The whole process to study abroad started August 2015, and it’s finally a week before I leave, August 27, 2016. All glory to God for leading me down this path!! This blog is about what it took to get me in the program over the course of a year. It was a very frustrating process, so hopefully this can help someone in the future, or if you just want to read it for fun. 🙂
I’ve always dreamed of getting to study abroad, so my first year of college that was the first thing I made sure to get information on. After attending an informational meeting, I scheduled a meeting with an advisor (required) and we went over how the application worked and where I was eligible to go. (Costa Rica was the perfect match!! Veritas is the name of the university) The application didn’t open until October, so I impatiently waited.
Once the application opened, I found that it was a huge checklist online that I had to fill out. Recommendations, plenty of short-essay questions, and so much more. It took lots of time and hard work to finish everything, so it was submitted around December. Then I had to, even more impatiently, wait until March to officially hear if I was accepted to study abroad or not. It was late one night when Blakely and I and another friend were in our dorm room, and I had heard my email notification on my phone. I glanced at it and saw it was from the study abroad department; I knew what was inside. I started screaming and was shaking so hard I couldn’t even read it! After collecting myself, I saw that I was accepted, cried, and called everyone! Yada yada yada..
The second step opened up online which was pretty much like the first half, except so much more. I had to decide which courses to take at the college there, compare it to Appalachians courses, and get them approved to transfer back with credits. (This took forever because I had to go to each department head and ask for approval.) Video tutorials, signing up for various programs/insurance for study abroad, attend a health meeting, and the worst part.. shots! I had to take a Spanish placement test online, then held a Skype interview with someone from the university in CR. I had to attend a group meeting with FAQs, and then a one-on-one meeting with the advisor again. I finished this half around May.
Something that was a lot of headache for my mom and I was the process to get a visa. It took sooo long, and in the end I didn’t get one because a part of the form was missing 🙂 awesome!! You only need a visa if you’re there for more than 90 days, and my term is some 114 days. What I’ll end up doing is leaving the country with the university and renew my 90 days. Here’s the annoying process:
Visa
- Application packet (just 2 pages)
- Copy of passport
- Birth certificate (since I was adopted, we had to order an original birth certificate and once that arrived in the mail, we had to send it back so that they would stamp it with an apostille. Took about 4 weeks total. Ugh)
- Passport picture
- Flight reservation
- Last 3 month proof of income
- Federal police background check (a packet to fill out and had to get fingerprints taken; shoutout to Jeff!!)
- Letter of acceptance from the University in Costa Rica (had to call the school and ask them to email me a formal acceptance)
I finally got some help with the study abroad department in the middle of August. I found out my class schedule (below), who’s picking me up from the airport, and ensured that everything was set to go! Now all I need to do is wake up at 4 am to catch my flight!!
M See the World 