Application Deadline: March 1st

All parts of this application are due by 5pm on the deadline day of March 1 (if that falls on the weekend, then the deadline is the following Monday). March 1, 2013 is the deadline for fall 2013, and the priority deadline for Spring 2014. October 1 is the secondary deadline for any open spring spots. Applications must be COMPLETE before they will be reviewed.

Application Deadline for all summer 2013 programs: February 1, 2013!

Online Application Requirements:

1) Application and fee: UT charges a $50 non-refundable study abroad application fee when a student submits the online application. Before you can access the system, you must meet with a BBA exchange coordinator. Click here to access the online application.  

2) Program/Application Code:  All BBA International Programs exchanges start with “15.”  Some partner schools have more than one program at UT, so if you want a BBA Exchange, make sure you select the “15xxxx” code.  If you have a third or fourth choice program (highly recommended), please mention those in the last line of your essay.

3) Essay: A strong essay is essential for a good overall application, and offers you the opportunity to expand beyond the facts and numbers in your resume and application.  These points will help you to shape a good essay:

• Motivation:  How did you become interested in studying abroad? Why did you choose the country(ies) and school(s) you have indicated? Be brief, but specific.
• Goals: What do you hope to draw from your experience? Will you build language skills? From your research are there particular courses, programs, and/or facilities from which you hope to benefit? Is international experience important to your educational and/or future professional plans? If so, please describe why/how. Be as concrete as possible.
• Preparation: Why should the selection committee choose you? Why are you right for the program(s) you have chosen? Use examples to illustrate what would make you a good ambassador of UT. Include:
• How your academic and social preparation match the demands of the exchange(s) you’ve selected
• Any involvement you have had with international students, activities or groups
• Your maturity, responsibility, adaptability. Draw from your personal experience. Think of how someone close to you would describe you in this area. Just a few things to consider: Do you balance a heavy schedule with school, work, and activities?  Are you helping to finance yourself? What responsibilities have you had at work, in the community or in university organizations? 
• Anything special about your circumstances that the committee should know.
• YOU are the subject of this essay.  Every line should communicate something about you.  Don’t use your limited space for general statements like “One must experience a new culture to....” or “Studying abroad broadens one’s horizons” which do not contribute to your goal of acquainting readers with you, your motivation, goals and preparation.  Enter your essay onto the web application form, maximum length of two pages.

4) Recommendations:

• Two recommendations are required, addressed to “Study Abroad Selection Committee,” and can be mailed, hand delivered, or preferably emailed to BBAInternationalPrograms@mccombs.utexas.edu. Recommendation letters should include your UT EID.
• One recommendation must be from an instructor in one of the business courses you’ve had at UT. The second should be from a supervisor/employer, or another instructor. 
• There is no specific format for the letters; recommenders should indicate how they know you and why they think you would be a good candidate for a BBA exchange program.
• Provide recommenders with a copy of your resume and an outline or rough draft of your essay, so they are better acquainted with you, your experience and your goals.  Request recommendations 4-6 weeks in advance!
• If you are applying for exchange programs and scholarships, you may use recommendations from the same people.  Organize your needs so you can present it all together when making recommendation requests.  With minor alterations recommenders can use the same format for all your letters. NOTE:you must submit separate recommendations for any scholarship, but they could be from the same sources as for your study abroad application.
• Selection considerations begin immediately after the deadline, so it's in your best interest to have the recommendations arrive on time.  Make sure you give your recommendors plenty of advance notice!

5) Language Evaluation:  Only students applying for a foreign language program need an evaluation, which is part of the on-line application.

Items to be turned in to the Undergraduate Programs Office, CBA 2.400:

6) Resume:  Please provide your one-page resume, including activities/involvement.  Write your EID in the corner, also the semester for which you are applying.

7) Degree Plan:  Submit a degree plan (not a degree audit), with completed requirements checked off, and next semester’s tentative schedule included.  Click on appropriate major at to access degree plans.

Individual Program Applications:  Applications to the host schools are available AFTER acceptance selections have been made; students must complete and send to their host school, along with all requested materials. Instructions will be given during the pre-departure workshop.

Additional Notes:

1) Notification: Notification of selections will be by e-mail, about five weeks after complete application submission.  Secondary deadline applications are reviewed on a first-submitted, first-considered basis.  Students have a week to decide their commitment and confirm participation.

2) Passports, residency permits/visas: For all destinations, students will need a valid passport.  If you don’t have one, or if yours will expire before the end of the time you’re planning to be abroad, you should apply for one now.  They are valid for ten years, and the UT Study Abroad Office can process passport applications, as well as International Student Identification Cards. 

During Passport Day on February 13, 2013, you can apply for a passport here in the business school!

Study in most countries also requires a residency permit or a visa. You need to have a passport before you can apply for either a residency permit or visa. Allow time, because it may take up to 12 weeks in some instances. Students are responsible for contacting the appropriate consulate or embassy for guidelines and to secure the necessary paperwork.  Contact info and websites are provided in the pre-departure materials, but you can also easily find it online yourself. 

3) Pre-departure Preparation: All selected students will be required to attend the Pre-Departure Workshop and the Study Abroad Connection that take place in April. The Study Abroad Connection meeting will provide the chance to socialize with returned UT students and current exchange-in students - your vital information links! ALL students are required to attend these sessions. Consider your schedule now, in case you are selected.

Study Abroad Connection

Meet with returning UT study abroad students and current international exchange students from partner schools.

• Thursday, March 28, 2013, from  5:00 – 6:00 p.m. in the Atrium.

Pre-Departure Workshop

Accepted study abroad students will need to attend the appropriate workshop based on their region and semester abroad. We will go over vital administrative and cultural information needed to prepare you for your time abroad.

• Summer/Fall 2012, non-Europe:  Wednesday, April 3, 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. in CBA 3.304, CBA Events Room
• Summer/Fall 2012, Europe:  Thursday, April 4,  5:00 – 7:00 p.m. in CBA 3.304, CBA Events Room
• Spring 2013, everyone:  Tuesday, April 9, 5:00 – 5:45 p.m. in CBA 3.304, CBA Events Room

• There are other forms required for students going abroad, information is provided upon acceptance.  Immunizations required for travel are offered by UHS. 

4) Insurance:  ALL students studying abroad will be charged $19 per week for required health insurance, emergency services, liability insurance, and repatriation and evacuation coverage.  These policies are specially negotiated for UT students to provide superior coverage and protection, at a reduced cost.  Charges are assessed on UT Direct "What I Owe."

5) IEFS Scholarships:  ALL UT students applying to study abroad (on any program) are eligible for this scholarship offered through the UT Study Abroad office!  The deadlines to apply are March 1 and October 1. The online application can be found at http://utdirect.utexas.edu/student/abroad/globalassist.WBX. You may be able to use the same recommenders; the scholarship application system will send an e-mail directly to the recommender with the reference form.  You can only apply for the IEFS the semester immediately before you plan to be abroad!

6) McCombs Scholarships: Regular McCombs BBA scholarships can be applied to studying abroad on an exchange program as well. The online appication is due February 23; also, submit a FAFSA.

7) Other Funding Opportunities: There are additional region-specific or purpose-specific scholarships and fellowships available, with varying deadlines. Some are due the same semester you apply, while others are due up to one and a half years in advance. Find out more at http://world.utexas.edu/abroad/funding/scholarships. There are scholarships that go unawarded every year, so make sure you check out your options and apply!  Here are some examples, more are available:

• Global A$$ist - Comprehensive database of study abroad scholarships
• Gilman Scholarship, for U.S. citizens receiving a Pell Grant, up to $5,000
• NSEP Scholarship, for U.S. citizens, up to $10,000
• JTS Scholarship, $1,000 for a freshman studying abroad on a BBA exchange their first summer

8) Re-entry, returnee questionnaire and budget: The final stage of your exchange. Reentry Sessions at the beginning of your first return semester to UT provides the opportunity to discuss your experiences and readjustment issues.  Also, with reentry, your responsibility shifts from being an ambassador abroad to providing information for your fellow UT students.  Your feedback is vital for future students and for continual improvement to the programs. Returned students complete an online questionnaire about their experience. This information is available for students researching study abroad to assist with their choices.