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Reviewing Applications and Monitoring Enrollment

The Online Application

Selecting Your Group Members

Non-US Application

Reviewing Post-Decision Applications

Health Review


The Online Application

All Applications are submitted online.  The Application is divided into pre-decision steps and post-decision steps. Students’ Applications cannot be considered for acceptance until all pre-decision steps are complete! A description of the steps can be found below.

Application stages

 1 . Pre-decision
In the pre-decision phase, students submit a personal statement and provide background about their language and travel experience. They agree to the Learning Abroad Withdrawal & Dismissal Penalties, Late Fee, and Failure to Commit Penalty.  They also acknowledge that all Program correspondence will be sent through Umail. Students sign several legal waivers and provide us with emergency contact information as well. Students also receive instructions for paying the Learning Abroad initial payment. Before their Application is considered complete, students are required to attend Learning Abroad 101. This is a 45 minute information session which is available both in person and online.

  • Learning Abroad Initial Payment
    Every Program Application requires an initial payment in the pre-decision phase. Initial payments for Faculty-led Programs are $500. This is a very important step in the Application process. When students make the initial payment, they are serious about attending the Program. Student Applications are not considered complete until the initial payment is made. The payment is made online on the student’s Application.
  • Recommendations (if requested)
    Faculty Directors have the option to require online recommendations from applicants in the pre-decision phase. Most Faculty Directors do not use this option, but it is available upon request. Contact your Learning Abroad Coordinator for more information.

A student’s Application status is marked as pending until all pre-decision steps are complete.

2. Accepting Students & Committing to the Program
Once a student has completed the pre-decision steps of the Application, they can be considered for admission to the Program.  The process for accepting students is explained in Terra Dotta training.  Questions about accepting students can be directed to your Learning Abroad Coordinator.

  •  Late Applications

Students who do not complete their Applications by the posted deadline may be eligible to submit a late Application; however, late Applications are subject to a non-refundable $100 late fee.  Information on the late fee can be found in the Learning Abroad Handbook. 

  • Failure to Commit

Once a student is accepted into the Program, they have 3 business days to commit to the Program.  Students commit to the program in the online Application.  If students fail to log back into your Learning Abroad Application and commit to the Program within 3 business days, they are subject to a Failure to Commit Penalty of $50. More details on the Failure to Commit Penalty can be found in the Learning Abroad Handbook.  Late Fees and Failure to Commit Penalties are strictly enforced.

3. Post-decision

The post-decision steps are available to students after they have been accepted into and commit to the Program. These are extremely important steps of the Application. In the post-decision steps, we collect medical and flight information.

  • Passport Information

They are also required to submit a copy of their passport. Please note that our office does not review each student’s passport. The copies are only reviewed in the event of an emergency.

  • Travel Health Authorization

Students are also required to meet with their Health Care Professional to complete the Travel Health Authorization Form.

Students can start their post-decision steps as soon as they are accepted and commit to the Program. Learning Abroad begins issuing reminders to students 4 weeks before the established post-decision Application deadline.

More details about the Application process from the student perspective are found in the Learning Abroad Handbook. 

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Selecting Your Group Members

After a student’s pre-decision steps have been completed and the coordinator marks their Application as “Ready for Review”, you can consider the Application for admission to the Program. Faculty Directors have the choice of using rolling admissions for their Programs, or reviewing all Applications on an established decision date. Please contact your Learning Abroad Coordinator if you have questions about either of these options.

You can view Applications online through our Application website. Please contact your Learning Abroad Coordinator with any questions regarding your reviewer portal.  As you review Applications, we encourage you to consider the following:

  • Does the student meet the eligibility requirements for the Program? Eligibility requirements are listed on the Program website. If the student does not meet the eligibility requirements, is there a case for making an exception? If so, contact your Learning Abroad Coordinator to discuss the possibility of making an exception.
  • How many students can I accommodate? Some Programs receive more Applications than they can accommodate. Be sure that you know the maximum number of students you could take and the minimum number of students needed to run the Program. If you have more applicants than spaces available, speak with your Learning Abroad Coordinator about the possibility of setting up a waitlist.

Through your reviewer portal, you can electronically notify your Learning Abroad Coordinator of your admittance decisions. After you decide to accept, reject, or waitlist the applicant, your Coordinator will change the student’s Application status and a Decision Letter will automatically be sent to the student. This letter prompts students to commit to the program in the online Application.

Non-US Citizens

Students who are non-U.S. citizens need to make special arrangements before traveling. Specifically, these students many face different requirements pertaining to passports and visas. If you have an applicant who is not a U.S. citizen or will not be traveling with a US passport, please refer them to the information for non-U.S. citizens in the Learning Abroad Handbook.

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Reviewing Post-decision Applications

Faculty Directors need to review the information submitted by students in the post-decision steps. Specifically, you should carefully review the medical information submitted by the student. If you have questions or concerns about a disclosure, contact our office. We can help you discuss the condition with the student and determine if accommodations will be necessary onsite. For information about reviewing health information, see the Health Review section.

Health Review

The University of Utah has a highly innovative way of collecting health information from prospective students. Legally, the University cannot request medical information from students before they are accepted into a Program; however, we take steps to make applicants aware of certain requirements before they submit an Application.

In the pre-decision Application, students are provided with the Participation Requirements for Learning Abroad. This signature document is intended to help students think about the physical and psychological rigors of Learning Abroad. It is also intended to encourage them to contact us if they need accommodations or have concerns about potential medical issues. All students agree to these requirements before being accepted to a Program.

In the post-decision steps of the Application, students are asked to self-disclose any medical conditions they have in the Travel Health Questionnaire. They also submit a Health Clearance Form. The Health Clearance Form must be completed by a healthcare provider before departure and sent to Learning Abroad. They are also advised to contact us if they require accommodations.

Before departure, all Faculty Directors should review the health disclosures submitted by students. This will help you identify any accommodations that need to be arranged and prepare for possible emergencies. Please note that we cannot force students to disclose medical information. However, if a student discloses information that concerns you, contact Learning Abroad. We can assist you in identifying the nature of the problem and finding accommodations, if needed.

Unfortunately, many students are not forthcoming in their medical disclosures because they feel that this will impact their admission to the Program. During orientation, it is important that you encourage students to be honest with their disclosures. You should also encourage students to disclose pre-existing conditions that might be important to know about during a medical emergency (such as allergies, prescription medications, and mental health issues). If you are made aware of a medical issue that is not disclosed on the health form, contact Learning Abroad as soon as possible.

Please note that some medical conditions may qualify as disabilities (and many disabilities are invisible). The University encourages students with disabilities to participate in Learning Abroad Programs. We will work closely with the student, the Faculty Director(s), our insurance company, the U’s Global Risk Manager, and the Center for Disability & Access to provide reasonable accommodations where possible.

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Last Updated: 10/11/23