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Application Materials

There are four types of submissions that you need to turn in as part of the application:

• Material Submissions- files that must be printed, filled out, and returned to the Office of Study Abroad (Usdan 127) by the application deadline:
  • Academic Proposal of Study (see details below)
  • Study Abroad Funding Workshop (workshop to attend: no need to turn in a form)
• Signature Documents- online agreements that must be read, executed and signed electronically:
  • Application Photo
  • Statement of Agreement
• Questionnaires- forms that will be filled out and submitted online:
  • Application Statements for Brandeis Study Abroad (see details below)
  • Emergency Contact

1. The Academic Proposal of Study is a form that  must be printed, filled out, and turned in to the Office of Study Abroad (Usdan 127) by the application date.  The Academic Proposal of Study is integral in demonstrating your academic preparedness for study abroad.  In order for the document to be considered complete, you will need to submit the following:

• Proposal of study and course choices for your primary and alternate study abroad program
• Progress in your major(s) (numbers of courses completed in each declared major)
• Study Abroad Faculty Liaison signature(s)

Please note that you must meet with the Faculty Liaison for ALL of your majors and minors by the application deadline, so plan ahead!

2. The Study Abroad Funding Workshops will help you prepare financially for your time abroad by learning about how program fees are billed and the total costs of study abroad. Attendance at one of these workshops is required for all students who receive financial aid and are applying to study abroad at any point during the 2013-2014 academic year. However, all study abroad applicants are welcome to attend.

3. You must upload an Application Photo to the Brandeis On-Line Application. The photo must be a formal passport-style or ID photo which meets the following requirements:

• Color photo
• Clear photo of your head and shoulders
• Solid background
• Properly sized and oriented in the proper direction
• Can be taken expressly for this purpose with a digital camera or can be cropped from another photo

The following will not be accepted:

• Black and white photos
• Graduation portraits
• Scans of your actual passport photo

The photo will only be used for internal identification purposes.

4. The Statement of Agreement is your acknowledgement of awareness of Brandeis policies and procedures.

5. The Application Statements for Brandeis Study Abroad form will be completed and submitted online.  Students who wish to go abroad for a semester or for a year will need to submit the following as part of the Brandeis Application Questionnaire:

• Personal Statement (see details below)
• Alternate Program Choice (if applicable)
  
• Term of Study (fall or spring) Rationale

The application requires a personal statement that addresses the selection criteria and answers the following questions.  Your statement should be about 1,000 words in essay format. If you are applying to two programs, be sure your statement includes answers to all of the following questions for both your primary program and your alternate program. Failure to include answers to all questions for both programs may result in your application being denied.

• What are your academic and intellectual goals for study abroad?
• How do your academic goals for study abroad relate to your overall academic plan at Brandeis?
• Why is your proposed program the best match for your academic goals for study abroad?
• What do you hope to gain from living and learning in a new culture?
• How do you plan to integrate yourself in your host institution and host city or town?
• What does the term ‘global citizen’ mean to you and how does your proposed study abroad plan relate to this concept?
• Describe the challenges you imagine you will face while living and studying in a different culture and give concrete examples of how you will deal with these challenges.
• How have you prepared yourself academically for study abroad in your chosen host country?  
• How much do you already know about the history and culture of your proposed study abroad location?

6. Though a resume is no longer a required part of your Brandeis application, we encourage you to visit the Hiatt Career Center and have your resume reviewed if you are interested in exploring internship options while abroad. 

7. Emergency contact: we need your emergency contact numbers on file.

8. Brandeis will only require a recommendation from a Brandeis faculty member only if your chosen program doesn't already ask for it.  In this case, in the online application you can email a request for a Brandeis faculty member to fill out a recommendation form.  However, since this email is automatically generated through the on-line system, we suggest that you first personally contact your recommender and inform them that they will receive the email request from the Office of Study Abroad.

If you have already requested a letter from a professor, your professor can simply paste that letter into our online recommendation form.  Alternatively, you may have them submit it to our office via Campus Mail or through an email attachment to abroad@brandeis.edu.

For tips on requesting a recommendation, please see this Handout.

9. You are encouraged to declare all your intended majors and minors by the Study Abroad Application Deadline to ensure you can complete those majors and to facilitate credit transfer from courses you plan to take abroad.  At a minimum, you must officially declare a primary major before you apply to study abroad. Forms are available in the Office of Academic Services (Usdan 130).