Choosing a Program

There are a lot of considerations to look at when choosing a study abroad program. Looking at a Pitt's study abroad website, these are some of the factors to consider:

Country and/or City
Term (Spring, Fall, Summer, Year (Spring and Fall), Spring Break, Winter Break)
Program type (Exchange Program, Independent Research, Panther Program (program created by your school for your school), School-recognized Program, Direct Enroll)
Housing (apartment/flat, cabin, dormitory, host family, hotel)
Language Prerequisite (No prerequisite, 1 term of college-level language instruction, 2 terms of college-level instruction, 3 terms...) Note: College-level instruction is generally much more rigorous than high-school level instruction.
Number of Credits
Internship/Research (optional)
Open to Outside Students (meaning, are students from other school allowed to apply?)
Language of Instruction (This is important, because the classes you take will be more difficult if they're not in your native language.)
Program Length (Generally, programs run week(s), semester(s), or 1 year.)
Courses of Study (Some study abroad programs allow you to take classes in any subject, but many are targeted towards specific majors/minors/certificates.)
Minimum GPA (If your GPA is lower than 2.5, don't plan on studying abroad. I suggest having a GPA of at least 3.0. If your GPA is 3.25 or higher, you probably don't really need to worry about your GPA.)
Satisfies Gen Ed Requirements (Study abroad courses don't automatically count for credit since standards and education methods may vary among international institutions. Before you study abroad, you have to have academic advisors sign a Study Abroad Contract Agreement guaranteeing that the classes you take abroad will count for credit at your home institution, providing you meet the rules set for you.)
Cost (Look at the price of the program, then add about $3000-4000 to that to estimate what it'll really cost you. Costs that are not always included with a program include room and board, insurance, internet access, phone, travel fare, visa and/or application fees, and entertainment.)

As you sift through information about programs, keep in mind your academic and career plans, and update your academic advisors on what you're thinking so that they can give you the best advice possible. If you have questions, don't hesitate to ask; in a complex process like this, being open and communicative is the best way to handle problems.

Stay on top of deadlines. Start your research early if you can, at least a year or two before you plan to go, so that you'll be ready when deadlines start piling up. If you need teacher recommendations, ask for them at least two weeks in advance, and be as polite as possible. Stay organized. Set aside folders for your application/research materials both in hard copy and on the computer. Date your materials and give them descriptive titles so that you know exactly what you have and how recent it is.

Apply for your passport as soon as you start considering going abroad, if you don't have one already. If you do, check to make sure it expires at least 6 months after your expected return date for your program. Renew it if necessary. Government documents can take a while to process, so don't wait.

Thoroughly read any information you get, including infomation provided on the study abroad website or program websites. If you don't understand something, look it up or ask someone knowledgable.

If you have difficulty choosing a program, talk to your advisor, as well as other people who have studied abroad, preferably in the country you want to go to. They can serve as valuable resources of information about navigating the study abroad process and give you more personal insight.

Keep your family updated on how the process is going. Depending on your circumstances, they may be the ones providing the money or paperwork you need. Regardless, they'll likely be worried about you, so be considerate and let them know what to expect.

Hopefully, this gives you an idea of how to start the process of studying abroad.