So, you’ve sent in your ISEP application…Hooray! Now what? ISEP Senior Program Officer, Hilary knows what it’s like first-hand to go through the application process – she studied abroad through ISEP while she was in school, and has read countless student applications since working at ISEP. See what Hilary has to say about going from Placed, to Confirmed, to Accepted!
The ISEP Placement Process:
I know all too well, how difficult it is to wait for that email saying “Congratulations—you’ve been accepted!” When I studied abroad through ISEP Direct in Uruguay, it seemed like I waited a lifetime, but after looking back, it was only a few short weeks. Now that I work here at ISEP, I know why it takes a little while for you to get Placed, Confirmed and Accepted, and hope that at the end of this blog entry, you will too!
Placed: From the priority application deadline, it usually takes two to three weeks for us to make a placement decision.
- Being placed means that ISEP has selected you for a university, but it doesn’t mean that you have been officially accepted by the university (that comes next!).
- Before you are placed, ISEP thoroughly reviews your application to assess your language level (if applicable), academic merit (GPA, recommendations), personal statement, and academic compatibility with the sites you have listed on your application.
So why does it take two to three weeks?
- During each application cycle the other Program Officers and I are reading hundreds of applications (yes, hundreds!).
- We may contact your home ISEP Coordinator with additional questions, so be sure to check and respond to your email quickly!
- Placements can REALLY get held up if a student is non-responsive.
Confirmed: After you are placed, your application is sent to the host ISEP Coordinator for review.
- Once confirmed, it means that you are officially admitted to your host university!
- This usually takes three weeks, but can be delayed if your application is missing anything or if your host coordinator needs more information, so again, check that email!
Accepted: After you are confirmed you will receive a Participant Placement Acceptance Form (PPAF) and an Institutional Information Sheet (IIS), which contain all the information pertinent to your exchange.
- You will have three weeks to review the information contained in both of these documents, purchase health insurance, and sign and return your PPAF to your home ISEP Coordinator. At this point, you are officially participating in an ISEP program!
Generally from the time of the priority deadline to the time you accept your placement, it is six to eight weeks. It may seem like a lifetime, but I assure you, it is WELL worth the wait.
– Hilary
Still deciding where you want to go abroad? It’s not too late to study abroad through ISEP! Check out a list of ISEP programs around the world with a high chance of placement that are still accepting applications.
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