pre-departure & important tips
Here is everything that I think is useful for a student studying abroad, both pre-departure and during your stay in Korea.
My preparation for studying abroad started way back in April 2020. I intended to study abroad in Spring 2021, which unfortunately got pushed back until Fall 2021. After many deferrals, I am beyond excited to be studying abroad at Seoul National University. Here are the applications I had to fill out, along with a few tips and helpful resources.
1. MIX Application UH has two different programs that you can utilize for international exchanges. I looked at the different programs on both the SAC and MIX websites and decided to apply through MIX because I was pretty set on going to school in South Korea. Other than the choices in schools/locations, the main difference between MIX and SAC is that MIX is more independent. If studying abroad through SAC, a UH professor will go with you, and you will take a course from them. When filling out the Google Form for the MIX application, there were some questions that required a little more detail, so I typed all my responses on a Google Doc before submitting the form. The MIX application also requires a reference. Please keep in mind that the MIX application deadline is relatively early compared to when you will actually be studying abroad. 2. MIX Nomination Acceptance In January, I received an email from MIX regarding the partner university that I would be assigned to. There was a form to fill out to accept my nomination. 3. Pre-Departure Orientation On February 1st, I received a welcome email from MIX. Our first assignment was to complete the pre-departure orientation, which is a course on Canvas. We had two weeks to complete the course, which covered the basics of studying abroad. 4. Secondary Application to SNU Even though MIX has nominated you to a partner university, you must apply through the partner university. Being nominated by MIX does not guarantee acceptance to your partner university. The instructions to apply will come from a representative at SNU, which I received in early March. a) Order Transcript ASAP. It takes about 1-2 weeks for the transcript to come in. You will be needing the transcript for your SNU online application. b) Obtain Verification of Enrollment. I filled out the PDF request for verification of enrollment form on the website and emailed it to [email protected]. I received mine in about 3 days via email. c) Online application - A representative from SNU sent a link in early March to the SNU online application. Be careful when filling out the online application, as the website can be a little glitchy. Due to COVID, the application deadline was extended to March 26 (Korea time). Here is what the online application asks for: Certificate of Enrollment (Verification of Enrollment) Academic Transcript: You will need to break the seal on the envelope to make a copy of it. I used the Notes app on my iPhone to make a digital copy of my transcript. Statement of Purpose: There weren't any guidelines on what to write for the statement of purpose. I included a little bit about myself and why I want to go to SNU. There weren't any guidelines about how long it should be, but mine was about a page and a half double spaced. Passport copy Recommendation letter (optional) Once I submitted my online application, I saved it as a PDF and emailed it to MIX. 5. Freeman Application All of the information for the Freeman application is located here. The application has five different parts to it. The Freeman scholarship is specifically for students studying abroad in Asia, but the Johnson scholarship is for students studying in Europe. a) Scholarship Application Form: This part of the application is what takes the most amount of time. b) Preliminary Travel Expense Sheet: I filled out a very rough estimate of my expenses. I used the program budget sheet on the MIX website as a guide to fill out my expense sheet. c) Preliminary Course Form: I used the Shidler website to find course equivalencies at SNU. Please be mindful of the dates that the course equivalency is valid for. The MIX website also has a list of course equivalencies. You may also find courses are you interested in taking via the SNU website. However, at the time you are working on the Freeman application, the courses for the semester you will be attending SNU are not published yet. You can use prior semesters courses as a reference for what may be offered in the semester you attend, but just because it is offered in a prior semester does not guarantee that it will be offered in the semester you will attend. When browsing the SNU course website, 1st semester refers to the Spring and 2nd semester refers to the Fall. I met with a Shidler and MIX advisor to get this form signed before submitting my Freeman application. d) Resume: I adjusted my resume a little to factor in the international experiences I've had. e) Academic plan: I printed out a copy of my STAR account. It included the classes I plan on taking at SNU, as well as the classes I plan on taking when I return to UH Manoa. 6. SNU Acceptance Due to COVID, SNU delayed their selection results. On May 18th, I received an email from SNU with my conditional acceptance. The acceptance is considered conditional because there are forms and documents needed in order to attend SNU (e.g. Visa). 7. Visa On June 16th, I received an email from SNU with the documents required to obtain my student Visa. MIX has a handy Visa guide for each country. Once you fill out the form and obtain all the documents for your Visa, you will need to drop it off at the Korean Consulate in Honolulu (conveniently located on the Pali Highway). The Consulate gave me a specific date (exactly 3 weeks from the date I dropped off all my documents) to come and pick up my Visa. Here is what I needed for my Visa: Visa Application: I printed out a hard copy and brought it to the Consulate. The application requires a passport photo, which I took at Long's out of convenience. Passport: While my Visa was being processed for 3 weeks, the Consulate held on to my physical Passport. I would highly recommend making a copy of your Passport, just in case you need the information to fill out forms during that 3 week period. Certificate of Admission (from SNU email) Notification of Acceptance (from SNU email) Certificate of Business Registration (from SNU email) Transcript: The consulate requires an OFFICIAL transcript in an UNOPENED envelope. I would recommend ordering this early once the previous semester is finished and all grades are posted. Birth certificate: Even though both my parents were born in Hawaii, the Consulate still required me to bring my birth certificate because I have Korean blood. I also brought my parents birth certificates just to be safe. Because my dad is the one with Korean blood, the Consulate took a copy of his birth certificate.
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January 2022
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