On Saturday, October 30, Penn Career Services, in conjunction with the Wharton Asia Exchange (WAX), hosted the 2009 International Opportunities Fair in Bodek. Among the companies participating were Credit Suisse, Nomura Securities, Volunteer Abroad Corps, and Education Abroad Network, among many others. I attended with the goal of finding out what these international companies expect from student applicants as well as the benefits of studying or working outside of the country.
The Education Abroad Network is an organization dedicated to linking students to semester and summer abroad programs at some of the most prestigious universities in Asia, Australia, and New Zealand. For example, one of the most popular destinations is Tsinghua University in Beijing, but it’s not easy to get in. The representative specified that applicants who wish to participate in the program must be well-rounded, have a high GPA, and be in good social and academic standing. Sound like a college application? There’s more. Students must also have a well-articulated purpose of study and be fluent in the foreign language. When asked what she wished she had known at this age, she said that she wished she had known just how much opportunities there are. She commented that university career services usually only push for their favorite programs or the programs that are most familiar to them, and not necessarily what’s best for the student. She suggested researching on websites such as studyabroad.com.
On that note, Studyabroad.com was also present at this fair as an organization acting as a bridge between students and programs all around the world. The representative here advised students to wait until junior or senior years to study abroad just because students should be absolutely sure of their degree or concentration before dedicating so much time and effort into studying one subject abroad that may or not may be truly useful for the future. Again, he articulated the importance of knowing just how many opportunities are out there, beyond the information in career services.
It’s okay if you’re unsure about studying abroad during your undergraduate years. Certain organizations, such as Study Abroad UK, focus primarily on graduate student programs. Again, the representative here said that she looked for a high GPA and solid academic record as well as an open mind in student applicants. She really stressed the fact that most of the organizations present were free services to help students. She also mentioned that students in the US need to understand just how easy it is to apply to university programs in other countries, especially in the United Kingdom.
These three programs are all great for students interested in studying abroad and gaining more of an international perspective. Some of them, like the ones mentioned above, are mainly academic, while others focus on volunteer work or on gaining work experience in a foreign environment. An important motif among all the representatives was the fact that there are so many opportunities available out there and that students should definitely at least research more into abroad programs, if not participating in one.
