How going abroad can work with your academic ambitions at Penn

Ever since the beginning of my college process, I was always certain that I’d go abroad. Flash forward a few years to the middle of my second year of Penn, I found myself daunted by how to make that dream a reality. Earlier that year, I’d taken my first Criminology class. After learning how the major combined my passion for criminal justice with the interdisciplinarity Penn is so well known for, I declared a second major in Criminology. While I was excited by this new prospect academically, I worried adding on a second major would make it difficult to go abroad and still complete all my requirements on time.

I was fairly certain I wanted to go abroad in the United Kingdom, so I brought these concerns to Penn Abroad’s UK advisor, who assured me that the abroad office works with each student to find a way to determine a way for abroad to fit into their academic plan at Penn. I immediately felt more at ease, and she directed me to the Penn English in Program in London, which would allow me to complete requirements for my English major while studying with renowned faculty at King’s College London and going on exciting excursions as part of the program.

My next step was to meet with advisors in Penn’s English department, who helped me select classes at King’s that would count for the remaining requirements I had for my English degree. While abroad, I was able to submit those classes to XCAT, Penn’s external credit approval system, and know that they were approved before I even returned home.

I was also relieved to know I still had the full support of all of Penn’s advising resources while abroad, and it was particularly helpful to meet with my academic advisor while selecting classes for the next semester to ensure I was remaining on track. Now that I am back at Penn, not only am I returning with amazing memories of an experience I’d recommend to anyone, but also with the certainty that I am 100% on track with my academic goals despite spending a semester away from Penn.

- Sami H.