Latitudes with Lucy

Studying abroad is an invaluable personal, academic, and professional experience; and proper planning is crucial to making the most of your time abroad. I studied abroad twice in college, and I now work in international education—these are all the steps to planning a successful study abroad experience.

In my ideal timeline, students begin planning at least a year in advance. If you are planning to study abroad within a few months, I recommend you skip to step 5.

1. Explore Study Abroad Programs
2. Meet with your University’s Study Abroad Office
3. Make an Academic Plan with your Advisor
4. Make a Financial Plan
5. Research Travel Guidelines
6. Apply

Explore Study Abroad Programs

There are so many study abroad programs, it’s overwhelming. If you currently attend a university, start by exploring their study abroad options. If you don’t like the programs offered by your home institution, you have the option to go un-affiliated, and you can read more about that process in step 2.

Choosing a term: Most people know about semester study abroad programs, but did you know you can go abroad during summer? You also might be able to do a short-term winter break or spring break program through your university.

Spring of junior year is generally the most common time to study abroad. Summer is also very popular for students whose major/degree plan doesn’t allow study abroad. There can be benefits to choosing less popular terms, like decreased competition for scholarships or subleasing your apartment. Popular terms differ by university, so be sure to ask your study abroad office if that’s an important consideration for you.

Choosing a program type: There are far more academic options to study abroad than simply taking classes. You might take classes at either a study center for study abroad students or at a local university. (Or a hybrid program with both, like I did in Barcelona.) If getting a “local” experience is important to you, then I recommend a direct enroll program at a university abroad. If you don’t speak the local language, many large universities offer courses taught in English, but those might not have many local students in them.

If taking classes abroad won’t satisfy your degree requirements, or you’re looking for a more unique experience, there are plenty of programs offering various internships or field experiences abroad. You can find programs like shadowing in a hospital or law firm immersion, experiences that will make you stand out more than the traditional study abroad student.

Choosing a destination: Lots of factors create your perfect study abroad destination. Consider whether your destination is popular with study abroad students—choosing an uncommon place might lead to a more personalized, immersive experience. Research the proximity to transportation (major airports, train networks, etc.) and how it aligns with your travel interests. Different destinations are also favorable to different areas of study. If you are a biology major, consider an ecologically diverse location instead of a big city.

There are also multi-destination study abroad programs. I did one of these: Semester at Sea, study abroad on a ship that travels to 10+ countries across multiple continents in a single semester. There are also smaller-scale options, like programs that take students to multiple cities within the same country. However, cultural immersion and finding “home” in a foreign place is the richest part of study abroad, so students should think critically about this option. You can always travel, but you might not have another opportunity to live and study alongside locals for several months. If a multi-destination program is something you’re considering, read Semester at Sea vs. A “Traditional” Study Abroad Experience.

Also take housing into consideration. Different programs might offer homestays, apartments, or student residences/dorms. If housing is not provided by your program, research housing before you apply. Many major tourist destinations are experiencing housing shortages, and it might be near-impossible to find a place to stay.

Meet with your University’s Study Abroad Office

Whether you choose a program from your university’s study abroad website or something unaffiliated, meet with the study abroad office. Depending on their policies, to do an unaffiliated study abroad program, you may either apply for approval and/or take a leave of absence. 

For enhanced financial benefits, choose an affiliated or approved program. With the support of your home university, you will have access to their scholarships and aid. Additionally, if you take a leave of absence from your school, you are at risk for losing any existing scholarships or aid.

If you choose an unaffiliated program, your university may require you to take a leave of absence. Processes differ by university, and the steps to re-enroll could be as simple as filling out a form or as complex as having to re-apply entirely.

Make an Academic Plan with your Advisor

If your study abroad courses are not already approved by your university, you will have to apply for course approvals from your academic department. They will request the name and syllabus/description of each course, then let you know if/how the credits will transfer toward your degree. Obtain approvals for every course you want to take and back-up options in case you don’t get all your top picks during registration.

If you’re planning ahead, I highly recommend saving some gen ed credits for your semester abroad. Nobody wants to balance four high-level core classes with exploring abroad. Plus, you might be able to take a class on an interesting topic about your destination for credit. I urge every student going abroad to take a class on their destination, as it greatly enriches the study abroad experience!

Make a Financial Plan

The earlier you start planning, the more time you have to make a payment plan in increments. Plus, you can jump on scholarship applications early. Meet with your university’s financial services and study abroad departments to learn what opportunities are available to you.

As I’ve already touched on, choosing a program that is affiliated with your university and going abroad during less popular terms can increase your financial resources. Short-term programs during summer, winter break, or even spring break are more affordable options. Explore programs like National Student Exchange (NSE) in which students pay each other’s tuition, as most Americans will find tuition abroad is cheaper than their home institution.

Research Travel Guidelines

Before applying for your program, ensure you can meet the requirements to travel to the destination for the length of the program. It might take months to renew your passport, obtain a student visa, and complete other requirements such as vaccines.

Passport: As a baseline, expect that your passport must be valid up until one year after your program start date. (If your program starts 1/1/2026, your passport must be valid until 1/1/2027.) Even if your travel plans do not require a visa, some countries will not let you in if your passport expires within a year.

Visa: Visa processes vary by destination and program length, and some students will not need a visa at all. The best advice I can give you is to plan ahead.

Apply

Once you have approval from your academic department and study abroad office, apply for your program! I chose to place this step at the end because there can be application fees, essays, and other requirements that I recommend students prepare for.

Application deadlines will differ by university and study abroad program. At the company I work for, our deadlines are generally 2-3 months before the program start date to ensure students have adequate time to obtain a visa. The most successful students apply well before our deadlines. Additionally, some universities require students to obtain approval from their home study abroad office before we can review their applications.

Once you apply, your program will guide you through the next steps, like course registration and those travel requirements you should have researched earlier. I wish you the best on your journey abroad!