Study abroad for first semester freshman — downside

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a huge fan of study abroad at a variety of ages ( I spent my junior year of HS abroad and my dd spent her senior year of HS - so I have no concerns about an 18 yo being too young.) That said, these
"we'll take you if you go abroad first" college offers seem to be about maximizing college volume at the expense of the student experience, and given what you may be paying that sounds not ideal. If its the school your kid is dying to go to and that's what will get them there - well it will probably be fine. But it's a weird time to go off in the world and then come back and THEN start your college experience. So I'd only feel good about it if the school were really otherwise the only good fit for kid.

Study abroad for high school students normally have a much shorter leash (i.e. more supervision) that in college.

Like for high school, doesn't the student usually live with a family?

I know someone overseas now (in college) who lives an hour away from his classes, in off campus housing. Very different than going with the French club in high school.

No, not unless you seek out a program that lives with a family. Most programs are living in dorms or in group houses/apartments. My program in London through Boston University had 4 students living in a BU owned 2-BR flat in Kensington (one floor of a row house). We only saw adults when we went to class or when we went to our jobs (it was an internship program). There was essentially no adult oversight or guidance. Furthermore, our flat was the only one in that row house - in fact - I don't remember there being others even on our street. I was a 21 yr old free in London (and it was great). I had more influence from co-workers at my job who invited me to events than I had from BU. We took weekend trips and a trip during Fall break - all organized by groups of students. Not by BU.

But you were 21, and had already adjusted to college life and matured by junior year, you were used to living away from home, so the switch to living in a row house with just other 21 yo was not that "much more" but rather just a part of the growing up process. Huge difference than a freshman, barely 18 yo, who is used to living at home with parents. For many kids, that would be a bit too much for them to handle vs normal fall freshman year where you are with other freshman, living in a dorm, RAs and many other "adults looking out for you" environment.
I personally know neither of my 3 kids would have done well with study abroad fall of freshman year. One was offered it and immediately said No to that school and picked a better for them school (and overall a better school).

I'm pp and I totally agree with you. I was saying that the college program was not "living with families" and, in fact, was complete freedom with no real oversight and no planned events.

I would not send a Freshman to the program I went to - it is NOT appropriate on many levels, but most maturity related (freedom, lack of programming, lack of guidance, level of internship, purpose of internship)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a huge fan of study abroad at a variety of ages ( I spent my junior year of HS abroad and my dd spent her senior year of HS - so I have no concerns about an 18 yo being too young.) That said, these
"we'll take you if you go abroad first" college offers seem to be about maximizing college volume at the expense of the student experience, and given what you may be paying that sounds not ideal. If its the school your kid is dying to go to and that's what will get them there - well it will probably be fine. But it's a weird time to go off in the world and then come back and THEN start your college experience. So I'd only feel good about it if the school were really otherwise the only good fit for kid.

Study abroad for high school students normally have a much shorter leash (i.e. more supervision) that in college.

Like for high school, doesn't the student usually live with a family?

I know someone overseas now (in college) who lives an hour away from his classes, in off campus housing. Very different than going with the French club in high school.

No, not unless you seek out a program that lives with a family. Most programs are living in dorms or in group houses/apartments. My program in London through Boston University had 4 students living in a BU owned 2-BR flat in Kensington (one floor of a row house). We only saw adults when we went to class or when we went to our jobs (it was an internship program). There was essentially no adult oversight or guidance. Furthermore, our flat was the only one in that row house - in fact - I don't remember there being others even on our street. I was a 21 yr old free in London (and it was great). I had more influence from co-workers at my job who invited me to events than I had from BU. We took weekend trips and a trip during Fall break - all organized by groups of students. Not by BU.

The poster was informing the previous poster that many/most HIGH SCHOOL classes live with families, and contrasting that with the fact that college study abroad programs usually do not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a huge fan of study abroad at a variety of ages ( I spent my junior year of HS abroad and my dd spent her senior year of HS - so I have no concerns about an 18 yo being too young.) That said, these
"we'll take you if you go abroad first" college offers seem to be about maximizing college volume at the expense of the student experience, and given what you may be paying that sounds not ideal. If its the school your kid is dying to go to and that's what will get them there - well it will probably be fine. But it's a weird time to go off in the world and then come back and THEN start your college experience. So I'd only feel good about it if the school were really otherwise the only good fit for kid.

Study abroad for high school students normally have a much shorter leash (i.e. more supervision) that in college.

Like for high school, doesn't the student usually live with a family?

I know someone overseas now (in college) who lives an hour away from his classes, in off campus housing. Very different than going with the French club in high school.

Ya i mean study abroad in HS is usually a semester or year, not the French club spring break trip. But yes, to your point, more common to live with a host family than in a dorm. I was responding to concerns that 18 yo were "too young" to be so far from home. I disagree with that as a general statement, though some are surely not ready for that kind of independence. Still I'm not in favor of this study abroad first semester of college for other reasons.

My high school program to France was with the French club (and our teacher). Only for two weeks.

College was for the summer, but that was living with a family. There is variation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a huge fan of study abroad at a variety of ages ( I spent my junior year of HS abroad and my dd spent her senior year of HS - so I have no concerns about an 18 yo being too young.) That said, these
"we'll take you if you go abroad first" college offers seem to be about maximizing college volume at the expense of the student experience, and given what you may be paying that sounds not ideal. If its the school your kid is dying to go to and that's what will get them there - well it will probably be fine. But it's a weird time to go off in the world and then come back and THEN start your college experience. So I'd only feel good about it if the school were really otherwise the only good fit for kid.

Study abroad for high school students normally have a much shorter leash (i.e. more supervision) that in college.

Like for high school, doesn't the student usually live with a family?

I know someone overseas now (in college) who lives an hour away from his classes, in off campus housing. Very different than going with the French club in high school.

Ya i mean study abroad in HS is usually a semester or year, not the French club spring break trip. But yes, to your point, more common to live with a host family than in a dorm. I was responding to concerns that 18 yo were "too young" to be so far from home. I disagree with that as a general statement, though some are surely not ready for that kind of independence. Still I'm not in favor of this study abroad first semester of college for other reasons.

My high school program to France was with the French club (and our teacher). Only for two weeks.

College was for the summer, but that was living with a family. There is variation.

lol I’m the PP on this and I’ve long forgotten what exactly we are arguing over. But going to France with your French class is not “study abroad” , it’s a trip. Lots of high schools organize trips. Study abroad implies living somewhere for at least a period of time and having some degree of integration into a community/school of some sort. Could be summer, semester, or year.

[Anonymous]

Personally & in my immediate family we have a lot of study abroad experience during both prep school & college & both in dorms & homestays.

OP has not shared enough information so all I can offer is that typically it is a great experience, but living with a host family is close to a fifty-fifty proposition--especially for females.

[Anonymous]

Terrible idea. I transferred after my fall semester and I had the worst time making friends. Everyone already had their friend groups and clubs really only seemed to have recruitment drives in the fall.

Transferring mid-semester is still my biggest college regret. Graduated in 2016.

[Anonymous]

A good friend's kid was admitted to Tulane but required to spend first semester in Rome. It may sound exotic but gets old real quick not to mention did not get to enter with the rest of the freshman on campus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Terrible idea. I transferred after my fall semester and I had the worst time making friends. Everyone already had their friend groups and clubs really only seemed to have recruitment drives in the fall.

Transferring mid-semester is still my biggest college regret. Graduated in 2016.

It’s a good point about clubs. I mean I think friendships from first semester freshman year don’t often the last all that long, but it’s certainly the best opportunity to get a sense of all the extracurriculars on campus, go through application and tryouts for those that need it, etc. etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Friend's son did it in Italy at NEU last year. Made a group of tight friends (25 of them?), that they kept up when they returned in the Spring.

Friend’s daughter had the same experience. Worked well for her.

[Anonymous]

They do this for kids who are spring admits to UMiami. From what I can tell it is a HUGE advantage rather than waiting until Spring because of the bonds formed before they even hit campus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Terrible idea. I transferred after my fall semester and I had the worst time making friends. Everyone already had their friend groups and clubs really only seemed to have recruitment drives in the fall.

Transferring mid-semester is still my biggest college regret. Graduated in 2016.

The spring admit kids go abroad together. They get tight.

[Anonymous]

Kids I know from NEU hung out in Dublin and Rome and a girl at Temple also studied abroad in Rome as freshman. As far as I know, the kids in Ireland bonded with Irish uni students and felt very integrated at University College Dublin. The kids in Italy also seemed to enjoy their cohort, even if it was confined to the other first-year students in their program.

[Anonymous]

Northeastern started it at least in part because kids that start their first semester not enrolled on the main campus (studying abroad or doing a coop) do not count in stats reported to USNWR, so it was a way to raise the ranking.

The other reason I believe it is done is the university can make more money through increased enrollment and the fees they get from overseas study. They essentially put the kids in Spring semester in accommodations vacated by upperclassmen doing a semester abroad, so they get additional tuition and fees without having to add dorm or class capacity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have heard of this a lot at Northeastern. I think they don't have enough dorm space. As the parent of a senior, I would not want him to go abroad his 1st semester. As someone said above, he would miss all the beginning of college "stuff". I also know a kid who did this at William and Mary and when he came back, he was put in a suite with juniors or seniors. It was not a good fit for obvious reasons, and he ended up moving rooms.

As far as NEU, yes, this happens to many. About 50% of kids end up (this year and past years) in the off campus hotel with other "Study abroad /NUIn kids", 25% in dorm rooms and 25% in campus "apartments". Those not in the Hotel, are just assigned wherever there is space---that means most likely they are a singleton in a random space, it could be any age/year in college. You don't get to select where you end up===university just assigns you and you are stuck. It is definately not a typical first year experience at all. I personally would not want my 18 yo freshman to come back from a semester abroad and be put into housing with juniors or seniors, heck even sophomores. Those people already have their friends groups---and most kids that age are not really looking to include a newbie freshman into their friend group--because they really have nothing in common.

So really think whether this is the first year experience that would be best suited for your student. Or if another one of their acceptances might just be an overall better fit.

I believe the 5 star hotel arrangement was due to Covid situation.
The kids who were supposed to go to overseas were stuck in Boston, hence the hotel accommodation.
The hotel was 3 subway stations away.

The Hotel arrangement the one year was NUIn covid (fall 2020) when they couldn't offer abroad locations.

But last spring (spring 2022) and this spring (spring 2023), what I posted above is accurate. 50% of NUIn students end up in the hotel. Yes it's only 3 subway stations away, but that is very different from being a 5 min walk from the center of campus, and all of that 5 min walk you are ACTUALLY ON CAMPUS. And the other 50% get put randomly with any on campus housing spot with space. So you might get a buddy or another freshman in your "dorm/housing" or it might be with 3-4 NEU Juniors/Seniors. You don't know, and you can't request, you get put where they have space.

They have an overcrowding problem. Even before the overcrowding situation, majority of NUIn kids were placed in singleton spots----they are backfilling open housing spots. There never was a guarantee to live with other freshman or even one of the friends you made while in NUin studying abroad. So it is true, and definately something for parents/students to consider when they make their choices. Many, many kids would not do well with these situations at age 18. Sure they will survive and most will stick it out. But many of them might have been happier/better off at a more traditional freshman year.

Can confirm, know someone that is a second semester freshman this year and is living in a hotel upon return from first semester abroad. Her roommates from abroad are in same hotel.