battleship2012

How difficult is it to get a study abroad program for the summer (I want to do one next summer in France)?

AdmissionsAddict

A current undergrad can answer better than I can, but Yale has put a strong emphasis on summer travel programs over the past 5 years or so. I don't expect it will be difficult. Are you interested in an actual academic program for credit, an internship, or a research fellowship? Yale tends not to have specific study abroad programs, but if you find it they will likely approve it. Yale has a strong international internship network. If you want to do research, you can submit a proposal and might get your whole project funded.

Booklady

D is in Paris right now, studying French at the Sorbonne. She found the program and got approval from Yale so that she'll get course credit. She said the folks at Yale were very helpful since, as AdmissionsAddict points out, they're trying to encourage students to go abroad.

heyyou

if you dont mind my asking, which program is it? and did you have to pay for all of it?

one of my concerns about studying abroad is the cost of it :-\

svalbardlutefisk

Yale is amazing about supporting study abroad, particularly in East Asia.

I'm typing this message from China, where I'm on a Light Fellowship (see The Richard U. Light Fellowship at Yale University) studying Chinese intensively. I haven't spent a cent of my money or my parents money to be here - Yale gave me $7802 for the 9 weeks of the program, enough to cover the program cost, airfare, and living expenses (the program fee includes housing and food/other essentials are really cheap here). It's the best opportunity of its kind anywhere. The program I'm at is run by Harvard (though it has a ton of Yale students, because of the Light fellowship) and all the Harvard kids are jealous of the Yale ones because Harvard doesn't give them the support that Yale's giving us.

To be fair, the Light Fellowship is only for language study in China, Taiwan, Korea, and Japan, and it really is the strongest facet of Yale's study abroad funding, but there are still lots of opportunities for students who want to study abroad elsewhere (or do something other than language study). Check out Fellowships | Yale College and Welcome to browse through the many sources of support offered by the university. If you're on financial aid, Yale guarantees you the opportunity to have at least one summer study-abroad experience through the International Summer Award program.

drummerdude_07

I really think colleges in general dramatically oversell their study-abroad opportunities when it comes to costs. It's true that there are a number of fellowships you can apply to, some of which, like the Light, are fantastic. But they are usually very specific about who qualifies and the type of person they are looking for, and they aren't all quite as generous as the Light. And while the Summer Award for fin. aid students helps, the baseline cost for Yale's official programs are sky high in my book.

If you are really determined, you will get the chance to study abroad. But don't take the lines you are likely to hear from the Admissions office that sound as though everyone can go on free trips wherever/whenever and for whatever purpose they want.

In general, this applies to every school, not just Yale.

Booklady

The program is this one: Study Abroad in Paris, France

We did pay, but Yale does have some money available for various summer programs.

kaleidoscopeyes

If you definitely want to go during the summer, money for popular programs (esp. for those in Western Europe and not for developing programs like those in China) can be tight. During the year, though, Yale still provides all of your financial aid and you don't have to pay them a cent - just the cost of your program which, depending on where you go, is roughly equivalent. I'd highly recommend it, if you don't have your heart set on the summer; I was in Paris this past semester and it was amazing!