FAQ

Application Process

That depends on the program. CSU IP, Direct Exchange, and Faculty-Led have no application fees. There is a fee to apply to NSE, including NSE Study Abroad. The application fee is $200, but students who apply by the Preferred Deadline receive a $25 discount. Furthermore, DACA and EOP students receive a $25 application fee discount. The NSE application fee in non-refundable.

Other programs also may have an application fee, or what is more common is a deposit after you are accepted. Be sure to read over all application and financial requirements. 

With some programs we may be able to give an application extension, but be sure to contact your study away advisor BEFORE the deadline to request an extension.

Yes, though we recommend the recommender be from SSU.  If this is your first semester here at Sonoma State University, or you are an incoming transfer student, you may need to get a recommendation from someone at your previous community college or institution. If you have any further questions about who to get recommendations from, you should speak to your study away advisor.

Sometimes the automatic email sent to faculty are directed to Spam/Junk. Be sure to tell them to check their SPAM folders within a couple days of you submitting their information in the online application. If they cannot find it or don’t receive it, email the study away advisor. The study abroad advisor is able to resend the link, and be sure to contact the study away advisor right away if you need to request for this to be done. However, it is imperative that you speak with your professor beforehand so that they know to either save or bookmark the email that they will receive with the recommendation form link.

You should make sure the professor knows who you are. Participate and ask questions in class, show up on time, and visit the professor during office hours BEFORE you ask for the recommendation.

When asking for the recommendation, it may be a good idea to provide them with a brief statement of purpose. You can use a version of the essay from the application. They will appreciate this because it helps them to know where you are coming from, why you want to study away, as well as how studying abroad fits into your academic and career goals. We recommend that you email them a link to the program website in case the faculty member has questions about the program.

Make sure to communicate with your faculty recommender regularly. Provide them with ample time to complete the application prior to the deadline. As the deadline approaches, be sure to touch base with them as they may have forgotten or lost the email. Be realistic when asking a faculty member; if it is the week of the application deadline or even closer, ask if they think they will be able to complete the recommendation on time.

NO, you cannot get a recommendation from a work supervisor. Do not request recommendations from employers, university staff, or administrators who have not had you as a student in a class.

Students are able to study abroad as early as their sophomore year. This means that students may start an application to study away as early as their first semester at SSU. As a first semester college student, applicants do not have a current GPA. For the application, this means you can enter “0.0” until your Fall grades are posted. All of application deadlines are after grades are posted, so you will be able to update your GPA to reflect your most recent GPA before the deadline. Make sure to do that!

However, keep in mind that as a first-time freshmen, your application GPA will be based solely on your fall grades, so, use that as motivation to do well!

YES! If you are planning to work on a double major or minor, including a language, while studying abroad, you should declare as soon as possible so that it will appear on your transcripts for your application. You will also need to speak to an advisor in that department before departure. However, very few programs require evidence of your academic major as a part of the application process. So, if you are not able to declare right away, that is probably fine. Please be sure to talk with the study away advisor about your academic goals.

Application deadlines depend on the program to which you are applying. Be sure to check out the program websites for accurate deadline dates. You may see different types of deadlines advertised:

preferred deadline is a deadline to encourage you to apply by that date. For applying to the National Student Exchange program, you will receive to a $25 application fee discount for applying by the preferred deadline.  

priority deadline indicates that your application will be considered over student applications submitted after that deadline. Submitting your application by the priority deadline gets you the most competitive chance to be accepted to your first choice location. For some highly competitive locations, they may not accept any additional applications after the priority deadline. 

Rolling admissions indicates that applications will be reviewed at the type they are submitted based on space availability, as opposed to at a specific time after a listed deadline. Rolling admissions also means that programs can fill up at any time. 

final deadline means that no more applications can be received after that date. Though some deadlines are flexible and even late applications can sometimes be considered, generally final deadlines are absolute.