Steps to Apply

Connect with your Global Engagement Office. With hundreds of programs that occur each semester and during the summer, it is easy to be overwhelmed by the wealth of choices. Meeting with the Coordinator of Global Engagement will help you explore the best programs for you. We will discuss how each program fits in your plans - academically, financially, and personally. Schedule an appointment with Dr. Michael Hancock-Parmer, Coordinator of Gobal Engagement, using Bookings (mind the time zone!) or by sending an introduction email to [mhancock@roanoke.edu]

Before your appointment, please visit http://www.roanoke.edu/studyaway to take the program match quiz and find a few programs that catch your eye.

Your advisor(s) can help you figure out when is the best time to study abroad (in terms of your academic plan) and if there are any particular course(s) you will need to take while you are away from Roanoke College. Part of the application process is to discuss your study away plans with your academic advisor(s). If you do not connect with your advisor(s) before you submit your GEO Application, you will be asked to discuss your plans to study off-campus with them before GEO can process your GEO application.
 

Financial aid may apply to Roanoke College-approved off-campus programs.

Contact the Global Engagement Office for cost estimates for programs you are interested in exploring. 

The cost of studying off campus can be very similar to the cost of living on campus. For some programs, the program abroad is more affordable than living on campus. For other programs, the program abroad is more expensive

Complete the application by choosing your program and clicking Apply at http://www.roanoke.edu/studyaway

Students need to submit the appropriate application and have it accepted before they can begin a program-specific application. 

Deadlines for Applications:

December 1 (early) or February 1 (standard) - for programs that begin the following Fall semester 
May 1 (early) or September 1 (standard) - for programs that begin the following Spring semester

Summer program applications can be accepted on a case-by-case basis
Applications for semester programs will not be fully processed until after the appropriate deadline. 

Also, our internal deadlines are around 5-6 months before you would have to submit your program-specific application. Summer applications are the exception and can also be completed in tandem with your program's specific application.

After you complete your application is accepted, you can begin your program's specific application.

Please be aware that our partners have different application deadlines and requirements.

Students applying for ISEP Exchange programs:
The ISEP application is unique and you can list up to 10 different exchange sites on ONE application. Review ISEP's Chance of Placement page before submitting your ISEP application,

After you are accepted into your program, you can complete the Course Pre-Approval Form (previously the Study Abroad Transfer Credit Authorization Form.

On this form, you will list courses you plan to take while on the program. It is not a registration form, and you may have to use past semester courses to complete the form. 

The purpose of this form is for you to have a plan on what courses you are going to take abroad and how those courses will be counted upon return to Roanoke College. The Registrar's Office uses this form to know if the courses will count towards your major(s), minor(s), and/or INQ/HNRS requirements. You can get updated course approvals once you are abroad, but you are still required to submit this form as a preliminary plan for the appropriate deadline.

All necessary forms are available once your application is accepted, including the Global Engagement Office travel scholarship.

Please Note: Travel Scholarships are preferentially awarded to students who meet the Early application dealine.

There is a mandatory Pre-Departure Orientation for all students participating in a Global Engagement program. It is held the semester before you are studying abroad, and summer students may participate in either (but are not obligated).

If you are unable to make the scheduled orientation, you are required to schedule a make-up orientation. 

Pre-Departure Orientation goes over everything from academics abroad to updating to a new culture to health & safety abroad.
 

Have a fantastic experience on your program and know that the Global Engagement Office is still here to support you while you are away/off-campus!

While you are away, we will be in communication to first verify your course schedule to update your Course Pre-Approval Form (if necessary) and to finalize your housing upon your return (particularly for students away during the Fall semester).

Students who study off-campus may have an edge when searching and interviewing for a job. Such an advantage is not guaranteed but must be thoughtfully developed.

While studying abroad can be great for professional development, the experience will not in itself offer an advantage to job seekers. Rather, it is how well you can reflect on and articulate your experience in terms of skills acquired.  Recognizing newly learned competencies and communicating them effectively to a potential employer will set you apart and add value to your resume. These same principles would also apply to domestic off-campus programs.

Learning to articulate what you learned from your experience is also a skill, and there are strategies and processes to help you. It means thinking about these things before you leave campus, recording your experiences in a useful manner, and then telling your story to demonstrate your skills and successes.