climate
- your safety

Pick a program:

Once you know WHERE you want to go, you should go to your university's study abroad office and do some extensive research. There are many study abroad programs availabe, and your job is to find one that suits your needs the best. For example:

Student -Exchange: this may be more cost effective if you're going to a high cost of living area.
Direct Placement: may be more cost effective if you're going to a lower cost of living area.

You should also consider whether you want to study in English or a foreign language, what benefits are included in a study abroad program (such as meals, housing) , etc.

The program I am going to France with is called ISEP (www.isep.org). I am going on a student exchange, which means that by paying my usual university tuition and housing at home, I create a spot for a French student to come here, while he/she creates a spot for me over there.

Applying for the program:

The application process genereally requires you to put together your transcripts, recommendations, and essays together. Be aware of deadlines and application fees!

You may also have to apply for your University's study abroad "program." This is just to qualify you to be able to study abroad - they check your grades, etc.

Often, this is where you have to start gathering your documents. If you don't have a passport - apply for one NOW! Also, it's a good idea to check out the visa proccess, and see when is a good time to apply.

Also, this is a good time to check out scholarships from your program or from your university!

Once You Are Placed in a Program:

Eventually, the program coordinators will let you know if you have been accepted to a certain university. This is the time to get on the university's website and research the classes they offer. There are many opportunities to get many of your credit hours completed abroad. Pick out the classes you want to take, translate their descriptions, and take them to your university (specific departments, depending on the subject) - there you can ask if these classes can transfer to your university. Get the form signed - and you're all set!

Closer to Your Departure:

Timeframes for these processes may vary, but some things include getting your passport and your visa; going through the Campus France proccess if you're going to France; buying health insurance to cover you abroad; buying airplane tickets; arranging travel plans; buying phone card/international cell phone, etc...

Campus France Confirmation...finally!

When this Friday rolled around, I began to get nervous! My visa appointment was 4 days away, and still no word from campus france. After compulsively checking my e-mail all morning, I finally decided to call and inquire about my status. The lady on the phone told me that I've been approved for almost 2 weeks now, and should've gotten an e-mail. I felt immediately relieved and asked her to e-mail it to me again.

Of course to ruin the excitement something had to go wrong...and I didn't get the e-mail for about 4 hours! But it's finally here and I am ready for my visa appointment!

From this experience I learned 2 things:

1) If you need something from CampusFrance - CALL, don't e-mail--they ignore e-mail!
2) Don't be afraid to be that annoying caller and keep calling back when you're not sure about something - they might hate you - but you're much more likely to get what you need.

If I would've followed the advice of one of the people that picked up the phone and rudely dismissed me to voicemail with "you have plenty of time," I would've still been waiting for a confirmation, not ever knowing that they didnt even GET my application!

Now on to the next and final step! I'm going to Chicago on Wednesday for my visa appointment. I'm excited to finally (and hopefully) get this whole process over with, but I'm also nervous because I have a complicated situation with my passport.

There's a rule that my passport must be valid for an extra 3 months after my study abroad is over, but mine is only valid for 1 extra month. So I applied for the renewal of my Russian passport, which takes 9 months (no joke!) and won't be ready until November! That obviously poses a problem, since I'm scheduled to leave on September 2nd.

I am counting on being able to get a long-stay visa ,(because technically it's only valid for 3 months anyways) and when I apply for my carte de séjour, I will have to make it valid until only the end of April...after I get my new passport I will renew my carte de séjour until the end of my program.

When I reason it out, I feel that there's no reason for me to have any problems with obtaining my visa...but bureaucrats make me nervous--so wish me luck!

A Dose of Pre-departure Bureaucracy

If you haven't already discovered the pain of red tape and bureaucratic hassles, as a traveler, you most likely will soon! In my preparations to spend a year in France, I have recently been submerged into the world of passports and visas. And even though I am pretty good at following directions and being extra-timely, I still found myself with MANY frustrations.

The steps for international students hopeful to study in France have recently changed. Instead of simply being allowed to apply for a visa right away, students are now required to complete an extra step in the process - Campus France.

This Campus France step consists of an online registration on the following website: http://usa.campusfrance.org/en/1.html . There you are asked to fill out a registration form and application, which includes questions about your past education, your goals, and other subjective topics (which I found to be somewhat pointless). After sending in a $60 check and a copy of proof of your enrollment in a French University, you are supposed to get your "Attestation" within 2 weeks, which allows you to actually go and apply for a student visa.

That step is where troubles began. Nearly a month passed, and there was still no word about my attestation. After 3 unanswered e-mails and daily conversations with an answering machine..or an operator that transfered me to the answering machine, I finally got through to a person who could help me. She told me that my application couldn't be found, and that I needed to send in another one. Frustrated and afraid of not having enough time to even get my visa, I sent in a second copy of my application by express mail.

Right now I'm still in the process of waiting for my 'attestation,' and plan to go to Chicago in 3 weeks for my visa appointment. Hopefully it'll be successful!