2025-26 Semester and Academic Year Application Process

1. Research Programs

• Learn about your program options on our advising and application portal, BentleyAbroad.
• Attend one of the many events and information sessions held by our office throughout the semester.  
• Review Study Abroad 101 to ensure that you are familiar with the basics of semester abroad programs.
• Make an appointment to speak with a staff advisor or stop by the drop-in advising hours listed.

2. Consider your semester preference
Keep an open mind for fall OR spring study abroad. Semester preference is NOT guaranteed. Applicants must explain the reasons for their semester preference on the application. While we aim to accommodate the semester preference for each student, no semester is guaranteed.

3. Submit ONE application to your top choice program

• Click "apply now" on the program's page of our website.
• Make sure you meet all eligibility requirements and complete all application components, outlined below.
• Meet all deadlines listed in the chart below. Please note that there is only one application deadline for both fall and spring semester programs. All students interested in studying abroad in either semester must submit their application by that deadline.
  • The Fee Waiver Deadline is on January 6, 2025. If you apply by this date, your $50 application fee will be waived. There is no other difference between this and the Final application deadline on January 29, 2025.

Note: Bentley students are not permitted to submit an application directly to any Bentley partner university or affiliate organization. To earn Bentley credit, you must apply for admission through the Office of International Education by the stated deadlines. There are no exceptions.

4. Begin Academic Planning

• To stay on track for graduation, it is important that students carefully consider their course plans before, during, and after a semester study abroad program. All semester applicants are REQUIRED to declare a major and submit a Long Range Academic Plan to the Academic Advising Center. Applicants must meet with an Academic Advisor to review the plan and receive academic approval.
• You may meet with an Academic Advisor at any time, but you must complete the required Long Range Academic Plan form after your acceptance notification but before the deposit deadline. We highly encourage all students to attend a Academic Planning for Study Abroad workshop prior to the application deadline.
• The documents you create during the planning process will be valuable tools for you as you plot out your academic program at Bentley, including your major and any additional program you are pursuing (Honors program, double major, minor, or certificate). To learn more, visit the Office of Academic Services website.

Recommended Timing of Study Abroad

The Office of International Education recommends that students interested in a semester or academic year abroad plan for junior year. First year students should focus on taking foundation courses, consider degree opportunities with Academic Services, and begin to research study abroad options through various on campus events. First year students are not permitted to study abroad for a semester or academic year. As sophomores, students should declare their major(s), continue to research study abroad programs, and begin their application to study abroad for the following academic year. It is not advised for students to study abroad in either their sophomore year, or final semester senior year.  Study abroad is challenging, but occasionally possible, for first semester seniors. We encourage students to see an advisor in the Office of International Education to discuss study abroad opportunities and plan academically early in their academic career.

Consider Your Semester Preference

Keep an open mind for fall OR spring study abroad.  Semester preference is NOT guaranteed. Applicants must explain the reasons for their semester preference on the application. While we aim to accommodate the semester preference for as many students as possible, no semester is guaranteed.  Students applying to programs in very popular countries should be aware that semester preference may be difficult to accommodate for all qualified students.

Major Declaration Requirement

Students must declare a major prior to submitting an application for semester study abroad.

GPA Requirement

A GPA of 3.0 or higher is strongly recommended for all programs. Many of our partner institutions require a minimum 3.0 GPA for acceptance. Applicants with a GPA below 3.0 should meet with a study abroad advisor to discuss program options prior to submitting an application. A GPA of 2.5 is the minimum for consideration.

Passport Requirement

In order to obtain necessary travel documents, students are required to submit valid passport information prior to submitting an application for study abroad.      

Recommended Courses

Effective Fall 2023, there is no longer a course prerequisite to apply to study abroad, however, coursework in the GLS department in the target language is strongly encouraged and can fulfill Context and Perspective requirements. 

There are also no course prerequisites for summer or faculty-led programs.

Study Abroad 101

Semester applicants are required to complete a short quiz as part of their study abroad application. In preparation for taking this quiz, students are advised to review Study Abroad 101, a slideshow that provides students with information on the following:

• types of semester abroad programs
• financing a semester abroad
• academics, course approval and grades abroad
• eligibility and acceptance criteria
• housing process
• deadlines

Essays and short answer questions

• Semester preference (100-150 words): While we aim to accommodate the semester preference for each student, semester preference is NOT guaranteed. A student’s semester preference reasons are weighed against the other applicants’ reasons within that particular program only. This means that competition for spaces on a particular program is dependent on the number of applications received. Your explanation below will help us determine which students will be offered the limited available spots, which varies depending on the popularity of the program. We look for compelling reasons that would make study abroad in the alternate semester impossible or extremely unlikely. Please list your primary reason for why you prefer to go abroad during this particular semester.
• Back-up programs. Please note that some programs have limited spaces, which means we cannot always accept all qualified applicants. Please list your backup choices here. You may list either an alternate program OR your first choice program in a different semester. We advise against selecting a typically popular program as your alternate choice since the likelihood of availability is very slim.
• Personal Statement (200-250 words): Please tell us about yourself and your study abroad goals.
• Program appeal (100-150 words): What is the most appealing part about this institution for you personally? Internship applicants: Why have you chosen an internship, and why does this program appeal to you?
• Destination (100-150 words): Describe why you want to live in this destination.
• Class offerings (100-150 words): Describe how the class offerings at the host university fit with your interests and/or major.  Internship applicants: Please describe the field(s) in which you are interested in interning and why.
• Housing (100-150 words): Describe how the program's housing arrangements suit your needs.
• Challenge (150-200 words): Please describe a challenge you have faced and how it has prepared you for the some of the challenges you may face in your upcoming international experience.
• Housing at Bentley (Y/N): Do you plan to live on campus during the semester when you are not abroad? 

Faculty Recommendation

• Recommendations are required only for certain programs. You may see it included as part of your online application as soon as you open it, or it may appear on your account later in the process. In this event, the program advisor will email anyone who has begun an application for that program informing them that the recommendation is required. If you’re unsure if your program requires a faculty recommendation, feel free to email the advisor for that program. Regardless of whether your application requires a faculty recommendation, we strongly recommend all students speak with their faculty/major advisor about their plans to study abroad prior to applying. 
• If your program does require a recommendation, select "Request Electronic Recommendation" unless the program specifically requires a hard copy recommendation. 
• Students must ask a professor if they are willing to serve as a recommender BEFORE sending the electronic recommendation request.
  Once the electronic request is sent, the professor will receive an automatic email with instructions. The recommendation asks the professor to comment on the student's academic performance, maturity, and preparedness for study abroad. The professor is NOT required to submit the reference by the student application deadline.  Professors have a later deadline to complete recommendations.  Student applications can still be considered complete even if recommendations are pending.   

Application Fees and Deposits

Students are required to submit a $50 non-refundable application fee (paid online ONLY through the BentleyAbroad system). This fee is waived for semester applicants who complete their application by the priority deadline.

Once you have been accepted to your program, you must also submit a $250 deposit to hold your spot. This deposit will be applied to your program bill once it is posted to your student account. See the chart below for deposit deadlines.

The study abroad application process can be very competitive, especially for programs with limited spaces and for programs in typically popular countries. The benefits of study abroad are most likely to be realized by students who make significant effort to observe, adapt, and learn from differences. Ideal candidates will demonstrate flexibility and preparedness for serving as ambassadors of Bentley. Success factors include:

• independence
• adaptability
• maturity
• responsibility
• academic initiative and ability to adapt to new teaching styles
• intellectual and cultural curiosity to "go beyond tourism" toward participation in the host culture

Applications are evaluated according to the following methodology:

• We review each student’s individual application components to determine eligibility to study abroad.  We ensure that any program-specific requirements are met (for example, some programs mandate a specific GPA or level of language ability). This step in the review is informed by application essays, GPA, faculty recommendation, judicial history review; and academic integrity review.  Students must be in good standing to be eligible to study abroad. 
• Once all qualified applicants are identified we must then determine if there are enough available spaces in the preferred program and semester. We identify the programs where we do not have sufficient spaces to accommodate all qualified applicants. These are typically fall semester programs in popular countries such as Australia, Italy, Spain, UK, for which we typically receive large numbers of applications.
• On a program-by-program basis, we identify which students will be offered the limited available spots. The semester preference essay is a factor in this decision.  We look for compelling reasons that would make study abroad in a particular semester impossible or extremely unlikely for the applicants. We prioritize reasons in the following order:

1. Academics: Are specific major, honors, or other courses required in a particular semester at Bentley? Will studying abroad in a particular semester make it difficult to meet graduation requirements on schedule? 
2. Athletics: Is the student a varsity athlete and required to be on campus in a particular season?
3. Commitments: Is the student already committed to a job, internship, or campus organization leadership role that requires student to be on campus in a particular semester?
4. Personal: Is there any other significantly compelling case for a particular semester?

Semester Preference Tips

It is important to note that a student’s semester preference reasons are weighed against the other applicants’ reasons within that particular program only. This means that competition for spaces on a particular program is dependent on the number of applications received. Although we make every effort to ensure that every qualified applicant can participate in their first choice study abroad program, in some cases even very high achieving applicants may not be approved to study abroad in their preferred semester.

Many students cite the summer internship search as their motivation to prefer fall semester study abroad.  However, the internship search is highly personalized, so intent to be on campus in spring semester to search for an internship is not a significantly compelling justification for fall semester study abroad.  Bentley students successfully secure summer internships before, during, and after study abroad in both fall and spring semesters.  To conduct a successful internship search, planning and persistence are far more effective tools than mere presence on campus.  Applicants are strongly advised to discuss their study abroad goals with advisors in Career Services for guidance on conducting a successful internship search before, during, and after study abroad.

Semester and Summer Programs