Changes in CIIS Application to Benefit Students

This past week, many students were lucky enough to be accepted into one of St. Lawrence University’s many off-campus study programs. The opportunity to live abroad for a semester and experience a new way of life is something that so many alumni recall as a favorite college memory. The whole process of planning and preparing for a trip like this is a large endeavor, and the CIIS office has been hard at work, making studying off campus as exciting and accessible as it can be for every student. The application process has undergone some recent changes that are aimed at helping students take full advantage of what’s offered.  

This year’s application to go abroad allowed students to pick three other programs to choose as backup options in case they didn’t get their first choice. This is a big shift as, historically, students were encouraged to apply for more than one, but each application was individualized. This allows students to not only have an easier time putting down multiple options but also explore multiple locations and programs to fill in the other three. A lot of students may see a program that fits their basic idea of what they want to do and not look into anything else. This shift combats that and gives students the chance to explore things they might not have been interested in at first. Less time and effort need to be given to essays and finding extra recommendations so students can focus on more relevant research toward their travel goals.   

“The goal was to also provide alternative program options should students’ top choice have too many applications and not enough space” said Director of Off-Campus programs, Caitlin Hatz.  

With this new change in place, it creates a great opportunity for students who maybe didn’t get their first choice. The process is not over, and there could still be a direction to take for off-campus studying. Kim Longfellow, assistant director of off-campus programs, shared her own experience of studying abroad, taking a different path than she originally intended. “I had been planning on studying at one specific program in a large city during my fall semester. At the last moment, I changed programs to a smaller, language-immersive program in a different semester, all within one afternoon,” she said. Within the new program she chose, Longfellow recounted how much of a life-changing experience it was. She also notes that any program she could have chosen at the time would have provided her with a different but just as impactful semester. “There is no “soul mate” program or singular “right” program Longfellow advised. “Any experience can be the “right” experience for you if you go in with flexibility, adaptability, and openness.” Studying abroad is one of SLU’s strongest offerings, and every student should take the chance to explore what might become an invaluable memory.