10 Things to Do Now to Go Abroad Next Spring

These semesters in Ithaca fly by, schedules are packed to the brim, and soon you find yourself in your third fall semester, thinking about if it’s even feasible to study abroad during the traditional junior year spring. While it is recommended that you submit your study abroad materials approximately one calendar year in advance–either by May 30^th for spring term study abroad or by December 20^th for the following fall semester–there are still a few final deadlines in the next one to four weeks for studying abroad for the spring of 2016. Here are some ways to get started, whether you are a freshman or sophomore looking ahead or a junior scrambling to plan:

1. Contact the Cornell Abroad Office (300 Caldwell Hall on the Ag quad, or call 607.255.6224). Make sure the programs you are interested in are affiliated with Cornell, through Cornell, or you can submit an approval for Cornell, and the deadlines have not passed. (Eg. Boston University’s spring semester programs have a final deadline of September 15^th). Also check out Cornell Abroad’s informational meetings: (http://www.cuabroad.cornell.edu/_customtags/ct_Image.cfm?Image_ID=23536)
2. Check to see you have a valid passport.
3. Drop by the CEC for your resume critique, cover letter critique, or just to chat about the endless opportunities! Schedule an individual appointment with one of the study abroad advisors if possible. (https://www.cuabroad.cornell.edu/ )
4. Start (and finish) your application through the CU Abroad website. There are hundreds of Cornell-Managed and Cornell Approved programs, and the application lets you rank your preferences for which program you are most interested in.
5. If the program is Cornell-approved, don’t forget to apply for the study abroad through the specific program’s website. (Eg. SIT, BU, etc…)
6. Contact your faculty mentor, study abroad advisor, and faculty recommenders. Don’t forget to nicely thank them afterwards.
7. Read the blog! Maybe you’ll find out about opportunities you have never considered or heard of. (http://blogs.cornell.edu/studyabroad/)
8. Consider a summer abroad or Fall semester program, because now is the perfect time to search for and apply for those! There are dozens of Cornell and Cornell-approved programs, ranging from internships to direct enrollment in another university.
9. Look into Cornell’s opportunities which include but are not limited to:
   1. Global Health Summer Programs (Summer; https://www.human.cornell.edu/dns/academics/undergraduate/globalhealth),
   2. Urban Semester or Urban Summer in NYC (Fall, Spring, Summer; https://www.human.cornell.edu/academics/offcampus/urbansemester/home),
      1. Urban Semester Pre-Health Info Session (Spring 2016 and future semesters):
         Wednesday, September 16, 4:30 pm, 151 MVR
         —OR—
         Thursday September 17, 4:30 pm, 151 MVR
      2. Urban Semester Pre-Professional Info Session (Spring 2016 and future semesters):
         Monday, September 28, 4:30 pm, 151 MVR
         —OR—
         Tuesday September 29, 4:30 pm, 151 MVR
   3. Capital Semester (Spring; https://www.human.cornell.edu/academics/offcampus/capitalsemester/home),
      1. Public Speaking Workshop + Info Session for Capital Semester: Thursday, September 24, 2015
   4. Human Ecology Exchange programs (Fall, Spring; https://www.human.cornell.edu/academics/offcampus/exchange/home).
      1. Information Session: Tuesday September 8th, 2015. 4:30 – 6pm. MVR 153.
10. Enjoy your time. Both here and abroad, your college years are precious for making memories, connections, and friends! Always stay open minded to new ideas and opportunities, because maybe you’ll fall in love with a new city like Kathmandu and end up living there for the next decade.