On this page we will outline some of the most frequent questions that students have asked:

Application Questions: 

What are the Admission Requirements?:
  • All majors welcome!
  • 18+ years old
  • Currently enrolled in university, or recently graduated
  • Already completed at least one semester of university
  • Both Undergraduate and Graduate students are welcome to apply.
  • 2.5 Grade Point Average (GPA) 77/100 for international students. 
  • Students with a lower GPA should submit an additional letter of reference, preferably from a professor, along with a brief letter of explanation for review by the admissions committee.


Can I get Academic credits?

Will my university accept the academic credits?

How many students are expected to participate?
  • Between 20 and 40 students are expected in the summer session, from a mix of universities across the USA and from around the world. 


Has any student from my university attended before?
  • Likely.  We have alumni from universities in almost all 50 states in the USA. 
  • A partial list of universities can be found on the credit transfer page
  • Don't see your school on the list?  Contact us


How selective is the admissions process?
  • Since we are a small group (and we all travel together), it is extremely important that we get the "right" students in our program.  Is this based on GPA? No!  Absolutely not!  
  • The student with a perfect 4.0 GPA might be the absolutely wrong candidate for our program (as might the student with a 3.2)!  They might not be the right fit for our group, and the unique traveling nature of our programs.  
  • So how do we decide?  The old-fashioned way: by personally interviewing each candidate and personally evaluating their "fit" (based on interests, openness to new cultures, a willingness to learn and try new things, etc).  By the time a student comes abroad with us, they will likely have personally talked with our director, a professor, some of our students, an alumni, an intern, etc.

Visa Travel Questions:

Do I need a passport?

Do I need a visa?
  • Probably not.   If you are American, hold a USA passport, then you currently do not need a visa to travel to any of our programs (as of May 2023)
  • For citizens of all other countries, it depends on which country you are coming from.
  • Students are responsible for getting their own travel visas to attend our upcoming events.  
  • Please see our page related to travel documents (visa, passports)


If I do need a visa, how can Summit help?
  • Paperwork:  If you are traveling from a country that does need a visa to travel to a Summit program, then Summit Global Education can help by issuing some of the necessary paperwork for you to present to the nearest consulate.  These papers may include: (1) verification that you are indeed enrolled in the study abroad program, (2) that you have paid in full, and (3) that hotels have been booked on your behalf.  Before issuing these papers, Summit will need you to apply, pay the $40 application fee, and pay your $500 confirmation payment, and set up your payment plan.    If the visa is formally denied, the student may request a full refund (minus the $40 application fee). To request this refund, please email director @ SummitGlobalEducation.com  and include digital (scanned) copies of the rejection letters.  Please see the cancellation policy and the Visa section for more details...

Course Questions:

How many courses can I take?
  • Depending on which session you choose, you can take up to 2 courses (for 6 credits)
  • Please visit our courses page to review the options, and let us know if you have any questions. 


Can I get help with credit-transfer to my university?
  • Yes!  We are here to help! 
  • First step:  visit our credit-transfer page on our website and follow the step-by-step instructions. 
  • Then, put us in contact with your adviser (or professor), we would be happy to talk with them to see if our courses are the right fit for you!


Do I need to learn any languages before going abroad? 
  • No. The only requirement is that you need to be fluent in English (since all of our courses are conducted in English). 
  • But, we highly recommend that each student should work on at least one language before coming abroad.  For example, if you are going to spend 2+ weeks in Barcelona, it might be nice to know a few words in Spanish!  If you are coming to Paris, we highly recommend learning a little French!  For this, we highly recommend all students to download this app to their cell phones (its free and easy!):  https://www.duolingo.com/  
  • In addition, for each country we visit, Summit will help by recommending some simple gestures and etiquette vocabulary to get an understanding of the culture.

Program Questions:

How does the Summit Study Abroad program in Europe work?:  
  • In the past:  The summer started by spending 2-1/2 weeks in Barcelona, studying on campus at the IQS School of Management, of the Ramon Llull University in Barcelona.  After completing this core academic part of the program, we led students on an academic traveling journey across Europe.  Then, we slowed down again and spend about 2-1/2 weeks in Prague, taking courses on campus at the University of New York in Prague, before finally traveling again with students to Vienna and Budapest.
  • Depending on their summer schedule, students can choose different sessions -- with different starting/ ending dates. 


Which Program/ Session should I take?
  • First decide how long do you want to be abroad?  And, which cities do you want to visit?  Then, see our Dates and Sessions
  • Then decide how many classes do you want to take abroad?  If you want to take 2 courses, then take an option that allows you to do so.  Ask us if you have any questions. 
  • Different courses are available in different sessions, so choose carefully! 


Arrival date - What day should I arrive?
  • Try to arrive by 11am on the starting date of your program.  For example:
  • For students starting in Barcelona for our Europe Summer program:  We will hold an opening ceremony at 2pm.  Most students will be arriving early in the morning, although some may be arriving a day or two early (so they can relax a bit before the program begins).  If you plan on arriving early, please just let us know and we can help set up accommodations. While this is not officially part of the Summit program, we would be more-than-happy to help you choosing places to visit, and with tips about how to get there on your own.


Departure date - After the program is done, are we allowed to stay longer on our own time?
  • Yes you are.
  • Many students choose to explore Europe or Brazil on their own (or with family and friends) before and after the program.  While this is not officially part of the Summit program, we would be more-than-happy to help you choosing places to visit, and with tips about how to get there on your own. 


On our free weekends, are we able to travel to a different city / country for a day or two?
  • Yes, students are allowed (and encouraged) to take full-advantage of the free weekends.  
  • On the free weekends, we will recommend a ton of fun activities in the city we are visiting.  This might include recommended local tours, hikes, museums and more. But you are also welcome to travel to other nearby cities (and beaches, mountains, etc), and we will help you with the planning if you like!  The only requirement is that you tell us where you are going (so we can contact you if your parents are looking for you), and that you return in time for class and activities on Monday morning!  ​


Are there any set excursions on the weekends? 
  • Yes, we do organize a TON of activities and excursions on weekends... but all of what we organize on the weekends is 100% optional!   
  • If you would like more information, please contact our events and social coordinator - his name is Maike - and he is the one that organizes many of these weekend excursions - such as hikes, biking trips, and weekend getaways).  Please feel free to send chat by Facebook messenger.   If you don't use Facebook, please just contact us with the most convenient way to reach you...


If we want to do extracurricular activities, are we allowed?
  • Yes, absolutely! We will help you with this by recommending a ton of fun activities in each city we visit (options include hiking, biking, yoga, beach volleyball, gym memberships, specialized tours, excursions, and more!)
  • We highly encourage students to try new things while traveling!


Will we have free time (outside of class and organized activities)?
  • Yes!  Our programs are designed so students have time to experience the cities outside of class time. 
  • This is especially true for students taking just one course (on any of our longer sessions)


Do we have a curfew to return to the apartments during the weekdays?
  • No, there is no curfew. Within our program, the students have to be at least 18 years old (most are 20+), and as adults they are free to come back at any time. We highly recommend not staying out too late, especially when classes are during the weekday.


Accommodations:  Where do we stay?
  • Please see the accommodations page for the upcoming program

More Information: