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Before Your Student Goes Abroad

It is important that the application and pre-departure process is driven by the student. Successfully and independently navigating the pre-departure process is an indicator of success on their study abroad experience. Be available to your child for words of advice or to mail an important document, but resist the urge to do things for them.

“He completed the application process entirely on his own with no prodding from me. That, in and of itself, was a sign to me of his intention, maturity and readiness for a world adventure. He knew I placed a huge value on studying abroad and knew he had my full support.”– Teri Peterson, Japan mom
“For the application, [we] helped her gather the necessary information such as passport info, immunizations, etc.   As far as pre-departure, [we] helped her with finding the best route to fly & making sure she had a decent layover in case of delays.  She traveled with another student & I would definitely recommend that as it makes them feel more comfortable. [We] set up an international debit card that didn't have transaction fees and reminded her not to bring her entire room!  She would probably admit she overpacked.” – Christie LeBar, Salzburg mom

Note: Make sure you have an up-to-date passport! In the rare case of an emergency, you would be able to travel quickly to your child’s host country.

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