Students must apply for approval to study abroad by submitting a Study Abroad Credit Application or a Smith Program Abroad Application for a first and second choice program you wish to attend. It is critical to remember that you will also apply directly to the program or university admission, with the exception of the Smith Programs Abroad.

Study Abroad Credit Applications are due on the third Monday in February, for study on a program approved for Smith credit during the subsequent academic year. Credit applications for Spring term for study on the ACC, AKP and PRESCHO programs have a special deadline, the first Monday in October. Late applications are not accepted.

Smith Program Abroad Applications are due on the first Monday in February for study on Smith Program Abroad in Florence, Hamburg, Geneva or Paris for fall, spring or academic year. Students applying to a Smith Program Abroad should complete only the Smith Program Abroad Application. Applications for the Spring term for the Smith Program Abroad in Hamburg are accepted until the first Monday in October. Applications submitted after the February deadline will be considered on a rolling basis until the program fills. Submitting an application in February for the spring semester for all of the Smith Programs Abroad is highly encouraged.

Both the Study Abroad Credit Application and Smith Program Abroad Application are available online through the Smith International Travel Experiences System (SITES). Prior to completing the online application students are expected to discuss their study abroad plans with their academic adviser(s). In order to complete the online application major adviser(s) and the department study abroad adviser(s) must review a student's Plan of Study and sign the Major and Departmental Approval form (one for each major). The Plan of Study and Major and Departmental Approval need to be uploaded in the Required Documents section of the application in SITES.

Double Check for Complete Application and Eligibility Requirements

An application for study abroad credit approval may be denied or subsequently rescinded in any of the following situations:

• an incomplete Smith Study Abroad Credit Application or Smith Program Abroad Application;

• failure to submit all study abroad confirmation materials required by the College after a student receives initial approval;

• any unresolved credit shortage;

• unpaid College bills: the College will not make payments to a study abroad program on behalf of a student when outstanding balances are owed to the College;

• GPA is below 3.0 and you have not submitted a GPA Petition;

• any current or pending Judicial Board or Academic Honor Board sanctions, including academic probation, at the time of application or up until the program start date.

Admission to many study abroad programs and universities can be competitive. Program application deadlines vary; thus students need to check the deadlines in case they need to apply first to the program or university before obtaining Smith’s approval to study abroad. Due to the competitive nature of study abroad programs and host universities, meeting admission requirements does not guarantee acceptance into a program. For this reason, students are encouraged to choose a backup program. Students should mark clearly in the online Study Abroad Credit Applications in SITES which study abroad program or host university is their first choice and which is their second choice.

Program or university application instructions and deadlines are generally available online; many can be accessed through the OIS website. We recommend that students contact the program or university staff and check the websites for any updates. It is not necessary to receive Smith’s approval before applying to a program or university. In some instances students must assemble and mail program applications; the Office for International Study does not mail applications on behalf of students.

Typical study abroad program applications include the following:

•  a personal statement

•  a Smith transcript

•  one or more letters of recommendation from faculty, addressed to the program or university

•  a physical examination (which Smith’s Health Services can perform)

•  an “institutional approval” or “study abroad adviser approval” form in which the Office for International Study approves plans and certifies that a student is in good standing at Smith. This form should not be completed by a faculty member; students must bring it to the Office for International Study.

GPA Requirements

Most programs and universities set a minimum GPA for admission. A typical requirement is a 3.0 GPA (B average), but some universities and departments require a 3.3 or even as high as 3.7. Some programs are flexible if a GPA is only slightly below the requirement, especially if it is higher in courses related to the field of study, or when strong letters of recommendation from advisers are present.

Language Requirements

Programs where students study and complete academic work in the host country language usually require two years of college-level instruction or the equivalent. There are also many strong programs in diverse locations that do not have language requirements, such as DIS in Denmark, the University College Roosevelt in the Netherlands, or the various SIT programs in South Africa. The approved list annotates with an “E” programs whose courses are offered in English. All students, regardless of field of study, are strongly encouraged to look into programs in Africa, Asia, and Central and Northern Europe, where there are many English language program options.

Application Deadlines & Fees

Check program application deadlines carefully and apply early. Most programs accept students on a rolling basis, which means they may fill well in advance of the application deadline. Students are responsible for application fees.

Housing

Many programs offer more than one housing option. Options may include homestay (living and eating with a local family), dormitory housing with a meal plan, or self-catered apartments. A separate housing application may have to be submitted after the program application. Smith recommends that students choose the option that provides the greatest immersion with the host culture as a way of fully benefitting from their cultural experience.

Although the homestay option may seem intimidating at first, many Smith students return saying that the homestay was one of the most valuable aspects of their entire experience. It is important to remember that most host families reflect local family structures and living standards. This may include families with young children, single parents or retiree couples, or large extended families with people who come and go frequently. Many may expect you to be home for dinner most nights, or to accompany them on family excursions. Most programs will offer guidelines and expectations to help you engage with the families in meaningful and respectful ways.

Students are required to choose a housing option offered and billed via the program or university. Smith does not allow students to elect housing independent of the choices offered by the study abroad program or host university. This rules out apartment options students pay for independently, whether facilitated by the program or not, unless this is the only housing possible on that particular study abroad program.

Smith’s Study Abroad Credit Application asks how many credits students expect to earn in the system of their host institution and to list courses they wish to take abroad. In the event of any confusion about the credit system at the host institution, consult the Office for International Study.

In order to receive approval for courses taken abroad, students must submit course descriptions with their Study Abroad Credit Application. Locating course descriptions can sometimes be a challenge. Students should be prepared to correspond with the program representative or university staff. If a course description is completely unavailable, students must provide any information they do have in writing.

Students should use care in selecting their courses. Any type of business, entrepreneurship, and marketing class will not be approved for transfer credit by Smith because they do not meet Smith's academic standards. Since the nature of the curriculum can be very different in foreign universities, it is possible to end up taking a course that is too easy or too difficult, either of which will endanger transfer of the credit. Pitfalls include enrolling in a course that covers a substantial amount of ground already covered at Smith; taking a course that requires experience in areas of the field with which students are unfamiliar; and assuming that a “third-year course” is at the same level as a course students would typically take as a junior at Smith. In the UK and Europe, for example, most undergraduates take three-year degrees and complete their undergraduate degrees with a more specialized grounding than most U.S. college students.