The Syracuse University Study Abroad program offers students the opportunity to immerse themselves in different countries and cultures through their studies. But with increased numbers of applications and fluctuations in various programs’ interest in recent years, SU Abroad is expanding its programs to give students more options.

In the past two years, flash surveys have been sent out to freshmen and sophomores to better gauge their interest in these programs. The data collected by SU Abroad showed that 90 percent of students want to study abroad, yet only 44 percent of students follow through with those goals, said Louis Berends, the director of strategic and international partnerships at SU Abroad.

Berends stressed the university’s commitment to accommodating each student for their global learning experience.

“Compared to the 2018 spring term, we’ve received 200 more applications for the 2019 spring term,” Berends said. “When you factor in the short-term programs, you’re looking at about 1,300 applications we’ve had to process this semester.”

Berends, and the rest of the admissions team, is trying to decipher what has caused these trends. “There are ebbs and flows of student interests,” he said. “One year, interest in Copenhagen is through the roof, and the next year we can’t fill enough spots for Florence.”

Erika Wilkens, the assistant provost and executive director of SU Abroad, said that based on feedback from SU Abroad’s recruitment team — including campus engagement managers, study abroad counselors and student global ambassadors — it’s important for students to apply as early as possible to avoid these setbacks.

“Since we never know exactly which programs will be the most popular, we encourage all students to complete their application as soon as possible in order to best confirm a spot.”

With so many last minute applications submitted, not every student has been matched with their number one choice for the spring semester.

Luc Chanren, a junior in the iSchool, was denied from Syracuse’s Florence Center. Molly Becker, a junior psychology and women’s and gender studies double major, had applied to study at the DIS Copenhagen world program.

Becker first sent her abroad application in one month before the Oct. 15 deadline. On Sept. 7, she said she received a congratulatory email from the admissions office at SU, which then prompted her to complete the next step of the process, the DIS application. She completed her second request on Sept. 14.

She not only had to compete with other SU students, but also with the undergraduates at other universities across the country that have partnerships with DIS. DIS is nonprofit study abroad program based in Denmark. Despite Becker’s early application, DIS deferred her to their Stockholm location — which she said has fewer benefits.

“Because it’s smaller, there are less options for core courses, less options for classes in general, less housing options as well,” she said. “I also just found out Stockholm will not be providing elective course trips or DIS discovery trips.”

Even though she will pay nearly the same price stamp as the Copenhagen program, she said that when she arrives in Stockholm this spring, she won’t be able to get the same learning experience or opportunities. The Stockholm program is about $230 less than the Copenhagen program.

“My Florence adviser told me to just apply before the deadline and I should be fine. I wish the admissions office updated me on when the capacity rate was filling up,” Chanren said.

“I would tell students to not listen to the office, apply as soon as you possibly can,” he added.

Wilkens said that the abroad office is expanding its global partnerships to better accommodate new and emerging interests for students. She added that they have recently established a Program Development Committee that explores new opportunities and initiatives abroad.

Among the World Partner options the SU Abroad Office has begun expanding on include programs in New Zealand, Ireland, Kenya and Sweden.

Published on December 4, 2018 at 9:54 pm

vadecost@syr.edu