International Student Exchange Program (ISEP)
Last updated May 13, 2013
Can I go and Study Abroad?
Yes, you can! Western is a member institution of ISEP which means our students can
go abroad to other ISEP member universities anywhere in the world at
almost no additional cost other than what it costs to go to Western
paying tuition, room & board plus
travel expenses, international insurance, and the ISEP Fee (see
"Other Major Costs" below). Students can go for one
semester or an entire year but need to
remember to apply about 6 months in advance of their travel to be
considered within the priority pool of applicants.
Students can go on exchange (which allows an
international student to come to Western and take their place) or
direct (which means they pay the host institution what
they charge - which in some cases may be considerably higher and in some
cases actually lower than Western). Deadlines for direct
placement are often extended so it is possible to apply just a few
months before the intended travel. Summer programs
are also available but most at direct cost. Please check the
ISEP website for details.
Morocco
Fiji
Norway
Germany
Where could I go?
| Asia | Canada & UK | Latin America | Europe | Sub-Saharan Africa | ||
| China | Canada | Argentina | Austria | Hungary | Portugal | Botswana |
| Hong Kong | England | Brazil | Belgium | Iceland | Spain | Ghana |
| India | Northern Ireland | Chile | Bulgaria | Italy | Sweden | South Africa |
| Indonesia | Scotland | Columbia | Czech Republic | Latvia | Switzerland | |
| Japan | Costa Rica | Denmark | Lithuania | Turkey | ||
| Korea | Oceania | Mexico | Estonia | Malta | Middle East & North Africa | |
| Malaysia | Australia | Nicaragua | Finland | Netherlands | Morocco | |
| Taiwan | Fiji | Puerto Rico | France | Norway | United Arab Emirates | |
| Thailand | New Zealand | Uruguay | Germany | Poland | ||
| Vietnam |
Iceland Botswana Austria Malta
Are You Eligible?
YOU MUST:
- Be enrolled at Western Connecticut State University and be a member of good academic standing.
- Have a minimum GPA of 2.75.
- Have completed at least one academic year of college study at Western at the time the exchange program begins.
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?
It depends on whether you are going on exchange or direct. On the one-for-one exchange, you pay tuition, room and board at Western and then go to the other university at no extra cost. If WCSU sends six students abroad to study, WCSU accepts six foreign students to study here. On the direct program, you have to pay however much the host university charges, sometimes more, sometimes less than Western. All tuition pay will be handled through Western. Financial Aid applies.
Other Major Costs:
- There is a $390 non-refundable application fee payable to ISEP when you first apply.
- International health insurance is required and costs approximately $70 per month for each month abroad and has to be paid in full once you accept placement (some countries are a bit more expensive).
- Travel expenses to the foreign university (flight and ground transportation).
- Additional expenses for visa applications and/or immunizations depending on the country you go to (some countries have expensive visas such as Australia where visa costs are $580).
- Living expenses in the host country. That includes books, personal items, additional travel expenses. In some countries you may be allowed to work, in others you may not.
Hungary
Turkey
Japan
Portugal
Advantages!
- There are more than 300 study sites to choose from.
- You can study in English in many countries where the native language is not English.
- Scholarships and financial aid usually can be applied to ISEP.
- You can receive credit at WCSU toward your degree for courses satisfactorily completed abroad.
- You may study abroad for one or two semesters in many cases.
- Your chances of getting a job upon graduation are enhanced.
- Your horizons are broadened by becoming immersed in a foreign culture.
- It's fun -- ask anyone who has done it!
Argentina
Denmark
New Zealand
Sweden
WHEN and HOW to Apply:
Are you thinking about STUDYING ABROAD in Spring 2014? Applications to be considered in the priority pool are due in the Student Affairs office by Friday, August 23, 2013.
Applications for Fall 2014 are due February 1, 2014.
Placement for THIS FALL (Fall 2013) is still possible. Deadlines are May 15, June 1, and in some instances even later. Please refer to this website: http://www.isep.org/students/US_students/sites_open_us_fall_study_worldwide.asp
What do you need to do to apply?
1. Complete the 12 page ISEP application including (sounds worse than it is)
- 2 academic reference letters from professors you've had here at Western
- a 300-500 word essay
- a copy of your passport page
- an original transcript
- a language proficiency test if you plan to study in a language other than English
- check or credit card payment of the non-refundable ISEP fee of $390
2. If you have not met with the ISEP Coordinator, you also need to to set up a short meeting with him before that date.
Costa Rica
Czech Republic
Netherlands
China
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Contact the Dean of Students Office:
Phone: (203) 837-9700
Midtown Campus, Old Main 306
Walter Cramer, Dean of
Students/ISEP Coordinator
Birte Selvaraj, Administrative Assistant
Donna Warner, International
Services Coordinator
Visit the ISEP Website
Scotland
United Arabian Emirates
Estonia
Canada
What is the International Student Exchange Program?
The International Student Exchange Program (ISEP) is a membership organization of more than 300 higher education institutions around the world that are committed to international exchange. ISEP serves its member institutions and their students by facilitating affordable, university-level exchanges on a reciprocal basis. ISEP was established in 1979, under the authority of the Fulbright-Hayes Act. The program is administered by a central office at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., and by the designated coordinator at each member institution. ISEP is supported by member and participant fees, together with a grant from the U.S. Information Agency. ISEP is dedicated to the principle that a period of study abroad ought to be available and affordable to all students, no matter what institution they attend or what their financial situation may be. With ISEP, this is possible because the program is based upon a reciprocal exchange of benefits.
Thailand
Italy
Uruguay
Australia
Meet the Students
Many students from WCSU have gone to study abroad with ISEP over the years. Here are some of the more recent ones and pictures and comments from their experiences.
Alexandria A. Amsterdam, Netherlands - Universiteit van Amsterdam
Amy W. Milan, Italy - Universita Cattolica Del Sacro Cuore
Lindsay C. Sydney, Australia - Macquarie University
Alyssa C. Hirakata, Japan - Kansai Gaidai University
Leigh S. Stockholm, Sweden - Södertörn Högskola
Jessica C.
Vigo, Spain - Universidade de Vigo
