Inside BU abroad admissions

With Boston University International Program applications for the spring semester due Friday and many applicants already awaiting acceptance decisions, students are sizing up the competition to spend the spring semester abroad.

Chris Russell, International Programs Marketing and Recruiting associate director, said the abroad programs are somewhat competitive, noting that BU expects 1,200 applicants and will accept about 1,000.

“We want to see good students,” he said. “We’re looking for a 3.0 GPA.” He said the abroad programs are run by a system of supply and demand, so the most popular programs – like Sydney, London and Geneva – are also the most competitive.

He also said BU internship programs are competitive across the nation, adding that 50 percent of BU International Program’s accepted students are from other American colleges and universities.

“BU International Programs introduced the study abroad internship to the world,” he said. “It’s customized to each individual student – no one else in other study abroads can do that.”

International Programs Marketing Assistant Nathan Bluin said all BU abroad programs are on a first-come, first-serve basis and non-BU students are held to the same admissions standards as BU students.

“We like to keep program diversity,” he said. “It gives a more well-rounded flavor to our program to have American students from across the U.S.”

College of Communication junior Amelia Rountree, who said she was accepted to the London Internship Program Tuesday, said the acceptance of non-BU students in equal proportions to BU students is slightly unfair.

“I mean, they are our programs,” she said. “But if you have the grades and the work experience you should be able to go.”

Rountree said she turned in her application Sept. 26 and was nervous about her chances, even though her counselor assured her the programs were not competitive.

“My counselor said she never heard of anyone getting rejected if they have good grades,” Rountree said.

Bluin said sometimes students will not be accepted because of high academic requirements of a specific program, such as the Oxford Honors Program, but may be offered spots to other destinations.

College of Arts and Sciences junior Kate Joyce, who said she was accepted early decision in July for the International Honors Program, said her program was very competitive and she had a one-hour interview.

“It kind of depends on which program you are trying to apply to,” she said, adding that she studied abroad with BU’s Paris program this past summer and that it was fairly easy to get into.

Joyce said she does not feel unfair competition with non-BU students and said they deserved an equal opportunity to spend a semester abroad.

“Not all schools have the ability to have large study abroad programs,” she said. “When I was in France, a lot of the students were from schools that didn’t have study abroad programs at all.”

CAS sophomore Hayley Cotter said she applied to BU’s Washington Internship Program and has not heard back yet. She said she has no idea how competitive the programs are, but is not worried about being shut out.

“I would be happy if I get in,” she said. “But I wouldn’t mind staying here next semester.”

Some students might be turned down because there are limited spots in the programs. As of Wednesday afternoon, 797 applications have been sent to the International Programs office and about 20 percent have been accepted, Bluin said.

Russel said the International Programs office works on a system of rolling admissions, so good students who sent applications in very early have “distinct advantages.” However, he noted that the majority of the decisions are made after the application deadline.

“If you’re a good student with a good GPA [and] no judiciary or academic probations and you write a good essay,” he said, “you should rest comfortably that you can participate in one of the study abroad programs BU has to offer.”