Changes to how students apply to study abroad

During the 2025-26 academic year, the Provost’s Office convened task forces of students, faculty, staff, and administrators to analyze Wake Forest’s study abroad process and to create a plan to address the disparity caused when 90% of students who study abroad do so in the fall semester. The task forces have completed their work and created a plan to reduce the disparity to 80% in the fall semester and 20% in the spring semester, to be implemented beginning in fall 2027. This plan will:

• Streamline the process for students studying abroad for a semester
• Create a more balanced distribution of students studying abroad in the fall and spring semesters to alleviate congestion on campus, such as housing and parking, and increase availability of courses  
• Enable our Affiliate programs to have earlier and more accurate student rosters, reducing the domino effect of waitlists, and
• Facilitate students applying to a semester abroad with a friend group  

To implement the plan, Global Programs and Studies has designed a Single Application process that includes incentives for students who choose to study abroad in the spring, such as an application process that allows up to 10 students to apply as a cohort and preferred housing. Residence Life & Housing is developing options for students who commit to spring abroad programs to select among highly desirable housing locations for the fall semester preceding the spring semester of study abroad; more information will be available later this fall. 

Read the full announcement.