Submitting Applications: Completing the Study Abroad Application

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The actual study abroad application (minus any essays) is fairly short and need not take you hours and hours to complete. It asks for basic information, such as your name, address, which academic department you're applying to, when you plan to study abroad, and where tuition bills should be sent. However, bear in mind that your application is a reflection of who you are. Follow instructions on filling it out completely and as neatly as possible. Whenever possible, either type your application or fill it out online. Always use proper grammar, punctuation, and spelling. Furthermore, meeting the application deadline is critical.

Deadlines vary. In general, deadlines for fall and full-year programs occur anytime from December to mid-April. Spring program deadlines tend to fall from October to mid-November. Many programs have rolling admissions instead of a specific deadline, so submit your application as soon as you know that you intend to apply to a program!

Otherwise, check deadline dates carefully. Some universities and programs have strict policies requiring that applications received after the deadline be reviewed only if space is still available in the program after on-time applications have been reviewed.

Other important details to bear in mind include:

• Keeping a copy of everything you send in case your application package gets lost in the mail.
• Supplying your signature where necessary. The application may request it in many different places.
• Making sure you've supplied your school abroad with enough information about you so that it has a complete picture of who you are and what your academic strengths are. Doing so is the only way admissions committee at your host school will find out about you.
• Providing up-to-date contact information so that if anything is missing the host university can reach you as soon as possible.

  The application asks for your school address and home address, so be sure to indicate to which address the school abroad needs to send any correspondence, including any acceptance packet.

• Include a check, money order, or credit-card information to pay the application fee that most programs and schools charge. Never send cash! Whenever you need to pay the application fee in your host country's currency, the easiest way is to use a credit card. Otherwise, you must work with your bank's international department to be able to pay the fee.
• Sending an I.D.-sized photo whenever the host program or university requests one (usually 2 inches by 2 inches). Universities abroad often require these photos and use them to make your student I.D.
• Sending a copy of your birth certificate or passport whenever required. A copy of the identification page of your passport usually will suffice. If you don't yet have a passport or passport number, let your host school know that you're in the process of applying for one and will send that information as soon as you have it.

Submitting Special Application Material

Some universities or university departments abroad require additional application material. The most common requests for additional material include writing samples, art portfolios, and audition tapes. If a school requires you to submit a writing sample, make sure you choose one that meets the length requirement. Sometimes a university or program asks for a graded copy of a paper, so make sure that you choose a paper on which you received a good grade! Likewise, make sure that you submit a paper that you wrote for a course in your major subject area because you're probably applying to a department representing the same or similar major at the university abroad. If you're a visual or studio art major, most universities will ask you to submit a portfolio. If you're a music major, you may need to send a portfolio or an audition tape, depending on your area of expertise.

In general, do not send additional application material unless the school specifically requests it. Some schools specifically prohibit you from sending additional information. Large packages of materials don't make you a stronger candidate. You do not want to overload an admissions committee with too much information because its members may get lost in it, not know what to read, or not have time to read everything.

Submit portfolios, audition tapes, and your application well in advance of the deadline, so the admissions committee has plenty of time to review it and to contact you if they have any problems with your materials. Remember that videotape formats differ from country to country.