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Study Abroad Checklist & Forms
For Returning Students
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- Complete the on-line Study Abroad
Evaluation. Remember how useful it was to read
through these before you
left...or how frustrating
it was to only find evaluations from 1992!
- Make sure you have
requested that an official copy of your study
abroad transcript be sent to the Wellesley College Registrar.
Credits will be posted once both the transcript
and your program evaluation have
been received. See below for more information
on transferring credit.
- If you want courses to count toward
major, minor or distribution requirements, complete
a Transfer of Credit form (one for
each class/requirement). If you are a senior, you may skip this step for major and minor courses if they are listed on your major or minor confirmation form.
- Check in with your faculty advisor
and class dean to plan courses for your remaining semesters
at Wellesley.
- Plan to attend the Boston
Area Re-Entry Conference in October. The
OIS will pay your registration
fee! Stay tuned for more information.
Transcripts
Before credit earned abroad can be posted to your Wellesley
College transcript, the Registrar's
Office must receive an official transcript from
your study abroad program or host university. It is your responsibility to make sure that the transcript is sent. If
credits have not appeared on
your transcript by mid-semester, you
should check with the
Registrar's Office to see if the transcript
has been received. If it has not, you should contact
the study abroad program or host university
to make sure that there are no problems (a financial hold, for example).
Once the Registrar's Office receives the transcript, it is
forwarded to the Office of International
Studies, where credits will be allocated.
If you have questions about the number
or distribution of credits that are posted to your Wellesley
transcript,
please contact
the OIS.
If your major/minor department pre-approved courses for major
or minor requirements, or if you had
distribution credits approved by the relevant
department chair, these should appear
on your record. If they do not, you will need to submit copies
of documentation to the
Registrar's Office.
If you did not have courses pre-approved for major, minor
or distribution requirements, you will
need to complete a Transfer
of Credit Form for
each course and each requirement you wish to fulfill. If you are a senior, you may skip this step for major and minor courses if they are listed on your major or minor confirmation form.
Courses you took abroad will appear on your transcript as
Transfer Credit. No grades will appear
on the transcript or be factored into your
GPA. However, graduate schools and
employers may ask for the grades you earned abroad, in which
case
you will need to submit
a copy of your program/host
university transcript in addition to
your official Wellesley transcript. The Registrar is NOT able to release your study abroad
transcript
to you or to a third
party. Make sure you learn how to get additional transcripts from your study abroad semester or year now, and you may do well to request a few extra,which you can keep in sealed envelopes for future use.
Program Evaluations
Just as the SEQ's are essential for evaluating courses offered
on campus, the Study Abroad Evaluation
Form is essential for evaluating programs approved for
Wellesley credit abroad. Before
your transcript is
processed, you will need to complete
the on-line evaluation form at http://www.wellesley.edu/OIS/evaluation.html.
As you know,
these are useful tools for students
researching study abroad programs, and they are also an important
tool
for determining
which programs will continue to be
eligible for Wellesley. We greatly appreciate your help
with this.
Cultural Adjustment Issues
Students tend to think a lot about culture shock before they
travel abroad, but not so much about
the issues they will face when they
return. These are just as real and
complex. Please contact the Office of International
Studies if you have any questions or
concerns. If you're interested in looking at cultural adjustment
issues
in more detail,
log on to "What's Up
With Culture?" an on-line cultural
training resource for study abroad.
Reconnecting with your Academic Department
You should make an appointment to meet with your faculty
advisor early in the semester to talk
about what you did abroad and what remains
to be done in your major. Discuss with
him/her the ways in which what you did abroad can be best
used in your
remaining time
on campus. Doing a 350/250
is one way that students can pursue
academic interests developed abroad while building relationships
with Wellesley faculty members.
Be Part of the Tanner Conference
Many study abroad alumnae decide to do a presentation at
Tanner showcasing their experience
abroad. This is a good way for you
to reflect upon your time away and
to "repackage" it for an audience
of your peers. It is also a great way to help first and second year students
learn
about study abroad opportunities. For more information, contact
the CWS.
Serve on the Study Abroad Student Advisory Committee
The Office of International Studies needs five students to serve on its Student Advisory Committee for the academic year. Student Advisors will meet several times each semester with OIS staff to offer advice on program offerings and outreach and will organize an information panel on a topic of interest for returning or prospective study abroad students. For more information, click here.
Be a Regular at OIS Events
The OIS sponsors a number of events during the course
of the semester for returning and prospective
study abroad students. Regular events include the annual photo contest, ice cream social and slide show screening, coffee breaks in the El Table, debriefing lunches with faculty members, Sad Hour at the Pub, and the new Study Abroad Advising Extravaganza. Take a look
at the calendar. We'd love to have
you be a part of our on-going activities.
Come in for a chat
I'd love to hear your stories, your impressions of your program,
and any advice it might be useful to
pass along to future travelers. Tell me how you think Wellesley
can better prepare students
for their time abroad
and better service them while they
are away. Stop in during open office hours or e-mail jthomass@wellesley.edu to make an appointment.
Think about Fellowships for Graduate Study
Check the CWS website to find out about graduate fellowships.
Attend the BASAA
Re-Entry Conference, held every October, to get more ideas. The OIS will pay
for your registration fee!
Marketing your International Experience
Prospective employers and graduate schools want to know about
your semester or year abroad. Think
about how you might highlight your international
experience in your resume and in interview
settings. Plan to attend the CWS/OIS workshops on this
topic. Check the calendar for dates and times. RSVP to jthomass@wellesley.edu.
Created by: Jennifer Thomas-Starck
Date Created: April 17, 2005
Last Modified: July 21, 2008
Expires: July 21, 2009
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OFFICE OF INTERNATIONAL STUDIES