By: Mauricio, a Summer Abroad alumnus.
Choosing which Summer Abroad programs to apply to can be a difficult choice for many students. With nearly 30 courses in 15 different countries, prospective students often spend a lot of time researching which programs are the best fit. This guide will help you choose your Summer Abroad program.
Browse locations and courses that interest you
The first step for any student interested in Summer Abroad is to visit the Summer Abroad website. Browsing the programs page can give you an initial idea of the locations and dates that might interest you. Then, you can look at the courses page to see the comprehensive list of courses and their respective destinations. By looking through the courses, you can also see various program costs, prerequisites, and accommodations, which all vary from course to course.
Identify your objectives and needs
After you've gained an initial sense of what Summer Abroad has to offer, the next step is identifying your personal objectives and needs. Students often choose their programs based on their academic requirements or their personal interests. Summer Abroad offers courses in over 20 departments between the 200- and 300-level. This was great for me, as I wanted to take a class related to my academic interests while also working towards the completion of my degree requirements. Taking SOC393Y0 Domestic and Global Chinese Communities in Singapore fulfilled these requirements for me over one month, which would have taken at least a full semester with a conventional course. For students looking to either compete upper-year program or last-minute breadth requirements, Summer Abroad offers an unmatched experience to take these courses.
Many students also choose their program in line with their personal interests. As many of the Summer Abroad courses have no prerequisites, students are able to apply to programs that interest them due to either the course content or location. This is great for students enrolled in faculties other than Arts & Science who want to explore courses outside of their program. For example, for students who want to improve their language skills in a native environment, Summer Abroad offers language learning courses in France and Portugal. Moreover, the management courses in South Africa and South Korea give students the opportunity to dip their toes into the consulting world by tacking real world situations.
Connect with the Summer Abroad Community
Once you've gone through the aforementioned process, the last step is to come talk to us.
If you have any general questions or would like to know more about a particular program, you can book an appointment with a Summer Abroad advisor. Further, there are a variety of information sessions and webinars where you hear from professors and previous students.
You can also subscribe to the monthly newsletter to see what Summer Abroad participants are up to, learn from our professors and past participants, and stay connected with the Summer Abroad community.
Submit your application and get started on your Summer Abroad adventure!