University to Host Study Abroad Fair

The university’s annual Study Abroad Fair—a common starting point for students interested in studying overseas—will take place Sept. 9 on the Foggy Bottom Campus.

Sponsored by the Office for Study Abroad, the Welcome Week event will take place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Marvin Center Grand Ballroom. It serves as an opportunity for students to meet with study abroad staff and learn about GW programs and exchange partners in more than 60 countries worldwide.

More than 1,080 GW undergraduate students participated in study abroad coursework during the 2013-14 academic year, according to Taylor Woodman, special projects manager in the Office for Study Abroad. The United Kingdom, France, Spain, China and Israel are among the most popular destinations, he said.

In total, the university manages more than 375 abroad programs, offering short-term, semester and yearlong trips.

Milan Gary, a senior in the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences, began traveling abroad in middle school and has spent time in Greece, Italy, Mexico, Costa Rica and Chile—the latter two through the GW study abroad office. Her most recent experience—in Santiago, Chile, last fall—included a host family and lasted five months. GW Chile is one of several programs offered by the university with an on-site resident director in the country of study.

“It was amazing—my host family in Santiago really helped me see more of the city and opened me up to the community,” Ms. Gary said. “The whole thing was very well organized—it was like being handed off from one GW to another GW, but in Chile.”

Her advice for students as they begin to think about their options: know what you are looking to gain from the experience and keep an open mind.

“Don’t go to the fair and say you just want to go to Europe—check out New Zealand, check out Australia,” she said. “Try and soak up as much information as you can about the programs. There’s so much out there. Figure out what you want to get out of your experience.”