Undecided on Decision Day: Create Your College Pathway

Webinar Transcription

2025-04-28 – Undecided on Decision Day: Create Your College Pathway

Lydia: Hello everyone. My name is Lydia Hollon. Welcome to, “Undecided on Decision Day: Create Your College Pathway.” We’re gonna be enjoying hosting you tonight. I’m a senior advisor here at CollegeAdvisor, as well as a co-captain of our essay review team, and we are presenting tonight with CIEE, the Council on International Education Exchange.

Before I pass it over to them to do their presentation for tonight, we’re gonna do a quick poll just to get an idea of what grade you all are in. So I’m opening that up now. To get a little bit of a temperature check. Um, but again, we’re great. We’re very excited to have you all tonight. I know that making your decision on what college you’re going to attend can be a bit intimidating.

Um, so we’re hoping that tonight’s presentation can help you figure out what options are available to you as you make that big decision, um, and that deadline approaches very soon. Um, so looking at the responses that we’ve got right now, it looks like about 90% of you are seniors and 10% fall in that other category.

I’ll leave that poll open as we continue with the presentation, but I’ll go ahead and pass it off to our presenters so that they can tell you more about the program.

Lisa: Wonderful. Well, thank you Lydia, and thank you so much for having us tonight. Uh, we are very excited to share more with you about both making your college decision and some most CIEE’s college bound programming.

My name is Lisa Chestney Leeke, and I serve as the Director of first year abroad partnerships at CIEE. I have been with CIEE now going on three years, but really prior to coming to CIEE have really spent my career working with students. That college admissions and new student space. Um, I am a former college registrar.

I’ve worked in undergraduate admissions with transfer student services. So really all of the things that you’re thinking through the steps that you’re taking right now to be those best college bound students, I’ve spent my career working with students and really coaching you along through that process.

Um, and just before we dive in too much tonight, I do wanna share just a quick agenda for what we are going to be covering. We’re gonna be doing some quick introductions, little information about CIEE as an organization, and then we’re gonna really dive into that decision making process. What is, what are some of the tips for overcoming uncertainty as college Decision Day creeps ever closer?

We’re gonna talk a little bit about college deferrals, what that actually looks like, if that is something that you are considering. And then we’ll talk a little bit more about CIEE’s Gap year abroad and first year abroad programs and really what comes next from those next step plans. And then we’ll leave plenty of time at the end for a Q&A, uh, but really pass it over to my colleague Emily, to take a second to introduce herself as well.

Emily: Thanks Lisa. Really excited to be here tonight. My name is Emily Gutierrez. I’m the manager of First Year Abroad and Gap programs at CIEE. I’ve been with CIEE for a total of four years, um, but I’m also a former English teacher. Worked with 12th grade students, uh, specializing in personal statements and have helped cohorts of students apply to college.

I’m very familiar with the anxiety that comes with this time of year and making this big decision. Um, I’ve also worked in college access. Um, so really excited to be here tonight to talk through your questions and also to really go over the various pathways that can exist. I think as we make our college plans, we’re kind of taught, you’ll become a senior, you’ll apply, you’ll get your acceptance, and you’ll go on to that four year university.

Um, and in my experience, that is not everyone’s pathway and that’s okay. So really excited to discuss all the different options that are available to you tonight. And I’ll pass it back to Lisa.

Lisa: Thanks Emily. So really quickly, just a little bit about CIEE. Like Lydia said, we are the Council for International Educational Exchange.

We’re actually the oldest largest nonprofit study abroad organization in the country. We just celebrated our 77th anniversary. And really we are a strong mission, mission-driven organization where our mission is to really foster global peace through international education and cultural exchange programs.

And that mission really guides everything that we do, um, as a study abroad organization to really do everything that we can to connect younger generations of students with each other from all around the world. But really what we’re here tonight to talk about is really that kind of undecided on decision day and tips for overcoming uncertainty.

And I think one of the things I wanna share with you all is, you know, take a deep breath. Uh, it is a lot to process right now of trying to make that decision whether you are slightly on the fence. Plans are really up in the air for you, choosing a college is really one of the biggest decisions that many of you have made probably in your life so far.

Um, it is a, it’s a big decision. So, um, if you, it’s normal to really feel unsure or even have these waves of uncertainty that maybe, you know, one second you’re feeling a little more confident in your decision and the next, maybe you’re doubting it a little bit. Having those waves of uncertainty and of being a little unsure of that decision is really just all signs that you really care about the decision that you are making.

So it’s not meant to be a stressful decision. I know some stress and anxiety can come with that, but really what’s most important is that no matter what you are making the best decision for you. So what we’re gonna do right now, I’m just gonna share some tips about really this decision making process.

Like I mentioned, I have worked with students for many decades about selecting their colleges, completing that application process. And really this is some advice that I give to students no matter what kind of pathway it is that they’re looking, whether they’re looking to navigate going directly into a four year institution, whether the student is weighing, going into kind of the career aspect, immediately considering a gap year, looking at all of their different options.

So I think it is just always really important to note that. Making decisions is hard. There is a reason why decision fatigue is a thing, and it is a thing that so many psychologists are studying right now because making decisions is very tiring. There are a lot of facts, a lot of figures for us to consider things that we are very consciously considering as we’re going through our decision making process and so many things that we are unconsciously kind of weighing in those facts and figures.

So I think as you’re going through the decision making process, it is really important to be giving yourself some grace, uh, through this process. But I think, like Emily shared already can don’t allow these expectations or the peer pressure cloud your judgment. What is right for you as a unique and individual student might not be that same right pathway for another student and vice versa.

Everyone’s path is unique. Everyone’s pathway is unique for how they are graduating high school. What those next step plans are, earning those college degrees, and then even landing that job every way. Everybody’s pathway is different. There is no right way to do it, and there is no wrong way to do it.

Everyone’s pathway is unique to them as an individual. I think it’s also really important as you’re going through this decision making process to make sure that you’re really focusing on your values. And what I mean by values is really thinking about what is important to you and about your overall college experience.

Is it really important for you that you are in a specific type of campus setting, that you wanna go to school in a big city, that you want to major in a specific academic discipline? Is it important for you to be within a certain proximity to your hometown, to your family? Is a different activity or sport really important to you?

Something that you’re really valuing and looking forward to from your college education? Is it. Potentially an internship or a study abroad experience. I think it’s really important to keep in mind always what those values are and what you’re looking forward to most from your college ex decision, because that’s gonna help guide some of your decision making process.

Uh, kind. My other piece of advice is to always visualize your future. I know you hear probably on TikTok and Instagram so much about people manifesting their future and all of that, but there is a, a, a lot of, uh, positivity in that as well of visualizing your future. And this is actually an activity that I used to have students do in my office when I was meeting with them in person and they were building college lists.

I used to have them kind of sit in the chair. Close their eyes and really picture themselves walking to class. Because really in almost every college setting, you are going to walk to class. And that walk to class is going to look a little different. And I would always ask students, I said, close your eyes and describe it to me.

What are you seeing? What are you feeling? Are you walking across a big lush green quad? Are you on commuting on public transportation? Uh, what does that look like? Are you coming from, uh, a study session in the campus library and now you’re jumping over to, you know, your lab or your study session? Doing some of that reflective activity of just what naturally comes to you with that visualization is another really important factor for you to keep in mind.

Just as you are thinking and making this decision of these are some of the things that you value and are most looking forward to from. Your college decision and your college bound process. I think going along with that as well, especially if you are feeling a little undecided or uncertain of your options, that it’s never too late to continue to research different paths and different pathways for your college degree.

Just because you have, let’s say, submitted applications to start college, um, in fall. The fall 2025 semester does not mean that you are tied bound and it is, uh, kind of your life sentence that that is a hundred percent what you have to do. The direct to high school pathway to college is. Isn’t right for every student.

And I know for for many students, that’s how kind of the narrative and the pathway that you grew up hearing that Okay, once I graduate high school, I apply my senior year to different colleges and universities, and then immediately that next fall, I am starting at my four year institution. That pathway isn’t right for every student.

And actually in most European countries and cultures, more students tend to take a gap year and take time off between their high school and college year than students who go straight from high school to that university setting. So it is very much kind of a, an American mindset of that direct high school to college pathway.

In a lot of other cultures, it’s actually much more common to take some time and to take a gap, to take a pause, whatever that looks like for you. And I think. My number one piece of advice is always, it’s okay to change your mind. Um, I mentioned earlier about giving yourself some grace throughout this decision making process.

I think it’s very important that you also give yourself some grace and flexibility in possibly changing your mind. I’ll be honest, more years ago than I care to to count at this point. Uh, when I was in many of your shoes and I was a senior in high school and, you know, envisioning what my college future was gonna look like, if you would’ve asked 18-year-old me, I was going to college, I was going to earn my Bachelor of Fine Arts in photography, and I was going to be an advertising photographer working for a really large agency in New York City.

I can tell you now that I don’t do that. I work in higher education and study abroad, and it is really every experience that I had that has given me a new piece of information, whether that be, um, an involvement experience, a class I took, a student organization I was involved with. Every single one of these life experiences, trips that I’ve taken, people I have encountered are giving me an additional new piece of information that helps me define and discover my passions and my interests.

So gaining these life experiences, your vision for yourself and your passions and interests today might not be the same even in. Two years and five years and 10 years, and that is completely okay. That’s actually just a sign of growth and development and there is nothing wrong. I did go on, I have a bachelor’s of fine arts in visual media and photography and I still work in, in education and study abroad.

So there is nothing that fully binds you that this is a hundred percent what you’re gonna have to do and there’s never an opportunity for change or adapting to new interests and passions from there. So really, I know some of you might be in this situation right now of, you know, what do I do if I haven’t picked a school yet?

We know May 1st is approaching National College Decision Day is really only three days away, and that’s okay. Take a pause, take a deep breath. Uh, this is really important if none of your college offers are really exciting to you. I think it’s important to recognize that if you’re sitting there and you’re looking at all of your different letters of admission from different colleges or universities and none of them are really giving you that sense of excitement and really that visualization of you being on campus and you know, walking into that classroom, that’s okay.

I think that is important to note. It is. Okay. To pause kind of through this process and reassess and reevaluate because like I said, every single one of life experiences that you’re having are these new pieces of information that are helping you identify what your areas of passion and what your areas of interests are.

I think if you are in this situation, kind of this uncertainty land right now, it’s really important to. Keep yourself organized, and that’s gonna look a little different for every single person. That could be as simple as, you know, going into your email inbox and filing away emails for, um, colleges and universities that you know you are not interested in.

Put them in a folder, clear them out of your inbox. That is one less thing kind of that is in your inbox going through that decision making process. Maybe you are a pro con list maker. Start that list and kind of keep that running of as you’re thinking through things. If you’re weighing two different options, whatever that looks like, that organization is going to look different from everyone.

But helping keep yourself organized, I think also helps make that decision feel a little bit more manageable, that you have all of the facts in a place where you know they are easily accessible and how to manage all of those. I think it’s also really important if you are kind of in that undecided to constantly be revisiting your why, and I think that’s all connected Back to kind of your areas of interest, your areas of passion, the.

Why do you want to go to college in the first place? What are you looking to gain from the overall college experience? And then also always keeping in the back of your mind. What offer, what college pathway is gonna set me up best to do that. Um, and that pathway could look a little different. That pathway could mean taking a little bit of time off between high school and college.

That could be exploring a gap year, that could be looking at a new college or university. Just because May 1st is a few days away doesn’t mean that your hands are tied and you are bound only to those options. And then also I think it’s really important to make sure that you are using your support system.

And I know that looks different for, for every person and every student going through this process, but making sure that you are choosing a college and making that decision. You are the person who is ultimately going to be sitting in class and doing that classwork. So it is your decision, but I think it’s really important to make sure that you are being kind of honest with your support system.

Talking to those close friends or your family members, maybe that’s a school counselor or an educational consultant that you are working with about how you’re feeling, um, in this decision making process. If you are not feeling the most confident, sharing that and sharing what some of your concerns are.

Um. A lot of your support system have been in your shoes, and there’s some advice to be had, but I think it’s also really important to make sure that you are owning your decision as well. It is ultimately your decision to make. You’re gonna be sitting in the classroom, you’re gonna be taking the exams.

You’re the one that’s gonna be doing the coursework from there. And really, it’s most important to be doing what you are most comfortable and passionate with. So we talked a lot so far, kind of about decision making process. Some of my advice here, but I do think it’s really important also just to highlight what some of these options are.

There is absolutely that high school, direct to four year institution and degree pathway, and that’s probably what most of you have been exploring, um, up until this point. There’s also community college is always an option. Community college is a great option. Um, if you are undecided and, and looking to kind of research some of these different options.

It’s a great opportunity for you to stay local. Great way for you to really start earning and making progress towards that undergraduate degree. It’s also a great way potentially to save some money. The tuition at many community colleges, especially for local residents, is much lower than it is for a four year degree, so it’s a great pathway.

If you are not certain about your four year degree options and your offers of admissions there, considering a community college could be a really great way for you to start that degree and save some money in the process. Also, a lot of community colleges have rolling admissions, so you are able to apply and enroll much later into that semester that they are not bound to that same may one college decision deadline.

Another option, and we’re gonna talk a little bit more about this option, um, in greater detail in just a little bit, is first year abroad. First year abroad is a really great opportunity for you to get outside, kind of your own hometown, your own state. You’re gonna travel abroad after high school graduation.

You’re gonna also start taking these foundational college courses just in a really dynamic international setting. It’s a great way for you to start, you know, really gaining some of those life experiences and those pieces of information for you to help identify, um, and continue to evolve in your passions and interests.

And also taking a gap year if you are feeling a little burnt out in. Academics. Taking that pause in your formal academics and having that really kind of reset and redefinition of, you know, what is it that you’re passionate about, what is your why for wanting to go to college? Taking a gap year is a really great way to do that and to do some of that self discovery.

We’ll talk a little bit about CIEE’s gap year program, but it is important to note too, that gap year programs, they can be international, but they can also be domestic. There are many different types of gap year experiences as well.

So with the first year abroad and gap year abroad programs, if you are really kinda at this point sitting here and thinking, yes, that is absolutely what I want to do, my offers of admissions kind of what I’m seeing right now are not the most exciting to me. I am interested in exploring another option. A lot of this will involve kind of a deferral from your current college admissions processes.

So really deferring college, what does that mean? Deferring college, there’s kind of two different definitions of it and kind of two different uses that you’ll hear, but college deferral can either mean a student initiated that you are delaying your enrollment into a college or university. Or other definition that a college is delaying its decision on your application.

For these purposes, we are really talking about that student-led deferral where you are making the choice to delay your enrollment into a specific college or university for that future term. And really colleges, so many colleges offer this deferral process if you have a letter of acceptance into a college or university.

Sometimes even in that letter, it’ll give you some additional information about deferrals and where to go to learn a little bit more about their deferral process. The deferral process is slightly different institution to institution. Most universities will allow students to defer either one semester or up to one full academic year.

And really the. Benefits of deferring and going on a gap year abroad experience are numerous. Uh, we know students who, who take a gap gain. Some of these life experiences are entering into the college space with more focus, more drive, because you’ve had some of those experiences to really shape and hone your interests and your passions there.

And colleges and universities know this as well. Many top colleges and universities actually encourage students to take a gap year before they enroll and start at their institutions. And these are some really top institutions. Tufts University, UNC Chapel Hill, American, Georgia Tech, University of Oregon.

A lot of large institutions, really selective institutions actually are encouraging students to take a gap year because they find that they are much stronger students, they’re much more focused, much more committed to their academics when they are starting on that college campus. So in terms of the actual requirements for deferral, they’re going to vary slightly.

College by college, university by university. A lot of times you do need to initiate this actual deferral request to the college or university. You’ll need to provide some form of documentation, whether this be an intent to defer letter CIEE. We actually provide a template of a letter we recommend to students if they’re interested in exploring this option.

Uh, we can share that with you also. A lot of times you do need to. Pay your enrollment deposit for that future term. The most important thing is that there’s no real set deadline for submitting this documentation and requesting your deferral. A lot of times that time window is really between May and July, uh, to contact the office of admissions at that college or university that you’re considering considering because the deadlines do vary.

What they’re gonna ask for is going to vary as well as their turnaround time to get you that answer For an approved deferral from that, really the sooner you start having that conversation with your college or university, really the better there. That just helps in that overall planning process from both your standpoint as well as the college or universities.

And then really kind of just overall important reminders. Make sure that you are also kind of asking and considering how that college admissions deferral could potentially be impacting your financial aid package. A lot of times when you defer and you’re coming back, you might be considered a transfer student instead of a first year student.

Um, it’s really important to have that conversation directly with your college or university. Most colleges do award deferrals, but there’s always that college or university that potentially might not, and there is nothing wrong with that. Um, all that means is if you are really passionate and you’re really interested in exploring another option, whether that be.

Taking a gap year or looking at a first year abroad style program and your college doesn’t allow a deferral, don’t let that hinder you and really sway your decision making process. You would have the ability to apply as a transfer student, and I think it’s when people hear applying as a transfer student, there’s a little kind of unease with that.

It sounds a little scary actually, about just over a third of students transfer universities before they earn their college degree, and that is a statistic that is holding steady all across the country and actually growing that over a third of students all transfer before they are earning their college degree.

So you are definitely not alone in exploring that transfer process and a lot of times applying as a transfer student could actually be an admissions benefit for you as a student because the admissions rate for transfer students at a lot of many selective institutions is actually higher than the acceptance rate of their first year cohort.

Berkeley, for example, UCLA, Vanderbilt, Columbia, uh, BU, Boston University, all of those institutions actually have higher acceptance rates for their transfer applicants than they do their first year. So don’t let the fact if your college or university that you’re maybe interested in holding onto and exploring doesn’t allow deferrals, that is not a problem.

Uh, you would definitely still be a really stellar transfer student through that process. And really now I’m gonna turn it over to Emily, who’s actually gonna share a little bit more about CIEE specific first year abroad and gap year abroad programs. Just other options for you to continue to explore as you’re navigating this decision making process.

Emily: Thanks Lisa, and thank you so much for being on the call. Lisa really is our higher ed guru here at CIEE, so I always just love getting to hear all her advice and input, especially since she’s worked in higher ed for so many years. So I’m gonna talk a little bit about two programs that we are still accepting applications for for this coming fall.

So I’ve had many conversations this week with seniors who feel like it’s too late to apply to anything their graduating from high school. College applications were due way back at the Be in the fall or the spring of this year. And the good news is our first year brought in gap year programs specifically have later deadlines, specifically for students in your position who are maybe accepted to a school, but they wanna explore another pathway or maybe they didn’t get that acceptance that they wanted and wanna go a different pathway onto college.

So I’m really excited to talk about our first year Broaden Gap programs this evening before we jump in. Why should you take a gap year? Um, many colleges actually, as Lisa mentioned, are encouraging their students to take a gap year. Uh, Princeton, UNC, Charlotte, university of Oregon. Um, the reason being is that students who take gap years, it’s been studied and shown that they find more fulfillment in their careers long term.

They go on to be better students when they actually attend college. And one of the reasons is that, number one, you’ve had a chance to mature, but you’ve also had a chance to take a pause between your high school academics, which just become more and more grueling and rigorous each year. Um, but, and then going straight into college, many students experience burnout or they select majors that they might.

Have been a good fit for them when they were high school students, but it’s not really the pathway that they should be exploring. And they didn’t take any time to actually sit with themselves, experience the world outside of their bubble, and decide what it is that they wanna do with their lives. Um, I.

Our gap year and first year abroad options allow students to live outside of the country to interact with folks who have a completely different background than them, and colleges find that that actually makes them better. College students, when they come onto their campus colleges wanna see that students are going to thrive in new and unfamiliar environments.

And studying abroad and living in a completely different culture is an amazing example of doing just that. Um, not only that, you’re gonna be making lifelong memories. You’re going to be living with students potentially from all over the world, taking classes with folks from all over the world. Um, and.

This again, is just gonna be an experience that is really only possible at like often at this time in your life before you have too many responsibilities. I always joke that I’m ready to take my gap year now I’m 11 years into my professional career and I wish that there was an option to take sabbatical or take time.

Um, because I do think this, these are the experiences where we grow the most is when we’re challenged and outside of our comfort zone. Finally, networking. When I was growing up, I thought of networking as this like really bad word. I was like, oh, that’s just a bunch of people, like, you know, schmoozing each other.

But your network is actually the folks that are. Gonna advocate for you in rooms that you are not in. And it’s really important and beneficial to grow your network. And doing a study abroad experience, you’re going to get to, um, experience the world with students who have, um, similar goals as you and really value, um, intercultural connectedness.

So you’re really just gonna be growing your network before you even go off to college. So we offer our first year abroad and gap year programs, um, at a variety of different countries and locations all over the world. I put in the chat earlier when Lisa was touching on Gap and first year abroad. Um, the links to both of our webpage and on those webpage you can see each of our programs has their own profile, um, for you to explore a little bit more.

Um, but as you can see, we run programs in places like Japan, Costa Rica, uh, the uk, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain. Um, we have some programs where we have both our first year brought in gap year students. Um, so it’s really a question of where you wanna go during your gap semester or year. Um, so first I’m gonna talk about our first year abroad program.

And the reason being is many students are eager to start college. You’re on a CollegeAdvisor call, so clearly you have been on that college plan pathway. Um, and I just want everyone to be aware that you have the opportunity to start college and be a full-time degree seeking college student. Um, but you’ll be starting college in Barcelona, for example, or Kyoto or London, or Monteverde Costa Rica.

So first year abroad is the chance, um, to begin your first semester or year of college internationally with CIEE. You’ll be a full-time degree seeking student at Dean College during your semester or year that you are abroad, but you’re not gonna be taking your classes in Massachusetts. Like I said, you’re gonna be taking your classes at one of our international study centers.

You are gonna be taking. Your class is all entirely in English. They’re all gonna be intro level courses. So think Intro to Chemistry, intro to Anthropology, intro to Psychology, intro to Composition. And your classmates are gonna be the other first year abroad students who are also excited by the idea of starting college internationally.

I’ll talk a little bit more about what happens when the program ends. Um, a lot of our students are either accepted to the colleges that they plan to go to, um, or they have the option to continue their studies at Dean College regardless. Um, many of our students do transfer, like Lisa said. Um, and because it is so common to be a transfer student, many colleges accept transfer credit and it’s really just a question of how they’re gonna accept that transfer credit.

Um, and I’ll also talk a lot about financing. Um, you know, we know that the cost of education is a really big factor when making your decisions and it might be one of the factors that is causing you to not be decided on decision day. So I’ll also kind of talk through what costs you can associate with first year abroad and how you can go about planning financially for a program like this.

But the good news is that first year abroad is actually a very affordable option when compared to the cost of college here in the United States because our costs are inclusive of housing and tuition. Often when colleges are talking about their costs, they’re talking about tuition, and that’s not taking into account, room and board and all of the other expenses that go into being a full-time college student.

We also have a program that is our traditional gap year program. Um, gap years allow students to take a pause from their classroom, academics that we’re used to here in the United States and really dive into either a language or a topic that you’re extremely passionate about. So our gap year language programs allow you to enroll in a local language school, live with a local host family, and really have the experience of what it is like to be a teenager living in c Spain, for example, or Berlin, Germany.

Or Florence, Italy. Um, so you can see all the languages that we offer currently for our gap year programs. Again, regardless of the language, you will be living with a local home stay. Um, and again, that is integral to the experience so that you can, uh, see what it is really like to live in the town that you are studying in.

We also have a writer’s workshop gap program. So I’m a professional writer. I have been on many writer’s retreats, and really the thing that writers need and desire the most is the space in which to write. Um, and so our writer’s workshop is exactly that. It’s a three month long program where you’ll live in three different locations.

Uh, you’ll be in Edinburgh, you’ll be in London, and you’ll be in Paris. Um, and you will be studying the various, uh, aspects of creative writing, creative writing, craft, um, working on a long piece of. Fiction or poetry during your time abroad. Um, and it’s just a really great opportunity to dive into your craft.

Um, we also have the option if you are doing one of our language gap programs to earn college credit through a SU online. This is optional, but it’s a great, um, choice if you want to have that gap experience, but you don’t wanna quote unquote fall behind. Um, and so you can be taking up to two courses through their online catalog.

Um, and all courses are asynchronous, so it’s okay that you’ll have a big time difference. You won’t have to log into class, um, in order to be earning that college credit. Completely optional though. And there’s many students who make it clear that they just wanna focus on learning Spanish or learning French, or learn learning German.

It’s completely up to you. Finally, whether you’re doing, um, our first year abroad program, gap year program, the writers retreat, there’s a few things that are gonna be the same across all of our programs, and one of them is our CIEE study centers, which are in all of the cities where we run our study abroad programs.

You can think of them as your. Campus life. So they are going to be organizing activities for you all throughout the week. They’re going to take you on overnight excursions so that you can see another part of the country while you’re there, uh, day trips on the weekend. They’re really the ones that are gonna be facilitating that community feel, um, for you amongst the other CIEE students.

And the other good news is that we have our college students who are doing a traditional study abroad semester, um, at all of our study centers. So you’ll also get to interact with other upperclassmen, um, from all over the world who are studying in the city that you are living in as well. So even though you’ll be going abroad and taking a non-traditional pathway to college, there will be some of those components that you’ll find even on a college campus.

Um, so some questions that I like to ask and that you should think about. You know, Lisa talked a lot about what you should be, uh, asking yourself as you’re making these decisions. If you are starting to think, maybe I have a different pathway, maybe a gap or first year abroad program is a better fit for me, but you don’t know which type of program is the better fit.

Um, some questions that you can start to think about are, is getting college credit important to me? If the answer is yes, both programs offer it, but the first year abroad program is all of the coursework that you are doing, you’re earning college credit for. You’re a full-time degree seeking student, you’re taking a full load of courses and, um, it would be the same course load as if you were here in the United States.

Um. Is learning another language important to you? If that is the case, the gap year program is much more, um, hands-on because that’s what your classes are going to be about. Um, first year abroad, like I said, all of your courses are going to be taught in English. You will still potentially have that language, um, acquisition because you might be living with a local home stay depending on your program.

But the focus of learning another language is taking place on a gap year program. Some students have specific locations that they have a connection to or they are really excited by. And if that is the case. You know, exploring our website and seeing which program we offer in Costa Rica, for example, versus which programs do we only offer in the uk.

Um, so that would be a great place to start in narrowing down your list. Um, both of our programs, you can go abroad for a semester or a year. So often students here gap year and they think, oh, I’m not ready for the full year. I just wanna go for. Three months, it’s totally fine. You can come abroad with us for just a semester.

Um, the living situation, our first year abroad programs allow students, um, in some locations to live in dormitories. Whereas our gap year program, all of our students are gonna be living with home stay families. So again, exploring our website and seeing the different living accommodations, it will tell you specifically on the program page, what the housing is for the program, and you can make your decisions from there.

Uh, you can see all the excursions that we’ve offered in the past. Um, and then finally, if you want that flexibility of earning credit, um, at your own pace, then a gap, you’re taking a SU online credit that’s optional would be a great fit for you as well. Um, I touched on this briefly, but you know, sometimes students are like, what is a home stay?

Who are these people that I’m gonna be living with? Um, and we really do believe that home stays are integral to a study abroad experience. Um, we don’t want you to just be a visitor or a tourist in the place that you’re living, but really, um, have roots and have folks who are from the place that you’re living, uh, show you what it is like to be a local in their town.

Um, so all of our home stays are completely vetted by CIEE. Um, you might have, uh, a mother and father with young kids. You might have an older retired couple that has the time to host a student. Um, our home stays come in many shapes and sizes, just how families here in the US. Do. Um, the most important thing is that they’re excited to host, um, international students.

They see the value in exchange. Um, they may not speak English and that is okay. That is how you are also going to be learning the language of the place that you’re staying, even if it’s not the focus of your program. And it is often the reason that students are crying at the end of their program is because they have to leave their home stay.

And I have met so many alumni over the years who are still in touch with their home stays, who go back to visit their home stays. Um, and we really do believe that this is one of the reasons to do a study abroad experience. ’cause when else are you gonna live with another family when you’re traveling? Um, not often.

So some eligibility questions that come up often is. Am I eligible to do this program or not? Um, so one thing to keep in mind is age. So all of our programs, um, students must, well, no, that’s not true. For both GAP and first year abroad, you must have graduated from high school in order to do these programs.

That’s number one. You must be a high school graduate for gap year. You cannot have started college after graduating from high school. It’s okay if you took like college courses while in high school, but you cannot have started college post high school graduation. And it’s okay if you’ve never taken the language of the program that you want to go on.

We take beginners. There’s no language requirement for first year abroad or gap year programs. With the first year abroad program, you can have completed no more than one semester of college after high school graduation. So say you go up, uh, into college this fall, it’s not working out. You’re looking at other options.

You are eligible to participate in first year abroad this spring, having completed one semester of high of college after high school, you will need a 2.7 GPA for the first year abroad program. And then finally, in the majority of our locations, you have to be 18 at the time that the program starts. We do make exceptions in Kyoto, Japan and Monte Verde, Costa Rica, where you can be 17 at the time that the program starts.

So any locations in Europe, you must be 18. Um, but if you are gonna be 17, you are eligible to apply to our programs in Kyoto and our programs in Monteverde.

So let’s talk about costs, because that’s a big deal when thinking and planning for college. Um, so our gap programs are the most affordable international gap year programs, um, on the market. We start our programs at $12,500. Um, our most expensive program is $14,000 in Japan, and you can see the price of the program on those program profiles on our website.

Um, our writer’s retreat program is $26,000 for the semester, and then our first year abroad program ranges by location. Um, our most affordable location is $16,800, and our most expensive location, again, Japan is $24,800. Across all programs. What are these program fees going to cover? It’s gonna cover your housing, whether that be in a dorm or with a home stay.

Uh, it’s gonna cover all of your tuition and academic fees, so your courses, uh, registration into your language school. Um, it’s also going to have the support of our CIEE Study Center and staff, the folks who are organizing your activities. Um, all excursions and activities that are done through CIEE are included in these costs.

Your international medical insurance, and we’re gonna pick you up from the airport ’cause we know you’re arriving new to this country. And we’re gonna be there in a CIEE shirt, um, to excitedly welcome you. Um, so. Often students are like, you know, I could go on my own and travel for a few months after graduation, and you definitely can.

Um, I do think though, coming out of high school, you do want a level of support in case you need to navigate going to the pharmacy by yourself if you need help. Um, you know, if there’s a medical emergency, even just the ease of knowing I have a place that is gonna be safe for me to live. Um, and that I don’t have to deal with registration for any of the language schools or activities that I might wanna participate in.

So it’s not just the support that you’re getting, but also the logistics behind your experience so that your job is really to just enjoy and take in, um, this new city that you are living or studying in. Now let’s do some comparison of costs. The average four year in-state cost of a public university is about 12,460 per semester.

Um, public out of state is 20,045 per semester, and then an average private, uh. Four year is 29,300 per semester. So our first year abroad and gap programs are more affordable per semester than a state, an out-of-state public university, as well as a private four year university. Um, so I sometimes have sticker shock when I see the cost of a semester long program, but the reality is, um, higher education, it comes with a price tag.

And the reality is also that going abroad, even though that can sound like it would be more expensive, it’s actually more affordable than going, uh, out of state or to a private institution, whether it’s in state or out of state. Um. The other good news is that we do offer financial aid for our first year abroad program so students can utilize their federal financial aid package.

So think if you’re receiving a Pell Grant, if you’re receiving a direct, uh, if you want to take out a direct loan, for example, you can use those funds, um, towards your first year abroad program because you’re a fully, um, a full-time degree seeking college student. Same goes for any outside scholarships.

Say you get a scholarship from your faith organization or your electric company, you can use those scholarships towards your first year abroad program as well. Um, we do not offer financial aid for our gap year programs. If you do get an outside scholarship that can be used towards a non-credit gap year experience, you are also more than welcome to use, um, that towards your gap year program.

But there is gonna be no applying for scholarships or federal aid for a gap year program. So that’s also something to keep in mind. Um, as you’re considering which program might be a good fit for you. Um, I talked a little bit already about like the different terms. The biggest thing to know is you’re eligible to do a semester or a year.

The one difference is if you wanna go somewhere for a full year, our gap year program is the first place you should look because you can apply for a visa to stay in Japan, for example, for a year, or to stay in Spain for a year with first year abroad. Um, due to the way that our, um, courses are accredited, you can go abroad for a year, but you’ll often have to switch, uh, locations.

So you could, for example, go to London in the fall and Barcelona in the spring. You could go to Japan in the fall and London in the spring. Um, our only location where you could stay for the full year is Costa Rica With our first year abroad program, I.

So what do our students do after these great experiences? Usually they come to an end and they cry. But then after that, um, our students go a few different pathways. So for our first year abroad students, um, the majority of our students are already accepted to the schools that they plan to graduate from.

We’re seeing more and more students get accepted as a spring admit, or even being told you can come to our school, but you will be coming in your second year and you need to find something to do your freshman year. Um, so first year abroad is a great option for students who wanna get started on college or eager to do so, but also want to have that international experience.

And then they, uh, work to transfer their credits, uh, to the school that they’re planning on graduating from. Some students don’t get the good news that they want, um, during their senior year. And they start college abroad with us. And while they’re abroad, they apply to schools and they’re using that international experience to become a more competitive applicant.

Um, they have a new experience to talk about for that personal statement. Um, and if they get accepted to their dream school, they work with that school to transfer their credit as well. Uh, we also have a number of college partners, and I’ll show you on our next slide who some of those are. What that means is that if you gain admission to one of these schools, your credit is gonna transfer automatically.

They’re familiar with our program. Um, they’re excited to see you come onto campus after completing this international experience, and it’s gonna be a one-to-one credit transfer. Um, finally. Some students have gone on to Dean College’s campus because you’re already a full-time student at Dean and so you always have that option to continue your studies and graduate from Dean College in Franklin, Massachusetts.

Um, some common schools that are gap in first year abroad students have gone on to, we see NYU Penn State University of Vermont. Um, so again, it’s also a really great chance if you haven’t made a decision and you’re still exploring options, you’re gonna be abroad with a cohort of students who might have already gained admission to schools and can also tell you about their experience, the factors that were a big deal to them.

And you might learn about a school that maybe wasn’t on your list the first time. Um, your gap year abroad students, very similar trajectory. A lot of gap students are already accepted and they’re deferring their admission while they’re abroad. Um, but there’s plenty of GAP students who also apply to college while they’re abroad and again, have become more competitive applicants because they have this great experience to talk about in that application.

Um, I love this quote from Lindsay who went abroad with us this past fall. She said, my favorite thing was not only seeing my friends discover what their hobbies or career could look like, but also seeing how I’ve been able to develop as an adult before college. After this experience, I have confident in what I want, confidence in, what I wanna major in, what hobbies I enjoy, as well as the kind of people I like to be surrounded by.

I now find myself endlessly inspired by the what ifs because it’s all a part of growing up. Um, there’s gonna be so many what ifs that you encounter in life, and especially right now, this is really the first time where the decision that you, not your parents, but you are making, is going to have real world implications for what the next few years of your life look like.

I don’t wanna sugarcoat that, but I also want you to know that, um. If you end up making a decision that you’re like, oh, I regret this decision, it’s not too late. You can always transfer, you can always pivot. Um, that is a part of life. And also just know that there are tons of different pathways, um, for you on this college journey.

And one of them is the ability to go on that gap year transfer and finish that semester abroad with us as a sophomore, I mean, sorry, as a, as a second semester freshman. Really, the options are yours. So here are some of those college partners that we work with. If you gain admission to one of these schools, your first year abroad, credit will transfer automatically.

And we are growing this number of schools every year, um, and we’re seeing more and more international universities, um, become interested in partnering. So if you’ve also thought or maybe considered wanting to finish your college degree abroad, doing a first year abroad program is a great, you know, baby step into seeing, do I like living abroad internationally?

Do I like being an international student? Let me finish my degree in South Korea, for example.

All right. In terms of next steps, the good news is we still have time to get our applications in. So our deadline for the fall, for first year abroad is gonna be June 1st. And our fir our priority deadline for gap year will also be June 1st, but. Our last deadline for the gap year fall will be July 1st.

So, like I said, we’re one of the only programs where specifically supporting seniors our deadlines are later in the year, so that you have time to think through your options and make the best choice for you. Um, we also have deadlines for the spring. If you again, want to transfer or if you are taking a gap year and looking for another gap option for your spring term, just know you also don’t have to commit for a full year and the spring, uh, is there for you as well with those deadlines being this fall.

The application process is very straightforward. We’re gonna ask some informational questions, lots of forms for your family and you to sign off on health forms from your doctors. Um, logistical information like do you have a passport? Uh, you’re gonna upload your transcripts that we can verify your GPA if you’re doing first year abroad.

Um, but our application portal is very straightforward. It’s not as traumatizing as the common app portal, I promise. Um, and many of our first year abroad students actually complete their first year abroad application in one sitting. Um, and so it’s very manageable And, you know, I would log in, create your account, see the tasks that you need to complete, um, and really just tackle it in a weekend at most.

Um, we’re also running a promotion right now, so if you apply by May 1st, and everyone on this call is definitely capable of getting an application in by May 1st, we’re going to have a raffle and someone is gonna win a free flight to go to their program. So, um, flights are a cost that are outside of your program fees.

Um, and so every year we hope to run a raffle where we can alleviate some of that for someone and give them a free flight. We also have our QR code here. Our team is here to answer any questions. We know how big of a deal it is to study abroad, so you can always schedule a call with someone from our team, um, by using that link.

We’re happy to talk through all the options and advise on what we think is the best fit for you based on what your plans are. Then finally, I’m excited to announce that everyone on this call, um, will have their $50 application fee waived if they open an application. So the only requirement is that you, uh, create your application with the same email address that you use to, uh, attend this, uh, webinar and we will waive that $50 application fee for you.

So really encourage anyone who is thinking about this, you know, maybe you’re not committed, but maybe you wanna know a little bit more about it, log onto our site and at least just open that application, take a look at the requirements, and then just know that we’re gonna go in and take care of that $50 fee for you.

Um, but that is all that I have for tonight. You can see all of our contact information, our social media, um, our phone number. You can always reach out to our team. And, um, thank you so much for having us this evening.

Lydia: All right. All right. Thank you for that presentation. Um, so we do have a few questions just before you, uh, wrap up.

I see, uh, one question someone just said is, uh, will we be sharing the slides and recording? So you should be able to see, uh, let me check the handouts tab to make sure it’s there. The, um, slides are in the handouts tab, so you should be able to access that. Um, and there is a recording that is happening of the session, so you can watch that back later.

Um, but we do also have some other questions. So can you just remind us what the deadlines are for the application so that everyone can get those in in time?

Emily: Absolutely. For first year abroad, our final deadline is June 1st. And for gap year programs, our priority deadline is June 1st. That means if you submit a gap year application by June 1st, you’re gonna get $400 off your program fees.

Um, but our final gap deadline will be July 1st, and if you apply by May 1st, you’ll be entered into the raffle to win a free flight.

Lydia: Awesome. Uh, some other questions that we have is, can you give us an example of some of the cultural activities and excursions that are included in that gap year abroad program?

Emily: Yes, absolutely. So, for example, our students in Sivia, um, who do our Spanish gap program, um, they go visit another city called Cord Deba. Um. You know, there was a very large, um, the south of Spain, uh, has a very large Islamic, uh, influence. And so they go and visit this other city. They stay there for the weekend.

Um, we also do day trips to other cities. So they’ve seen like Roman ruins for example. Um, we also have done throughout the week various activities like going to see a bull fight. Um, oh, we might not do that anymore. Old activity, traumatizing. No more bull fights. But we might take you to a cooking class.

We might take you to a dance class. We might take you on a walking tour. We might take you to visit a museum as a group. Uh, we might go have a picnic and watch the sunset on the river. Um, and so the cultural activities are more low stakes during the week, but then we’ll do day trips and overnight trips, um, for all of our programs throughout the semester.

Lisa: And the nice thing with those as well, they’re all included in your program, faith for first year abroad and gap year abroad. So you have all of these built in trips and different activities without needing to spend any additional out-of-pocket money.

Emily: Yeah. If you wanna go see the bull fight that’s on you, but everything else we take care of.

Lydia: Um, and for students that are not only undecided about maybe where they want to go to college, but maybe are undecided about the best location for them if they’re gonna do the abroad, um, are there any tips or like any guidance that CEIE provides to help figure out which uh, site is the best, best option for them?

Emily: I would honestly say to just book a call with us. Like, we love getting to hear who you are, what your passion is. Do you have any language experience? You know, why are you looking to go abroad? Um, I. But some questions that we might ask and that you can ask yourself as well is, what is it you wanna be studying when you go abroad?

Are you interested in like diving into your college experience, but you just wanna be living abroad, explore first year abroad, versus are you passionate about learning another language? And if you’re passionate about learning another language, I would primarily be looking at our gap year options.

Lydia: Great.

Um, another question we have is, if I am a Canadian student and applied to American universities and accept an American offer, will I lose my Canadian offers? So I’m not sure if you all know the answer to this, but I’m happy to answer that.

Lisa: So I’m assuming some Canadian admissions offers as well as what I’m assuming?

Mm-hmm. So we do, international students are eligible to participate in gap year and first year abroad programs. And really that deferral process for those American offers would be the same, whether you’re an international student or a US based student, you would want to be reaching out to the admissions office at that university to discuss what their policies, procedures, and next steps are.

Um, in terms of the Canadian offers of admissions, I am not an expert on that. Um, Lydia, I don’t know if you have insight into that, but I would imagine it would be starting with their admissions office again. Yeah.

Lydia: So I would say if you’re unsure about, you know, whether or not you wanna commit to a school, I wouldn’t go ahead.

I wouldn’t accept an offer to a college because that will put you in a position where you’re effectively saying, I’m going to go to this school and not any of the other schools where I was admitted. Um, so if that is the question that you’re asking Josh, then I would say that. Yes. If you accept an offer to one school, then you are effectively saying no to the other schools where you are admitted.

But that again, is the beauty of, you know, pursuing a opportunity like this where you can give yourself more time to figure out what it is exactly that you want, um, before you make that commitment to another school. And I know earlier you all were also talking about how a lot of American universities do have, um, high acceptance rates or even higher acceptance rates, um, for transfer students down the line.

So, um, another question we have is. How many college credits can be earned in a semester in this program?

Lisa: Absolutely. So with First Year Abroad, students are gonna be taking four courses per semester. So that is 12 to 13 semester credit hours. And then with the optional A SU online credit for the gap year program, it would be credit for two courses.

And those two courses could vary anywhere from a one to a four credit course. So it all for the ASU Online Credit for Gap program, it just depends on which courses you would select.

Lydia: Great. Awesome. Well I think those are all the questions that we’ve got from the audience, but thank you all so much for sharing about this amazing opportunity.

I know that I learned a lot. And just as a reminder for the people at home watching, definitely make sure to scan that QR code so that you can get your application in. We are keeping track of those of you who joined us today just to make sure that you can get that, um, that be waved if you complete your application.

But thank you both again for letting us know about this wonderful opportunity.

Lisa: Thank

Lydia: you all for having us.

Lisa: Thanks for having us, and good luck everyone with their decision making process. Yes. Happy College

Emily: Decision Day coming up.

Lisa: Really.

Emily: Okay. Thank.