Wow, my titles for posts are so boring. Ah well.

Today’s topic: applying to the exchange program!

So, many people have asked me how I managed to accomplish such a feat. Well, let me tell you. It’s actually much easier than it seems. (This pertains to the Queens College Paris Exchange Program. And to my own experience.) All I had to do was fill out the application, which didn’t require me to do much except answer some basic questions, such as my personal information, my major, the French classes that I have completed in college thus far, what kind of housing I want abroad, and my medical details. No essay. I was surprised by how simple the application was. “IS THIS FOR REAL?” I thought. Indeed, it was. Then I sent in the form with the application fee and voilà. In about a week’s time, I received an email saying I got accepted. Yay! I kind of knew that I would (not to be cocky or anything), but a surge of relief rushed over me still. So that’s my story on applying.

My friend though, who did the same exchange program but from Paris to NY, told me about her experience and wowza, it sounded like a REAL application process. Filled with tales of horror and woes. And bureaucratic nightmares. (Including taking the TOEFL twice. Oh boy. If I had to take a French proficiency exam, who knows where I’d be now… It’s one thing to do well in class, but on a standardized exam, my nerves just don’t cooperate.)

While applying to the exchange program was so easy that I thought I did something wrong, applying to the Macaulay Opportunities Fund is a whole other story. If you are a Macaulay student and you’ve gone through this process before, share with me your experience. I had a relatively smooth process, but — oh wait! I was saving this for a separate post. Well, I’ll just end this post with my gratitude that I am using my whole Opportunities Fund in one go and therefore, do not have to apply again. It is exhausting! But more about that in a later post. So until then~ Cheers!