The Four Program Types

Key Questions to Ask Yourself

Narrowing Your Choices

Using the Program Self-Assessment Worksheet as a Tool

Additional How to Choose Tools

Set goals
What do I want to accomplish by going abroad?
What are my academic and personal goals?

Define and describe the experience
What part of the world am I drawn to?
Am I willing to consider a place that is off the beaten track?
Do I want minimal cultural adjustment or am I seeking something different/challenging?
Are my choices influenced by others or am I deciding what's right for me?
Do I want to study with other Americans, other international students, or alongside students from the host country?

Choose the right time - when and for how long?
When should I go? An academic year, semester, summer?
If I go for a semester, should it be fall or spring?
If I go for a semester, does the program allow extension to a year?
Should I go abroad as a sophomore, junior, senior?
Can I go on EAP more than once while I am a student at Cal?

Requirements - can i qualify for the program?
Do I have the minimum overall GPA?
Do I have the foreign language prerequisites?
Do I have the minimum GPA in the foreign language?
Will I be able to fulfill other requirements for my program? (pre-requisite courses, etc.)
How many units do I have? Enough? Too many? Unit ceiling issues?

Content and credit
Do I want to study in another language or do I want courses taught in English?
Must I fulfill major, minor, college, or general education requirements?
Can I choose electives for my course work?
Do I want field work, an internship, or a research project to be part of my program?

Cost
How will I finance the program?
Can I afford it?
Will the cost influence my choice of country or program?
What financial resources are available to me?