From Stratford to Ghana, Seniors Take Advantage of Study Abroad Programs

As a way of promoting cultural and linguistic immersion while also giving students the chance to venture outside the “Exeter bubble,” the Academy offers students the opportunity to spend a term abroad in a myriad of locations, including Africa, Asia, Europe and the Caribbean. In the spring term, seniors also have the opportunity to participate in the Washington Intern Program.Exeter has 17 term or year abroad programs, a number of which are new additions, such as terms in Rome, Ghana and Ecuador, as well as programs that have been restructured, like the term abroad in Beijing.The study off-campus program is a popular option amongs seniors, according to Director of Global Initiatives Eimer Page. “About 40 to 50 students are typically off campus in any year. Only a few of these [students] are not seniors. The number was up quite significantly in some terms last year, with the new program for Classics in Rome and the revised Chinese term in Beijing,” Page said. “We also have a new program in Ghana with six students. But I would say that the [program’s] figure has hovered around forty to fifty for a while.”However, while the number of students studying off campus remains consistent, the ratio of female to male Exonians remains skewed, with more girls participating than boys.“Girls take these opportunities more frequently than boys,” Page said. “This is true in Exeter, in our peer schools, and at the college level. I would love to find out why, but I’m delighted at the strength of our applicants, both girls and boys, and I’m more interested in sending the best students on these programs than worrying about the ratio.”During the winter term every other year, classics scholars have the opportunity to travel to Rome, among other locations, to enhance their learning. According to Classics department head Sally Morris, the students engage in an in-depth study of Latin and Greek in addition to Roman history and topography, and beginning Italian.“Students who are interested in the classics are chosen based on their academic abilities and personal recommendations as representatives of Exeter abroad,” Morris said. “Uppers and seniors only may apply, and acceptance is somewhat dependent upon level of Latin.”In the spring, seniors have the opportunity to participate in the Washington Intern Program, which was established in 1966. Up to 12 students are accepted to work in the office of a United States senator or representative. They can be assigned to tasks ranging from answering mail and doing research to writing drafts of speeches. The students also have the opportunity to listen to speakers, including lobbyists, journalists and judges. The information session for the program will be held on October 22, and applications are due on November 7.Alumna Virginia Giannini ‘12 participated in the Washington Intern Program and had a very positive experience.“I loved everything about it. You are part of the real world which is incredibly different from the sheltered, small town of Exeter,” Giannini said. “You are treated like a real adult with real responsibilities at work, and on the weekends you have one of the youngest and most active cities in the country to explore.”Andrew Hertig, a history instructor who has worked with the program, said that its value continues far past high school.“A great thing this program does is that it builds you all kinds of personal connections with the different people you interact with,” Hertig said. “If politics is something you’re interested in, you will be rubbing shoulders with all the people you read about who are central to these issues. If you do a good job in your internship, you never know what different opportunities will open up.”Senior Emily Moore is attending the Germany study abroad program this year.“The fact that it’s a break from Exeter to try something new is really exciting. I’ve been to Germany before for two weeks, and that really solidified my interest in German,” Moore said. “We haven’t been given a lot of details about the term abroad yet, but I do know that we’re going to a public school in Germany, which will really give us the chance to interact with the locals, and we will be living with a host family.”Upper Philip Chang is interested in some of the trips, but feels that going off campus for an extended period of time would disrupt his Exeter experience.“I’m probably not going to take a trip abroad for several reasons,” Chang said. “I’d be a three year senior so I wouldn’t want to spend any time away from Exeter; I’d want to spend as much time on campus as possible. And it would disrupt the college process; senior year is an important year and I don’t think I’d be able to focus if I were abroad.”Programs that occur during senior year can conflict with college applications, and may deter some from participating. Page thinks that they are more of a help than a detriment, however.“Colleges tend to look favorably at students demonstrating a depth of interest in a particular area with a term away, whether that is a foreign language term, a literary or historically focused term, or an environmental or social service term,” Page said. “Students planning a term away must be aware of the deadlines they should meet, and the test centers and dates available in their program, but they usually manage the demands very well. The looming term away is a great antidote to procrastination, and students who choose to go abroad are usually determined and resourceful individuals who can handle the process smoothly.”