What Comes After Your First Year Abroad?
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It’s hard to think about what comes after a study abroad adventure when you just can’t wait to get started! But because First Year Abroad is such an important step in your college career, it’s essential to understand your options post-program.
Follow along as we closely examine what comes after your First Year Abroad program!
Your Post-Program Options
To better understand what comes after your First Year Abroad, you must first understand what’s possible with CIEE. And heads up – you have several different opportunities!
As you peruse this information, keep in mind that the courses offered on the First Year Abroad program are designed to be highly transferable and fulfill general education requirements (on top of helping students dive into other cultures and gain a boatload of skills along the way).
It’s also important to remember that each option is contingent on your academic performance while on program – the following post-program options are only available to students in good academic standing.
Read More: How Difficult Are First Year Abroad Courses?
Option #1: Continue on at Dean College
As you know by now, CIEE’s academic home and school of record, Dean College, plays a vital role in what comes after First Year Abroad. All students in the CIEE First Year Abroad program must be accepted by both CIEE and Dean College. Upon acceptance to the institution, you’ll be enrolled in the school’s Associate’s Degree of General Studies degree program during the duration of your First Year Abroad.
Read More: Q&A with the President of Dean College
Being enrolled at Dean College while exploring a new international city with CIEE means that when you return to the States after your First Year Abroad, you can head to beautiful Dean College and seamlessly transition to your program on campus. You can also switch to another degree program, like a bachelor’s degree program, if that better aligns with your academic goals.
Continuing at Dean College also means that those 12-13 credits you earned while abroad will apply automatically to your degree, so you won’t have to worry about your study abroad transfer credit.
This last piece leads us to your other post-program possibilities: student transfer options.
Transfer to a First Year Abroad College Partner
CIEE also partners with globally minded colleges and universities across the country, which value your experience abroad and the global outlook you’ll bring back to campus!
CIEE College Partners are accredited higher education institutions that have already evaluated First Year Abroad courses for potential credit transfers and have agreed to articulate the courses you took abroad to their course catalog. So, like continuing at Dean College, you won’t have to worry about your study abroad transfer credit with this alternative either.
With this post-program option, you’ll also receive extended support from CIEE in the United States and abroad, and potentially save on college application costs and fees (a win-win!).
How does it all work?
- Apply to one of our College Partners through their application system, available on their website, by the college application deadline. Choose the semester you’d like to start following the completion of your FYA program.
- Submit all required application documents on your own. And if you’re asking, 'Do I need my high school transcript to transfer colleges?’ the answer is yes. Most college and university applications require a high school transcript, letter of recommendation, personal essays, and mid-semester grades. You must order your official transcript from Dean College, and they will send it to the College Partner.
- After being accepted by both CIEE and the CIEE College Partner, you can start on your new journey!
Transfer to Any College or University
Another option after your First Year Abroad program is to transfer to any college or university of your choosing. While there are no CIEE affiliations with this option, remember that the courses offered during First Year Abroad are designed to fulfill general education or common core requirements at many colleges and universities throughout the United States.
You can even take a look at the Dean College course numbers and titles (the exact courses you’ll be taking during your First Year Abroad program) to research transfer credit equivalencies at other colleges and universities.
While it might seem a little daunting to be a transfer student, know that it’s very common – in fact, nearly one-third of college students in the United States transfer schools before earning their degree.
How to transfer schools? The transfer application process is very similar to applying to college for the first time – you’ll need to include a few extra documents, like mid-semester grades, and likely coordinate between schools for some additional information, but the application requirements are generally the same.
Read More: How to Apply for College: A Step-by-Step Guide
The upside to slightly more student transfer work is that you’ll be able to incorporate your First Year Abroad experience into your transfer application – a total bonus that will enhance your application (no, seriously!).
Read More: What Is the Most Important Factor in College Admissions?
If you’re concerned about what it’ll be like as a transfer student on your new school campus, keep in mind that the college experience is still fresh for everyone else, too! While adjusting to a new routine and expectations will be inevitable, remind yourself of your own First Year Abroad experience — if you can do that, you can do just about anything!
Academically, many colleges and universities agree that students who transfer from one institution to another perform as well as or better at the receiving institution than students who began at that institution. So, know that you’ll be just fine as a transfer student after First Year Abroad.
What comes after First Year Abroad is entirely up to you and your goals! First Year Abroad is designed to help students like you continue college (however you see fit) positively and with some pretty incredible experiences and perspectives to share!