How To Apply
Application Process for Semester & Year Away
Semester and year-long off-campus study is generally open to sophomores, juniors, and fall-semester seniors. In addition to meeting the application requirements of the program you are applying to, you must also be in good academic and disciplinary standing at CC, and obtain your academic advisor's approval to study off-campus through the Summit application processes. Students who are currently on academic or judicial probation may not be eligible to study off-campus. Other important eligibility requirements are discussed in detail here.
Studying off-campus always requires an application completed in Summit by our posted deadlines, and if you are applying for a partner program outside of CC, you will also need to complete their application for admission, in addition to the CC Internal Application for Off-Campus Study. You can access the Center for Global Education & Field Study's Summit portal via the CC Single Sign-In, using your CC login. Once you've identified your top-choice program that best meets your academic goals for off-campus study, and have met with your academic advisor, you are ready to start the application process.
This includes all programs which have an external partner listed on our catalog of semester & year away programs.
All students participating in one of these programs will complete two applications--the CC Internal Application for Off-Campus Study on Summit, as well as the program-specific application for admission to the one top-choice program you are applying for (found on the program's website).
You can apply in any order (Summit application, partner program application) but be aware that the final step of most partner program applications is that we (CC Global Education) have to submit an approval form on your behalf saying you are approved to do this program and in good standing at CC. We cannot complete any forms for your program until you have been approved through the CC Internal Application in Summit, so please plan accordingly.
When completing the "Duration of Leave" section on your CC Internal Application for Off-Campus Study, please make sure you list all Blocks 1-4 if you are participating in a Fall semester program, list all Blocks 5-8 if you are particiapting in a Spring semester program, and list all Blocks 1-8 if you are participating in a full year-long program.
Even if the calendar of the academic system you are studying abroad in runs over different dates than the CC calendar (for example, a Southern Hemisphere program where the semester runs from February to June, or July to November, or a program in the UK that doesn't begin until October), you still must list the full semester away. You will be earning that full semester (or year) of your credit abroad, and will be coded at CC as being away on an approved study abroad leave for the complete CC semester or academic year. Because students earn their full credit for the semester while abroad/away, it is not possible to register for any on-campus blocks during that same semester, even if the calendar of the semester abroad/away would allow them to complete the course before departure or after return.
If you need to order a transcript to send to the program you are applying for, you need to request that and complete the release form through the Registrar's Office.
Any approval forms (sometimes called Home School Nomination, Advisor Approval, Study Abroad Office Recommendation, etc) that your program requires that CC submit on your behalf can only be completed after you successfully complete the CC Internal Application for Off-Campus Study, and are approved for off-campus study via Summit, so that is your first step. You can request those forms be sent to/completed by Heather Powell Browne, Assistant Director of Global Education, at hpb@coloradocollege.edu.
When to apply?
In general, students complete the CC Internal Application for Off-Campus Study at the beginning of the semester prior to the one that you wish to be studying off-campus, if not earlier. You should start working on the partner program application, if required, as soon as possible when the Summit application opens up, regardless of when the program lists their application deadlines. Some programs have very early deadlines for the program application itself, as early as December or January, for the following year. Always make sure to check the program's website directly to make sure you are within their deadlines as well as CC's.
INTERNAL APPLICATION DEADLINES
Students interested in a Partner-led Semester must apply to both the semester program provider and with Colorado College in order to transfer credit. The application deadlines for each partner or program may vary, but the CC Internal Application dates are fixed for each semester:
For Fall Semester/Year off-campus:
Early application is strongly encouraged. Late applications are not allowed.
Early application is strongly encouraged. Late applications are not allowed.
If you meet the program's requirements and apply early in the application cycle, you will likely not need a backup program. If you think you may need to consider a backup program, please set up a time to meet with Heather Powell Browne in Global Education, to discuss.
Simply submitting an application for semester study away (whether through CC, or to study through a partner program) is not binding. Once you submit an application through Summit, there is always a window where you will wait to see if you are accepted, and then you will have to log back in to Summit and confirm your participation, if accepted and you decide to do the program.
You must submit final confirmation to CC in Summit of your plans by May 1 for Fall semesters away or full-year abroad programs, and by December 1 for Spring semesters away. That means you need to be accepted by your program by that point and have submitted any deposit which may be required to confirm your spot.
Do pay atention to financial commitment deadlines once youhave confirmed for a specific study away program; there are always dates in the agreements you sign, after which you may be financially obligated for non-refundable costs if you later decide to drop your program. Also, any commitment deposit you've paid to your partner program or university abroad, if required, are often also not refundable for a late drop after an initial commitment decision is recorded.
Do not wait to apply for admission to your partner program, even if their application deadline is much later than the internal CC deadlines!
While it is somewhat rare, there are times when a student may feel that the ideal program for their academic interests is not one of those offered by Colorado College in our list of CC-led and Partner-led programs. For information about petitioning for a non-approved program, please see this page which outlines all of the specifics of the petition process at Colorado College, and the guidelines for a successful petition.
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