The Application Process

The decision to study abroad is not an easy one! Depending on the program, studying abroad requires you to spend some money, possibly delay your graduation date (if you can’t transfer enough credits) and live away from your family in a totally new environment. Needless to say, you need to do a lot of planning, but the benefits are extensive. Take the opportunity!

At Saint Mary’s University, you can get help from International Activities when deciding whether or not to study abroad and where to go if you do decide to study abroad. SMU has partnerships with MANY universities across the world. Graham and I chose to study in Japan because we’ve both been studying the language and we are both interested in certain aspects of Japan (I’ll likely be blogging a lot about food, while Graham will blog more often about nature and geography).

Step-by-step, the application process at SMU can go like this:

• Research destinations and options (semester vs year vs short program)
• Apply for mobility awards (November)
• Apply for the exchange (Jan-Feb)
• Be interviewed for the exchange
• Apply for mobility awards again if you didn’t get one the first time around (March)
• Be recommended by SMU for the exchange
• Apply to the host university
•  Be accepted by the host university
• Complete a Letter of Permission to transfer credits
• Attend information sessions with International Activities
• Apply for a Visa for the host country (if applicable)
• Book flights, make final preparations, pack and GO

I won’t go into detail on any of these here; if you would like more information, please visit SMU International Activities. Applying to study abroad and planning your study abroad are made so much easier by International Activities.

In addition to speaking with International Activities, if you need any advice during any of these steps you can speak with students who have gone on exchange before, an Academic Advisor, or a trusted professor. There are even career and other counselling services at SMU that you can use. Of course, if you have any questions for me or Graham, leave a comment below!