Writing for Study Abroad Programs

Ali D., Writing Center tutor

Please keep in mind that these are only general guidelines; always defer to your professor's specifications for a given assignment. If you have any questions about the content represented here, please contact the Writing Centers so that we can address them for you.

No matter where you are going or how long you’re staying, incorporating writing into a study abroad trip is important. Spending time abroad can have profound effects on you personally, but it can also epitomize certain skills that can give you a competitive edge for prospective employers, academic institutions, or with scholarship/grant opportunities. The experiential and multicultural skills gleaned from any prolonged trip abroad are not only beneficial themselves, but they can make you stand out as an applicant in a job market that increasingly favors multilingualism and cross-cultural communication.

Both during and after the trip, the writing process allows you to record and reflect upon your experiences, and utilize them once you’ve returned home. From reflections, personal essays and research to resumes, cover letters and application essays, the ability to articulate through writing the knowledge gained while abroad can be helpful in marketing oneself in today’s increasingly globalized economy.

Before Your Trip

Most study abroad programs, particularly if they are through an academic institution such as DePaul University, have a competitive application process that places a heavy emphasis on application essays. At DePaul, they ask for a series of short essay questions, while other institutions—along with scholarships such as the Gilman Scholarship Program—ask for a longer, more formal essay. In either case, this is an opportunity to communicate what you hope to gain from the program and how you will benefit from the experience upon returning.

When writing application or scholarship essays, here are some important points to consider:

Consider what you are currently involved in at the time of writing (academically, professionally, personally) and think about what is most important to highlight. Give them a glimpse of who you are as a student, worker, researcher, or traveler.
Ask yourself “How am I already prepared for this experience, and how will I continue to prepare?” Study abroad programs are looking for students who will value their trip as more than a prolonged spring break.
Think about how the abroad experience/program will help you reach your future goals.
Note specific aspects of the program that you are most intrigued about. Is it language intensive? Are you staying with a host family? Is there an internship or volunteer component? How can you benefit from taking classes at a foreign institution, or working in a foreign work environment?

Some application processes have an interview component as well. Treat it like a job interview! Ask yourself the same questions as listed above—how can you benefit from participating in this specific program, and how can you contribute to the program? Any study abroad experience can offer valuable lessons, and during the application process you want to articulate your anticipated gains.

During Your Trip

Two words: Take notes! Keeping a journal while abroad will pay off in volumes after you return. Not only will it be worthwhile to record daily events, thoughts and happenings for personal reflection, but you can use important details from your trip for future resumes, interviews, or personal statements. Try using a small pocket notebook for jottings, along with a full-sized notebook in your room where you can elaborate. Study abroad experiences often grant unexpected insight that can be applied to future research, employment prospects, or even the development of new interests; having a proper journal to reflect and process everything you’re experiencing can help you sort out the details later.

After Your Trip

The first thing to do on ce you return from a trip abroad is to synthesize everything that you experienced and recorded. Combine those new experiences with the skills that you already possess within professional and/or academic settings. This information can then be woven into resumes, cover letters, personal statements, scholarship/grant essays and interviews. The important thing to keep in mind is that the study abroad experience can be an excellent additive to the skills you would normally discuss in these situations, because it provides a unique context in which to showcase your qualifications.

General skills gleaned from trips abroad often refer to communication and adaptability to new surroundings. Here are some examples of other skills that you may gain from your trip:

Adaptability and flexibility in new situations
Excellent communication skills
Multilingual skills
Comfortable working with people from different cultures
Quick thinking in high-stress or unfamiliar situations
Troubleshooting and navigation in unfamiliar environments
Gathering information through observation (or participant observation) for research
Logistical management

You can also supplement these more generalizable skills with a specific example from your study abroad trip. Especially in personal statements or interviews, use the opportunity to elaborate on certain qualifications with a tangible example from your trip. Demonstrate your experience within multicultural settings, and consider how it can translate to an asset from which a prospective employer, academic institution, etc. can benefit.

Resumes, Cover Letters and Personal Statements

As you are writing a resume, cover letter or a personal statement, check out the UCWbL resources on writing guidelines for each document. Use your discretion when deciding whether study abroad experience is appropriate to discuss—you may be able to briefly mention it in a resume or cover letter and elaborate more in a personal statement. With both types of writing, however, the skills and experience earned from study abroad can help set your writing apart from other candidates.

Additional Resources

For further guides on how to incorporate study abroad experience into different types of writing:
Application Essays

Michigan State University Office of Study Abroad sample scholarship essays
Oregon State University Abroad blog, “Make Your Study Abroad Application Shine”
Yahoo! Voices, “Example Personal Statement to Study Abroad in Hong Kong”

Resumes and Cover Letters

StudyAbroad.com, “Showcasing Study Abroad on Your Resume”
The Kelley School of Business at Indiana University Bloomington discusses how to highlight study abroad in a resume, tailored for business students.
StudyAbroad.com, “Featuring Study Abroad in your Cover Letters”
Baldwin Wallace University, “Study Abroad and Your Resume and Cover Letter”
University of Southern Maine, “Highlighting Study Abroad in Your Career Search”

Personal Statements

Alma College sample personal statements. (Notice how in the first sample, the author highlights her abroad experience as a supporting example attesting to her character and background.)
Gilman Global Experience Blog, “How has study abroad influenced my academic and personal goals?”