Author: Evan Carter
On Monday afternoon, the International Programs Office (IPO) received 123 applications, 240 recommendations and 60 language evaluations for processing. From these, they will decide to accept or reject students for the upcoming study abroad semester.
“Overall, the [application] process was tiring and repetitive, but I had to keep my eye on the prize,” said Henry Carr (junior), who applied to spend the semester in Granada, Spain.
Director of the IPO Susan Popko believes that the process for applying to go abroad starts as early as a student’s freshman year.
Oxy’s study abroad opportunities are among the top attractions for prospective students. A survey conducted by the IPO following last semester’s application process indicates that about 60 percent of study abroad applicants first considered Occidental’s study abroad programs as high school seniors.
To cultivate this growing interest, Popko will continue to take trips to consider different locations and research programs across the globe in order to expand opportunities for study abroad.
To prepare students for their time abroad, the IPO strives to give students individual attention and help them with their applications. Popko has worked with many applicants since they filled out their Intent to Apply form at the beginning of the application process this past February. In addition, applicants individually met with an IPO staff member to review and ensure the completion of their application materials for processing.
“That was really helpful. In reality, it was the only helpful thing about the whole process. It gave me closure,” said Tyler Morgan (junior), who hopes to spend the spring in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
“The IPO’s attention to students, and especially to those who walk into the office, is downright impressive,” said Mac Schoen (junior), who is currently living abroad with a family in Chile, in an e-mail interview.
According to Popko, each application will be evaluated under substantial scrutiny as well. A committee of faculty members reviews each application several times, generating a score for each section of the student’s application.
“Students are given a grade on their Cross-Cultural Study Proposal, including personal essays, academic essays, evaluations, faculty recommendations and GPA, which all gets put into a giant matrix with all the scores for every single student ranked from one to 123,” she said.Decisions will be handed out on Oct. 8. Out of 123 applicants, Popko doesn’t expect to decline the applications of more than two or three students.
There have even been semesters in which every applicant was able to leave the following semester. “We want everyone who applies to go,” Popko said.
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