Abroad applications up 19 percent

Next year, an increasing number of students will give up Ben Franklin for Big Ben.

Penn Abroad received 567 study-abroad applications for next year's full-year and fall-semester programs, a 19-percent increase from 476 last year.

Applications for spring 2008 programs are not due until early next fall.

These numbers make Penn the number one Ivy League university, and the seventh best school in the country, for sending students abroad, according to the Open Doors Report published by the Institute of International Education, a New York-based organization that promotes international studies.

Of this year's applications, 64 percent came from the College, 15.5 percent from Wharton, 3.7 percent from the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and 1 percent from the Nursing School.

Officials attribute much of the increase to having computerized the application process.

With the exception of letters of recommendation and transcripts, students were able to submit all materials online.

"We hope [that] made the application a lot easier to complete," admissions counselor Jacki Mowery said.

All the while, the Penn Abroad office has been doing its best to ensure its application numbers stay up, especially for year-long programs.

During Penn Abroad 101 sessions, counselors introduce students to the application process and emphasize the benefits of spending a year abroad whenever possible.

Advisors also work to dispel rumors that schools other than the College make it nearly impossible to study abroad.

"We've had people spend a year at Oxford, graduate in four years and still be awarded degrees from three schools at Penn," Martin said.

Martin also cited efforts by Wharton and Nursing to create study-abroad programs tailored to their students' academic programs.

But whether fall or spring, College or Wharton, Penn students are excited to see the world.

"It's an amazing experience," said College sophomore Rachel Skalina, who plans to study next spring in Costa Rica. "I might get to study in the rain forest, or study marine biology -- experiences you can't get at Penn," she said.

"In Wharton, we're always talking about . globalization that is occurring in the world," Wharton junior Joel Rosenzweig added. "Rather than just reading about it from a textbook, studying abroad gives you the opportunity to actually witness this firsthand."

Penn Abroad Director Geoffrey Gee echoed these sentiments.

"This is truly an international institution, and people truly consider [studying abroad] as part of what their undergraduate experience will include," he said.

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