International Students | Senior Program | www.explo.org
For international students, the Senior Program offers the unique experience of living on the campus of one of America's premier universities while visiting some of the country's cultural and political capitals. And with American and other international students in your classes, your dorm suite, your weekend trips, and your afternoon soccer games, while you're at the Program you'll meet and make friends from more than 40 US states and 50 different countries.
What is Explo like? During the week, you can hang out on the quad with a Texan, eat lunch with a Brazilian, and work on a class project (will it be a movie, a business model, or an architectural design?) with an Italian and a New Yorker. On the weekends, you can attend a baseball game at Yankee Stadium or stroll through Times Square in New York City before seeing a Broadway show. All the while, you'll be learning the nuances, slang, customs, and habits of your new American and international friends.
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Wherever you are in life, whatever your reasons for coming, an Explo summer will provide you with a great chance to get a taste for American life . . . and of the world.
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For students interested in more formal English instruction, the Senior Program offers a course in English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL). The class focuses on improving student fluency with both the spoken and written language. Through role-play activities (such as a political debate or discussing a television show), students practice using the verbal idioms and vernacular of American English. The course also provides instruction on grammar and syntax rules, as well as lessons in vocabulary, to help students with more complex reading and writing.
Senior Program International Student FAQ
| International Student FAQ |
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| Why have so many international families chosen Exploration over the years? There are a lot of reasons why international families continue to choose Exploration. We've been told by many of these families that our long history with international students has made them comfortable trusting Exploration. At the Program, international students enter into a welcoming and inclusive atmosphere that incorporates them into the activities, athletics, classes, and trips of Explo while also being open to the cultures of all of our international students. For these students, it is an exciting opportunity to get to come to America and meet students from the United States — as well as students from all over the world. |
| Do international students really get to experience authentic American culture at Exploration? The culture of the Senior Program is akin to an authentic American college experience. Living in the dorms at Yale University and taking courses taught predominately by American instructors, Exploration students are exposed to the cultural diversity of their peers and their teachers who represent a wide variety of backgrounds, cultures, and beliefs. The historic campus of Yale and the urban environment of New Haven offer a unique experience of life in an American college town. In addition, our 15+ weekend trip offerings — including trips to New York City, Boston, Washington D.C., and visits to college campuses in the northeast — allow international students to experience popular American sites first-hand. |
| How many students are international students?
About 20-25% of the student body at the Senior Program is composed of international students who come from over 50 countries around the world. |
| How does your Program approach cultural differences, either between a student's home culture and American culture or two non-American cultures? Because of the cultural diversity of the Senior Program's student body, many of the discussions and activities that take place in the dorms surround learning from cultural differences. Our faculty is trained to act as a resource for students around issues of cultural difference and to mediate and help resolve any issues that may arise as a result. International students are required to attend a meeting on the first day of the Program that introduces them to the resources we have available to them at the Senior Program. |
| What level of English proficiency is necessary to attend Explo?
Because all of our courses, activities, and correspondence with students are conducted in English, it is crucial that students have at least an intermediate or advanced level of English proficiency to attend Exploration and to take advantage of everything the Program has to offer. |
| Does Explo offer ESOL classes?
Yes. The ESOL class is a full course designed for international students to practice their English and learn more about American culture. If international students wish to take the ESOL class, they must register for the class on their online application. Students may sign up for the ESOL class as one of their morning courses. |
| Does Explo require international students to take ESOL classes?
Explo does not require international students to take ESOL classes. We do, however, require that students have an intermediate or advanced level of English proficiency to attend the Program, and encourage international students to speak in English during check-ins, courses, and activities. |
| What kind of visa do I need for Explo?
International students need to acquire a B-2 visa for a short visit. The B-2 visa is normally obtained at the United States embassy in your home country. |
| Will my insurance work in the U.S.? If not, how do I enroll in Explo's insurance? International students are required to carry American accident and health coverage, which may be purchased through Exploration. International participants and others without this coverage will be billed each session for a short term accident/health policy. |
| What is the best way to get payment to you?
Payments may be made by check or international wire. Credit cards are accepted for online deposits only, not for final payments. All payments, including deposits, tuition, and cash advances must be made in US funds. We will not accept checks drawn on a foreign bank. |
| How do you coordinate travel to and from the Program on arrival and departure days? Exploration provides transportation to and from Bradley International Airport to the Yale campus on arrival and departure days during designated times. If students choose to fly in to other airports, they are responsible for coordinating and covering the cost of their travel to Yale's campus. One of Exploration's travel partners is BostonCoach, a trustworthy livery service that can be hired to arrange travel to Yale from airports other than Bradley. |
| Does Exploration offer any assistance in planning travel to and from the Program? In order to help families make travel arrangements for their children, Exploration has partnered with Colpitts World Travel. Colpitts is a leader in international travel assistance and is capable of helping families plan safe, full-service travel arrangements to and from Exploration. By booking through Colpitts, you can quickly determine how many other Exploration students are already on a flight and whether the flight arrives during our regular airport pick-up hours. If it does not, Colpitts can book travel between the airport and campus through another Exploration transportation partner, BostonCoach. Colpitts negotiates discounts with the major airlines and therefore, their pricing is very competitive. |
