Students applying to study abroad in fall of 2005 or the academic year 2005-06 must submit their completed applications to the off-campus study office by Feb. 4. The deadline for those students who will be filing a petition is Jan. 31.
Petitions are required for students with a GPA below 8.5, and for those students either requesting a non-approved program or wishing to study abroad as a first semester senior, or for those students wanting to study abroad in two different locations during the academic year. Students falling into one of these categories must submit their completed petition packet to the Off-Campus Study Office for approval by the Off-Campus Study Committee, chaired by Marc Massoud, the Robert A Day Distinguished Professor of Accounting.
CMC offers more than 100 programs in 40 countries, and, says Kristen Mallory, assistant director of off-campus study, more than 30 percent of participants study in Asia, Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East. This percentage is increasing with a small but growing interest in non-traditional destinations.
Nearly 50 percent of each graduating class studies abroad, says Mallory, and almost half of this figurethus a quarter of CMC graduating studentscomplete all academic coursework entirely in a foreign language. This distinction is noteworthy because nationally the UK remains the top destination, whereas at CMC the leading study abroad destination is Spain, according to Mallory.
Some students have already turned in their applications. Lauren Beck '07 is applying to go to Brazil in the fall, following a spring internship in the Washington Program. "I'm really going to miss all the helpful people here and all the support I get," Beck says of her anticipated departure. "But at the same time, I'm very grateful to go to a college that doesn't deny me the opportunity to be ambitious and a little crazy in the never-ending pursuit of knowledge."
Addressing the personal and educational benefits of study abroad, "You will never be the same again," says Mallory, who studied abroad in France and joined the Peace Corps following her own undergraduate education. "As a CMC student, you have amazing support from faculty, staff, financial aid, and the registrar. And because of the higher percentage of students that do study abroad, you have student support as well. There is no reason," she says, "why a student shouldn't take advantage of this opportunity."
For further information, including applications and petitions please telephone, email or visit the Office of Off-Campus Study, Bauer Center 222, 909-621-8267, studyabroad@claremontmckenna.edu , http://offcampus.claremontmckenna.edu/.