Application Procedures for Roanoke College Programs

Procedures - Roanoke College Study Abroad Programs

Explore your Options

1. Review the program information on this website and at the links provided. Make a note of programs that meet your requirements in terms of academic and cultural offerings, location, language of instruction, housing and meals arrangements, and opportunities for getting to  know people from the host culture. Keep an open mind; some countries you might not initially consider might offer what you are looking for; a homestay may not be your first choice but might afford you much more independence than you think along with really great local cuisine.

2. Make an appointment with the Assistant Director of International Education, Scott Couchman, to get more information, discuss your options, and clarify the cost of the program and the applicability of Roanoke College financial aid.

3. Discuss your program and course options with your academic advisor, who will need to approve your plans.

4. Discuss your plans with your parents. If they have questions or concerns you cannot answer, you are welcome to refer them to Mr. Couchman.

To Apply

1. Complete a Study Abroad Application - Roanoke College Programs form and submit it to the Assistant Director of International Education.

2. Ask two faculty members to submit letters of recommendation to the Office of International Education on your behalf.

3. Ask the Registrar's office to send an official copy of your Roanoke College transcript to the Assistant Director of International Education. There is a fee if you order the transcript through the link on the college website, but no fee if you send an e-mail request to Patty Gladden in the Registrar's office from your RC student e-mail account.

4. Write a personal statement speaking to why you chose your specific location. Explain your goals for studying abroad and for integrating into the host culture, discuss any specific situations from your past that have helped prepare you to accomplish these goals, and how you feel that the experience will benefit you personally, professionally, and academically (300-500 words).

5. Take the Study Abroad Fee Form to the business office with your $300 payment. It is nonrefundable if you withdraw from your study abroad plans.

6. If you are applying for ISEP Exchange, the Office of International Education will cover the ISEP $375 application fee. If you are denied an ISEP Exchange placement and subsequently decide to enroll in an ISEP Direct program, you will be billed $375 to recoup the cost of the ISEP Exchange application.

7. Complete the application packet for your study abroad program, which you will receive once your Roanoke College application is complete. Do not complete on-line applications for affiliated programs unless directed to do so by the Assistant Director of International Education.

8. Review the course offerings at your program or host institution. If you have difficulty finding course listings for your host institution, contact the Assistant Director of International Education for guidance.

9. Work with your academic advisor to make course selections that will be approved for RC credit. Complete your part of the Authorization for Study Abroad Transfer Credit form, listing the courses you intend to take and ask your academic advisor to list the RC course equivalent or area of credit for each. Sign the form yourself and then obtain signatures from your advisor, department chair, and the Director of International Education or Assistant Director of International Education, before submitting the form to the Registrar. This form is due with your application. 

 

Application Deadlines

 

February 1 is the priority deadline for ISEP applications for fall semester start. Applications will be accepted after this date, though placement may be limited.

February 1 is the deadline to apply for study abroad on an affiliated program for the fall or spring semester of the following academic year requesting Roanoke College institutional financial aid (one semester only). Please see Financial Aid Policies and Procedures for more information. Affiliated programs are Regent's College (London, England), Hollins Abroad Paris (France), James Cook University (Australia), Griffith University (Australia), Deakin University (Australia), Massey University (New Zealand), Zhejiang University (Hangzhou, China), the Umbra Institute (Perugia, Italy), the Institute at Palazzo Rucellai (Florence, Italy), and the Pantheon Institute (Rome, Italy).

March 15 is the deadline to apply for all other study abroad programs (exchanges with financial aid, and unaffiliated without financial aid) for the following fall semester or full academic year.

August 24 is the priority deadline to apply for ISEP for spring semester start. Applications will be accepted after this date, though placement may be limited.

October 15 is the deadline to apply for all other study abroad programs (exchanges with financial aid, and unaffiliated without financial aid) for the following spring semester.