Adrian Kulesza, Senior Photographer

With the deadline to apply looming, Yale Study Abroad expects to see a high number of applications for summer programs.

This upcoming summer will mark the second series of in-person study abroad programs since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the summers of 2020 and 2021, the programs took place online. Last year, once full in-person programming returned after the pandemic halt, as many as 700 students participated in Yale and non-Yale programs abroad. 

“We still have time before the summer study abroad deadlines,” said Kelly McLaughlin, the director of Yale’s study abroad program. “That said, applications are coming in at a strong pace.”

The application for Yale study abroad programs has now been open for over two weeks, and will be due on Feb. 7. The application deadline to request to transfer credits for a non-Yale study abroad program is March 7. 

According to McLaughlin, programs for this summer are slated to be held in-person.

“We are hoping for a ‘return to normal,’” said McLaughlin. “So far so good in most locations, but we are still advising students to pay attention to the COVID-19 landscape as conditions evolve, hopefully all for the better.”

Twenty-four Yale study abroad programs are being offered this summer, including language-study courses and humanities and culture-based programs. 

New programming includes a Russian language study program in Georgia. There will be three programs set in Batumi and Tbilisi, Georgia: “Advanced Russian I + Culture,” “Second-Year Russian I & II + Culture” and “Third-Year Russian I & II + Culture.”

Study abroad programs located in Russia have been canceled since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.  

In addition to the popular Spanish language studies programs in Bilbao and Valencia, Spain, a third option has now been added in Peru: “YSS in Lima: Advanced Spanish Language and Culture of Peru Through Art.”

Pranava Dhar ’25 is considering various Yale and non-Yale study abroad programs in Italy for the upcoming summer. Dhar is a staff reporter for the News.

“I decided to study abroad this summer partly based on the testimony of my friends who studied last summer and loved their experiences,” Dhar said. “COVID definitely played a role, for I was uncertain how the programs might shake out last summer, being functional for the first time in two years. Now that I have more clarity about the experience of studying abroad, I am sure I’ll have a great experience if I go.”

He expressed enthusiasm for the study abroad application, which includes a personal statement where a candidate must describe their reasons and motivations for applying to the program. 

Lucia Amaya ’25 is planning to apply to the “Dubrovnik: History and Culture of Southeastern Europe” program in Croatia. 

“I haven’t started the application yet but it seems fairly accessible and straightforward,” Amaya said. “The only thing I’d say about it is that I found no availability to meet with study abroad counselors until after the application deadline, so that has made it harder for me to make decisions about my program.”

Students applying to non-Yale programs must make sure to meet the program’s deadline along with Yale’s approval of credit deadline. McLaughlin advised students to consider applying to backup programs and to apply as early as possible to increase their chances of securing a place in at least one program.

The Yale Study Abroad website includes a full list of the programs offered as well as scholarship and funding information.