F.A.Q. for Parents

Welcome to the Carpe Diem page specifically dedicated to the most frequent parent-related questions. Over the years, it has become evident to us organizationally that although our students and prospective students are our main target audience, that their parents and caregivers are just as important--after all, by letting go of your son or daughter, you have your own transitions to negotiate and learn to feel comfortable with!

Below you will find the most frequently asked questions we receive from parents. Hopefully these will help frame more of your understanding of who we are, what we offer, what we expect, and how we help your student transition more fully into young adulthood.

COMMUNICATION

  1. What is the blog and who writes it?

    The blog is a student-written account of everything that is happening on a Carpe Diem program, as well as an archive of past programs and their adventures. All blogs, usually written about once every week, are written by the students and are uncensored (as long as they are culturally appropriate). Every student will have a chance to write a blog, so the flow and form and style of each entry will be different, allowing for the variety of experiences, interpretations, and personalities in the group to come out and paint a multi-faceted picture of what actually happens when a group of young adults starts to find its own character and flow.

    We encourage you as parents to read the blog, as it will give you an excellent window into the life of the group and the program. It will also give you an excellent starting point from which to talk to your student about his/her own personal experience, both during the program as well as afterwords when he/she has returned.

  2. How can I communicate with my son or daughter while they are abroad? Why can't they bring a cell phone?

    While your son or daughter is on a Carpe Diem semester program, expect them to have Internet access at least one time every week. With that, the most common forms of communication with home are e-mails, Skype, Gmail Video Chat, and regular international phone calls (in many of the countries we go to, public phone booths are very common).

    Sometimes, however, the group will be unable to check e-mail due to remote projects, a hiking trip, or SCUBA diving, for example. For the most part, though, we do our best to make sure that students have the ability to call or e-mail home about once a week. Also, we believe in the mantra "no news is good news," as we really want the students to dive into the cultural experience by being present at all times with whatever we are doing. In other words, it is very important for our students to maintain a healthy level of communication with home, but we find that the truest and most valuable experiences abroad are the ones in which the students really engage with what they are doing and the experiential growth associated with traveling abroad and becoming a more conscious and independent young adult.

    In terms of cellular phones, Carpe Diem has a policy in which students are not allowed to use cell phones on the program. They can use their cell phone to get to the airport of departure in the United States, but we ask them to turn them off for the duration of their time in country. They are two reasons for this:

    1. Cell phones, laptops, and other expensive electronic devices are a target for thieves and it is better to leave those things at home than to take them abroad. The traveler's mantra is "if you are willing to bring it, you need to be willing to lose it," and we find that most people are not willing to lose their cell phones or laptops.
    2. Our policy is designed to help students move forward and away from the anchors of "who they were" to better enable them to explore "who they want to become". It is extremely difficult to be open to new environments and people if you can always be called upon by your family and your friends, connected to life back home through text messages and phone calls. We want our students to be totally invested in their experience abroad with this new group of people, and that is impossible when students are emotionally (and, at times, physically) attached to their world back home. This makes it harder to progress forward because there is an umbilical cord tying them to the past. In almost all cases, students at the end of the program are extremely appreciative of this policy because it really does allow them to engage more authentically with the experience that they are creating, and it is nice to take a break from being 100% plugged in all the time.
    3. In the past, we have had issues with students using cell phones in order to speak to their parents about issues that were coming up in the group. So, instead of talking to their leaders and being more proactive members of the group, parents were involved, who then called the Carpe Diem office to talk about what was happening in-country. The Carpe Diem office then had to call the leaders to find out what was going on in order to get to the root of the situation; calling about bring sick with Traveler's Diarrhea without telling the group leaders being one of the more common examples. In our experience, it is much better for students to engage directly and honestly with other members of the group and their team leaders about issues that arise, as opposed to involving parents and going about it from the other direction. Again, we are trying to create independent and conscious young adult travelers through authentic intercultural and group experiences, and this is very hard to do if students are actually having their parents engage for them.

      Given this policy, it is important for parents to understand that the best way to contact their children is through those methods already listed. Naturally, if there is an issue that comes up, the leaders will be able to get in contact with the Carpe Diem office, and we contact the parents. This can be very difficult for parents as well as students, but we feel that in order to create an authentic and powerful learning and growth experience, one that may not be easy but one that is extremely valuable, we want to set up both students and parents for a success in which both parents and students embrace the new people they are becoming.

  3. In case of an emergency, how do I get in touch with my son/daughter while they're overseas?

    In case of emergency, please contact the Carpe Diem office, and we will get a hold of our leaders, who will then talk to your son or daughter and have him or her contact you as soon as possible. Many parents use e-mail to contact their children, and depending on where the group is at the time, students typically use phone calls or Skype to contact their parents.

    Carpe Diem has an after-hours emergency cell phone that is used by staff here in the United States while all programs are out in the field. Once your son/daughter has been accepted, he or she will receive more information about this emergency phone, and this will be another option if you are calling after our business hours.

  4. Can I send my son/daughter a package overseas?

    If you would like to send your son or daughter a package while he or she is overseas, please consider the following:

    1. Sometimes a package can take up to one month to reach its final destination, so it is important to confirm with your son/daughter about where the group will be (and when) in order for the package to arrive before they are actually there. Many times, parents have sent letters or packages that took too long to reach the final destination and our group had already left, making it almost impossible to connect the package and the student. Mail delivery usually takes much longer than it would here, so please plan ahead.
    2. Packages are routinely checked at the border by customs officials, and some countries are notorious for "losing things," so it is not a great idea to send something of value to your son/daughter in the mail. However, if you do send something valuable, we recommend that you use a reputable international carrier (DHL, FedEx, or UPS).
    3. Many times there is a customs duty or import tax applied to any package that comes into a country from the United States. This means that your students, the leaders, or a cultural contact must pay this tax in order to receive the package, sometimes amounting to more than what the package is actually worth. This is especially difficult for our cultural contacts, given the large amount of money necessary to receive the package, so we prefer students or leaders doing this (see #1).
    4. We recommend that if you do want to send something in the mail to your son/daughter, please make it a letter or postcard, as these are the easiest and most likely to get to the destination on time. If you do need to send something of value, though, you can use one of the companies listed above and it is best to coordinate these efforts with the group and possibly the Carpe Diem office.

FINANCES

  1. What happens if I take the Financial Aid but don't complete my credits?

    Well . . . to be frank, nothing good! Think it about it like this, if the government is giving you funding for you to take classes. But if you don't take classes then they will rightfully want their money back. Check out this link on PSU's page for all sorts of helpful information. http://www.pdx.edu/finaid/undergraduate-students-with-0-45-attempted-psu-credits.

  2. What do Carpe Diem programs cost? Is airfare covered during my time with Carpe Diem?

    During 2011/2012 the cost to participate in a Carpe Diem program ranges from $8,900 to $11,900. The program fee includes all language classes (where applicable), accommodation, food, all travel while abroad, and all group activities. Each program also has to highly qualified group leaders who's primary responsibility is to the safety of each student. University credit is available for all programs for an additional fee of $900 to receive a full semesters worth of credit.

    Airfare is not covered in the cost of tuition by Carpe Diem. Unfortunately with the volatility of airfares we have to make that a separate cost. However, in our attempt to reduce the cost of airfare, we work with an international travel agency who is experienced in getting group and student discounted airfares to reduce the cost to each student. In some rare cases air miles may be used however this is not recommended due to further restrictions to your travel.

  3. What is a consortium agreement between colleges and how can it help with financial aid?

    Consortium agreements are basically formal arrangements between two universities and will work when there's a student currently attending one university but wanting to do our program. With a Consortium agreement, students basically would remain registered at their existing institution (keeping all scholarships, FAFSA funds, and paying directly to that school), but would attend Carpe Diem through our relationship with PSU. Students will still need to pay the $900 to CD for their PSU transcript, but with a Consortium agreement in hand the credits in theory will transfer straight through to the other school with only a modicum of any fuss.

    To arrange one, students simply go to the Study Abroad office at their institution and request to set one up. In almost all cases there's a little work to do, but typically far less than taking a "Leave of Absence" from their original institution, then applying to PSU, submitting the FAFSA, running the gauntlet with a new Financial Aid department (that packages 70,000 awards a year) and ... well, you get the point.

  4. What is the process to get Federal Financial Aid (FAFSA)?

    The first thing, after getting accepted to Carpe Diem, is to apply online to PSU www.pdx.edu. On the PSU application it will indicate whether or not you intend on applying for Financial Aid, be sure to mark that as "yes". The other thing to do once the application is in at PSU, is to apply to FAFSA. This is the general and clearing house for all of your financial aid and once PSU's accepted you and has received your FAFSA form, they'll start to "package" you with an award offer of grants, loans, etc. Please note that to maximally avail yourself of Federal Student Aid you should apply for FAFSA at least 2 months prior to the departure of your semester.

    All along this process it's not uncommon for PSU to want copies of certain paperwork that will hold or HALT your Financial Aid award; they might have misplaced your SAT scores, or even need to see a HS transcript that you never sent. The best way to do this is online and you should get in the habit of checking your online account regularly. You should check this regularly with regard to admissions, and then once admissions is all settled and you've been officially accepted to PSU this will be how you'll know where you are in the Financial Aid process. http://my.pdx.edu.

    From there, Financial Aid takes the budget that we've submitted for the year for each program, and "package" you with a financial aid offer. Please note that a financial aid offer is not accepted until you choose to do so via that online banweb system that PDX has. So again, remember that web site and use it frequently.

    Financial Aid is usually disbursed about a week prior to the beginning of the quarter to which you're "attending PSU." For the Fall semesters this lines up pretty well with our existing programs. You can usually have your financial aid disbursed either to your PSU HigherOne card (which is basically a VISA/Debit card) or to you via check. In either case, the easiest thing to do is to have the funds sent to you, then to disburse them to us at Carpe Diem.

    You must complete at least 12 semester credits in order to remain eligible for the FAFSA funding you received, if you do not turn in the course work after your semester in order to receive credit, the government will demand a refund for the money allocated to you.

  5. Aside from Federal dollars, are there other financial aid dollars or scholarships available?

    We highly value the diversity of students on every program and are constantly looking for ways and partnerships to increase the availability of our programs to all students regardless of financial availability. Currently there are a few sources of financial aid in addition to FAFSA available for needs-based students: Carpe Diem itself is able to offer some small scholarships. We encourage students to look at our Financial Aid page. In it we've put together information about the traditional sources of financial aid through FAFSA and Portland State University, but also some of the less-traditional fundraising methods that have worked for past students. Finally, we've had some slideshows and powerpoint presentations created that are near-finished (so you can put your personal touch on them) as a way of encouraging you to get out into your community and share your upcoming journey. Here is our Financial Aid page.

HEALTH & SAFETY

  1. Is it safe to travel to the developing world?

    Over the course of running upwards of 75 group semester programs Carpe Diem and its partners have built a vast network of in-country contacts that assist us with everything from safety issues to current unique cultural opportunities, from Peace Corps officials and medical practitioners to non-profit directors and expatriate community members. We stay in dialogue with these partners regularly and should any particular situation arise, they are among the first we contact. We're ultimately in the business of building relationships, and we are constantly receiving the most up-to-date information about our destinations and how it affects our groups and programs. And in the unlikely event that we do not feel we can manage any local safety concerns, we either re-route the group and create a new (and equally powerful) program or simply cancel the semester and refund your program fees.

    All of that being said, we work with locals as often as possible to help organize our projects and travels; we organize transportation options that don't announce "American Tourists" to the world; and we stay in contact with local US embassies in the event that anything potentially harmful should happen. Our Portland staff also keeps up on world/regional events through the BBC, CNN, and local news sources.

    Recognizing our limitations of control, however, is not just applicable overseas. We always like to take the larger perspective and recognize not only that Carpe Diem has a phenomenal safety record, but alo that safety within the US is also in our control only to a very limited extent. We do what we can in the US and abroad to safeguard our selves and our possessions, but the decision is ultimately up to each student to follow our policies, guidelines, and advice. As a general rule, if a student gets into trouble in the States, he/she will do so overseas. That being said, we spend a large part of our semester programs discussing risks and challenges of the travel that we do, especially during orientation, and we focus a lot of these discussions on prevention and how best to travel intelligently. A major part of our program is empowering students to take more responsibility for health and safety, both for themselves as well as the group. Finally, we also partner with American medical representatives to provide a level of medical supervision for our program that is unsurpassed. We work with a local Portland MD who specializes in developing-country medicine, and is among very few doctors nationwide who has traveled extensively in the developing world and holds a current certification as an Emergency Room Physician. Furthermore, in our office we staff two Emergency Room Nurses and one Wilderness EMT - offering a level of support to our group leaders and students that is well beyond the standard in study abroad education.

    All travel has its inherent challenges and risks, and it's important to us to take every possible measure to create the most rewarding and authentic experience for our students, all while taking all possible measures to ensure their physical, mental, and emotional safety. Life is unpredictable (and that is where a lot of the growth lies), but we here at Carpe Diem continue to take the steps necessary to facilitate this adventure in a way that is safe, first and foremost.

  2. Does my son or daughter need international travel insurance? Can you recommend any?

    While most travelers need little or no medical attention while traveling abroad, it is important to be prepared for possible medical emergencies. Thus, Carpe Diem requires that all semester participants be covered by international medical health insurance as well as a policy for medical evacuation. With 90% of international health insurance programs, you will usually have to pay in cash for all treatment and then seek reimbursement for expenses upon your return home. Carpe Diem will work with each student to insure that all receipts are managed to support any insurance claims you choose to make. Most traditional medical insurance plans cover international travel, but we require that you check your policy and verify that it meets your needs. Typically about two-thirds of the group usually needs to go to the doctor at some point during the course of any three-month semester, and almost all of these cases are regarding something minor such as a skin irritation or travelersâ or diarrhea.

    Many US-based insurance plans will cover you for medical expenses overseas, but since each plan is different you'll need to call your provider to verify coverage during your Carpe Diem program. Many homeowners and renters policies will also cover you for lost/stolen items during your travels. However, they can have high deductibles and a variety of clauses that can make this more troublesome than you'd prefer. There are a variety of programs out there, and our excellent travel consultant from Global Vision Travel can happily arrange a phenomenal plan that covers health, evacuation, travel, and lost/stolen items ($0 deductible) for on average $300. If you are interested in this option, please refer to the student acceptance packet for more information.

    Insurance is tricky for most people to understand, so we encourage you to call your prospective insurer and ask as many questions as you can think to ask. Remember, for instance, that you might want to document (with receipts if possible) everything you pack in the event that your luggage is lost or stolen.

    Our Latitudes students taking the full year-long program with us automatically have a specially arranged yearlong insurance plan that covers health, evacuation, travel, and lost/stolen items. Once confirmed in the Latitudes program, students should receive a card from our provider with details and insurance specifics.

    Two good resources we can suggest: www.insuremytrip.com, or, www.inext.com.

    SCUBA INSURANCE

    Since most insurance companies list SCUBA diving as a 'high risk' activity, they unfortunately won't cover such activities. For that reason, we recommend looking into the Divers Alert Network (DAN) insurance. For a fairly nominal fee you can elect this coverage online at diversalertnetwork.org.

    Of course, Carpe Diem rigorously researches all SCUBA certification organizations we work with, and in most cases we have a long history without incident. However, one can never predict the ways such physical activities will effect each student and for that reason we strongly urge those students who will be diving on semester to seek their own insurance.

    Carpe Diem's Student Emergency Fund

    Included in the program fee is a $100 medical emergency fund for each student. This will be held by the trip leaders and be disbursed accordingly for any medically related issue. This money cannot be used to supplement spending money, though!

  3. What safeguards does Carpe Diem have to ensure that my son/daughter won't get sick & what happens if he/she does?

    For the past 11 years, Carpe Diem and its partners have built a vast network of contacts of medical representatives to provide a level of medical supervision for our program that is unsurpassed, and we do everything we can to keep our groups safe and healthy, two of the most common concerns about international travel. Conversely, environmental hazards do exist abroad that don't in the United States; our bodies may not be used to the challenges posed by daily life in a new country. Therefore, safeguarding the health & safety of our students starts with prevention:

    • Ensuring good enough health to travel before leaving the U.S.
    • Education about health and safety risks before pre-departure: an up-to-date guidebook is a good place to start, as is a travel website such as lonelyplanet.com.
    • Before departure Carpe Diem registers all groups and their members with the US State Department, and also relies on our many responsible contacts abroad to keep Headquarters informed of any political developments that may impact our students.
    • Visiting the Center for Disease Control website at cdc.gov for information about immunizations that are required or recommended for the region you are visiting.
    • It is important that you notify your program directors and leaders of ANY medications you are taking regularly, or before you begin something new during the program.

    While a certain amount of travelers' diarrhea is to be expected, our leaders have the travel experience and medical training required to determine when an illness is potentially severe and when it is more routine. Should a student ever need to go to the doctor, a leader will accompany him/her to make sure he/she asks all the relevant questions and gets the best medical care possible. Generally, we have traveled in these areas long enough to be familiar with the health risks of each leg of the program as well as to foster strong relationships with great local doctors if the need arises to visit a clinic. In addition, we also utilize the knowledge of a local Portland MD who specializes in developing-country medicine and a staff that includes two Emergency Room Nurses and one Wilderness EMT - all offering a level of support to our group leaders and students that is well beyond the standard in study abroad education.

    For more information about the areas where we go and their specific health situation, please go to the United States Department of State, which issues Consular Information Sheets and travel advisories for every country of the world. These include such information as location of the U.S. Embassy or Consulate, immigration practices, visa and entry/exit requirements, health conditions, minor political disturbances, currency and entry regulations, crime and security information, and drug penalties. If an unstable condition exists in a country that is not severe enough to warrant a Travel Warning, a description of the condition(s) may be included as well. Consular Information Sheets generally do not include advice, but present information in a factual manner so the traveler can make his or her own decisions concerning travel to a particular country.

    BBC Country Profiles is an excellent resource for comprehensive statistical accounts of the economies, militaries, weather, currencies, transportation, geography, and more for every country in the world.

    What we at Carpe Diem, as well as the State Department, will say about our destinations and staying healthy: food & Waterborne diseases are the number one cause of illness for travelers. "Travelers' diarrhea can be caused by viruses, bacteria, or parasites that are found throughout both the developing world and the West, though in much greater frequency in the developing world. Common symptoms include diarrhea, cramping, vomiting, and dehydration. Making sure that your food and water are safe will be a number one priority to ensure your good health as well as staying sufficiently hydrated, and our program leaders will work with all students throughout the program to take appropriate precautions while still enjoying themselves.

    To help ensure the students' health and well-being during and after the program, we require the immunizations listed below. You must provide proof of immunization before being allowed to take part in the program. We have come up with this list from the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) as well as from our staff's travel experience. For more detailed information about the CDC's recommendations, please visit their website at www.cdc.gov.

    REQUIRED IMMUNIZATIONS

    1. Booster for Tetanus-diphtheria: Even though you should have been vaccinated as a child, make sure you check with your family physician and get the necessary boosters. This booster needs to be taken at least 2 weeks before travel.
    2. MMR: This is an adult booster for Measles, Mumps, and Rubella; these three boosters are given together. This is not recommended for anyone who is pregnant or planning to to become so within a year of receiving the booster.
    3. Typhoid: Typhoid is a water-borne disease, and one of the most prolific causes of traveler's diarrhea. A single injectable vaccination is good for 2 years, while oral Typhoid tablets are good for 5 years. You must complete the shot or last tablet at least 2 weeks prior to travel. The oral vaccine tends to be less expensive, but requires refrigeration and accurate timing of doses in order to maximize its effectiveness.
    4. Hepatitis A: Hepatitis A is a food-borne illness that affects many travelers. A single vaccination is good for one year with 80% immunity, and increased immunity is gained with a follow-up booster within 6-12 months after the first shot.
    5. Malaria: Malaria is a preventable disease that can be fatal if left untreated. Carpe Diem requires that you consult a travel physician about the appropriate malaria prophylaxis needed for the semester as it varies by region and is not recommended for all regions that Carpe Diem travels to. There are 3 main drug regimens available: Mefloquine, Malarone, & Doxycycline. Mefloquine [Larium] can have several emotional/psychological side effects; Doxycycline [an antibiotic] causes sun sensitivity and can potentially contribute to antibiotic resistance; Malarone is the broadest-spectrum drug available on the market, but is by far the most expensive. Be aware of potential side effects and discuss with your healthcare provider which one is the best choice for you. Malaria is NOT a concern for the Fiji/New Zealand/Australia semester.
    6. Yellow Fever: Yellow Fever is a serious mosquito-borne illness, so serious that some countries require proof of vaccination on entry and exit. There is a special region on the World Health Organization [WHO] card that your travel clinic will use to document all of your immunizations for this vaccination, and it's a good idea to make and email copies of this card to yourself for backup. Currently Yellow Fever immunization is a requirement for the South America, Brazil, and East Africa semesters only.

    OPTIONAL IMMUNIZATIONS

    1. Polio Vaccination
    2. Rabies vaccination: This is a vaccination that is given before exposure and is an extensive series of injects that do not necessarily make post-exposure injections un-needed, but may reduce the number of post-exposure injections needed should a bite from a questionable animal occur. Carpe Diem does not recommend this series because it is very expensive, our groups will not be intentionally or overly exposed to wild/potentially rabid animals, and the series doesn't prevent rabies, it just makes the post-exposure series potentially shorter.
    3. Hepatitis B: This vaccination is a series of shots given over 9 months' time to completion. Hepatitis B is a blood-borne pathogen that is more virulent in its transmission than HIV, so for that reason most schools are now requiring the series for attendance. If you might be exposed to blood, have sexual contact with the local population, stay longer than 6 months, or plan on being a healthcare worker in the future, Hep B vaccination is a good idea. Again, speak with your healthcare provider and travel physician.
    4. Japanese Encephalitis: This disease is a potentially lethal, though rare, disease that consists of a series of 3 vaccinations. You may read about Japanese Encephalitis on the CDC site and decide whether you want this optional immunization.

    NOTE: Vaccination and Immunization costs vary widely. We recommend that you shop around. Most health insurance plans won't cover nontraditional or travel-related vaccinations, so expect to pay full price on some of these. State Travel Health and Immunization Clinics, found in larger cities, tend to have the lowest costs. Each year we have a few students who opt out of these vaccinations and choose to work with a naturopath or alternative specialist. We definitely encourage out-of-the-box thinking and historically haven't noticed too much of a difference between those who opt out of the vaccinations and those who take them all. If, however, you don't want to take any of the required vaccinations, you will still need to sign and return the Insurance & Immunization form.

    EPI PENS: If you have any history of anaphylactic reaction(s), please consult your healthcare provider and follow their advice. Usually we will recommend students bring TWO epinephrine pens: one for yourself, and an extra for the leaders to carry in their medical kit.

  4. Who do you typically hire as program leaders? How are your field staff qualified for this experience?

    We recognize that the quality of a students' experience is directly related to the quality of their leaders. For this reason we are very deliberate and conscious about only working with the best. Our leaders are typically 28 - 32 years old and are coming to us out of their love of working with youth. They often have a background with Americorps or Peace Corps and have traveled sufficiently to the relevant regions, speak the local language, are well-experienced in group dynamics, and all are certified in Wilderness First Aid.

    We put them through a rigorous training process (one of the longest in the industry) to ground them not only in program itineraries and safety issues, but also to foster the soft skills of group dynamics, mediation, and conflict resolution. We bring in select and highly-qualified teachers to present Non-Violent Communication (NVC), the work of Gay and Katie Hendricks, and both allopathic and naturopathic medicine within the context of the developing world. We are proud of our leadership-training program and believe it to be the best in the industry.We ask our leaders to work with students not simply as a group leader, but rather as a mentor and facilitator. Through the years of running these programs we've learned that students who take charge of their own experience leave the program with a more transformed outlook on life and we consciously hire and train our leaders so that they can take the extra time it takes with each student to facilitate a profound and life-lasting experience. Consequently, we have one of the lowest student-to-staff ratios in the industry - on average 1:5, and our leaders take great pride in their ability to empower students to become confident and competent travelers, ones able to do it alone or with a group of peers.

    For more information about our amazing field staff, please visit our staff page.

APPLICATION PROCESS

  1. What is the application process? How competitive is it?

    Start by reading the relevant materials and making sure that your student has a decent sense for the program they're applying for. In general, and as a tip to parents, we've found that students who do the majority of the application and research tend to fare best on our programs. That said, we can almost guarantee that if a student does not want to be on our programs (as challenging as they can be), they will likely end up "self-sabotaging" their way off by breaking a policy.

    Complete the application: Fill out the online application and submit it. Please also be sure to include a photo of yourself and the application fee. Within typically 2 business days of receiving the application we will arrange for a phone interview to make sure that you and our program will be a good fit and to answer any questions you have. And, typically, within 2 days of our interview we're able to notify you whether you've been accepted into the program. On some occasions, when warranted, we'll call and do follow up with references and or professional contacts, but in most cases this isn't needed.

    Acceptance manual: We then send you an Acceptance Manual and a link to your online Student Account. In your Student Account you're able to download additional paperwork, documentation, see the most updated itinerary, view your fellow students, your co-leaders, and also even register online for any PSU classes you want to take. you can even submit completed paperwork through this interface ... we know, it's real fancy. After reading the Acceptance Manual, it's decision time.

    Send in the Confirmation Fee: We hold your space in the program upon receipt of the confirmation fee of $2,000 for semester programs, or $6,000 for Latitudes. Payment may be made by check, VISA, MasterCard, or Discover. You can also pay online through your Student Account with a credit card.

    Complete and mail the required forms: The Acceptance Manual contains required forms that need to be sent back to us regarding travel arrangements, health insurance, a waiver, and a copy of your passport.

    Communicate with our Travel Specialist: Global Vision Travel is our travel specialist and sends each accepted student a travel profile asking for your plans before and after the semester, as well as whether you'd like them to arrange your domestic tickets for you. They consistently arrange the best discounted group rates.

    Check your Student Account regularly for updates: We update the participant web pages for each semester with relevant information as it becomes available.

MISSION

  1. Why do you run your programs in the way you do? What's the benefit in having a program constantly in motion?

    These programs have been running for the past almost 12 years, and during that time we've noticed that students, when constantly in motion, tend to stay engaged throughout their entire time overseas. Typically, around the 10-day to two-week mark we've noticed that students tend to get complacent and the most amazing things happening around them earn only the slightest of attention. For that reason, we've developed the stand-up sit-down method in an effort to incorporate mind (during periods of language schooling for instance), body (through physical construction projects for instance), and spirit (during the group meetings and spiritual/yogic/meditation retreats we do on every program).

    Furthermore, although we do a great job of working with students independently to challenge their comfort zones, the good news is that if a student doesn't like any particular place, they only have to "endure" it for two weeks. The program we run also is keenly interested in sampling the entire plate of a what a region has to offer - and with that means sampling the environmental, the social, cultural, the historic, the religious, etc. In this way, much like the Sufis of old, we expose students to a variety of ways of living and values, so that they can begin to make a strongly informed decision about what they want from their life. We do a great job of keeping our children safe in our society, but the net effect of that is students who end up going from one insulated bubble, to another in college.

  2. Is Carpe Diem religiously affiliated?

    No, Carpe Diem is not religiously affiliated. If anything we try and expose our students to as many different perspectives as the program can provide and make every effort to be welcoming of every perspective. We believe that no amount of dogma can truly capture an individual's relationship with the world that surrounds them, and therefore consciously attempt to fold as many regionally-relevant traditions into each program.

  3. What is a "Gap Year" and is Carpe Diem one?

    Ahhhh, this is one of our favorite questions. In theory, a GAP Year is time between two transitions, not necessarily a year in length, but with the common purpose of re-evaluating yourself, your goals, and broadening your horizons. In the US, the term is used almost exclusively to describe that transition between high school and college, but in other folds the experience is equally valuable for those in a deep transition. You might think of it as a quarter-life crisis or mid-life crisis tool -- had people taken the appropriate GAP, they likely would have avoided these crises and turned their focus onto more powerful directions.

    A "Gap Year" was originally created in Europe as a transition year from High School to University. There's a natural transition that happens from High School to University that a Gap Year is designed to cater to, however, the concept is a new one in the USA and is slowly taking seed. For decades certain countries have mandated a period of service before stepping into the ranks of university and in many cases this type of pre-collegiate service only helps to make a more conscious and aware student once they arrive at university. Schools like Harvard, Princeton, and Brown Universities all give great weight to students who take a Gap Year because they know that these incoming students will be more mature and able to contribute to their institutions in a more meaningful way. A Gap Year is also traditionally seen as a way to get some real-world experience for a student who in our American educational system most likely has only read or heard about this amazing planet we all share. Gap Years are great for students who might be burnt out of classroom learning, who may have a good idea what they want to call as their career and are looking to do an internship in that field before committing 4 years and many thousands of dollars to it, or who are looking to break out and really take time to ask the deeper more personal questions that run parallel to this age: Who am I? What do I want to do with my life? What matters to me? How do I choose to define success?

    While Carpe Diem's programs aren't exclusively for Gap Year students, the majority of our students do arrive at our program searching for a "Gap Year experience." Carpe Diem attempts to bridge more adequately the gulf of maturity between a HS graduate and a college graduate by offering our students college credit for their experiential education. However, the vast majority of their learning takes place in small groups volunteering and turn into a good balance been external exploration and internal. With our staff to support and do appropriate pushing where needed, our students tend to walk away from Carpe Diem having experienced a super Gap Year.

  4. Where is Carpe Diem based? Thailand, Portland, Peru, where?

    Carpe Diem is based in Portland, Oregon, but we do indeed have a branch office in Thailand and have plans to open another in Peru in 2012. All of our Headquarters are based on North Portland, a slightly more impoverished area of Portland, Oregon with the intention that we might be a lighthouse of opportunity for those who have fewer opportunities. Plus, let's be honest, Portland's a pretty darn amazing place to be and we have a secret motive to recruit all the cool people we know to eventually move to our home town. ... slowly it's working too, and this is a joking motive we have for having the Latitudes orientation here as well. ... that it rains about 8 months of the year here, well, at least that means everything stays green!

    Portland is the United States largest producer of solar cell manufacturing, and known throughout the country as a young, green, place to live where the quality of life supersedes the material trappings of life.

    Our offices in Thailand and Peru are there to support our students regionally should an emergency present itself, but primarily they are there to support the communities in which we volunteer. When we're there for such short term projects, it takes a regional presence to safeguard the long-term interests of the communities. Traditionally one might think that the NGOs (Non Governmental Organizations) we work with would be the safeguard, but as is true so often in the developing world, there is a lot of disorganization and enough corruption that the only way to guarantee a positive long-term impact for the community is through our own representatives.

    Just recently we had our first case ever of Dengue, and our regional officer was able to speak the local language fluently, do daily visits, and facilitate all communication with parents in a way that previously would have been unprecedented. The students' insurance policy even had allowed her parents to fly and visit the hospital for a week all expenses paid, that the parents chose to decline feeling so well held by our regional officer, Mike Sobel. While we hope that circumstances like this don't arise again, if they do, we are incredibly and uniquely well situated to take care of similar situations.

  5. Why should I do a Carpe Diem program instead of something else?

    The shortest, and most straight forward answer is, where else could you get the experience of a lifetime and call it a year or a semester of university? Where else could you invest more deeply in your own self and education, and have the government fund it with FAFSA?

    Experience: Carpe Diem has a long track record of running successful international programs. In 1998, while the semesters were under the ownership of LEAPNow, our first program to Central America went into the field. Since then, group programs have run throughout the world in a variety of forms to the following countries: Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Brazil, Ghana, Uganda, Tanzania, India, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia, The Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Australia, and New Zealand.

    Safety: For the past 11 years, Carpe Diem and its partners have built a vast network of contacts in most areas of the world that assist us with safety issues among other things. We stay in dialogue with those contacts regularly and especially should any particular situation arise, they are among the first we speak with. Over the course of running upwards of 85 group semester programs we've also learned where the good local doctors are, where are the areas that have any safety concern, and perhaps most importantly, where the good restaurants are. Finally, we also work with US-medical representatives to provide a level of medical supervision for our program that is unsurpassed. We work with a local Portland MD who specializes in developing-country medicine, and is among very few doctors nationwide who have traveled as extensively in the developing world and holds a current certification as an Emergency Room physician. Furthermore, in our office we staff two Emergency Room Nurses and one Wilderness EMT - offering a level of support to our group leaders and students that is well beyond the standard in study abroad education.

    Leadership: Carpe Diem believes in the growth and inherent value of every student. To that end our Leaders are selected and trained for a unique combination of soft and hard skills ranging from group dynamics, Wilderness Medicine, and are consciously chosen to serve as mentors to students rather than guides. Being a chaperone for a program is one function our leaders provide - safeguarding the students - but just as important is the personal growth of our students. We hope that every student finishes a Carpe Diem program and returns to their home a changed and more aware individual - not only of the world and the way it works, but also of themselves.

    Authenticity: Carpe Diem strives to make every program we offer as culturally authentic as possible. This means paying staff to travel to the more remote areas of our host countries - places that tourists usually don't know about - and creating contacts that can be of service to those communities. Often times we will structure our semester months balancing a mix of those small, culturally rich sites, with larger more Americanized sites. In this way students are able to come back to a place of more comfort and a chance to digest the experience they've just had from those smaller sites. We believe that self-awareness, like a muscle, grows best if you can alternatively expand and contract.

    Overseas Officers: Carpe Diem is unique in having regional officers who we staff as representatives to support not only the safety-mission of our program, but where the majority of their time is spent in developing the rapport so that what we do fits into the truest sense of International Development ... done responsibly and driven by the communities themselves. Many other programs offer similar intentions, but aren't positioned to truly have the volunteering efforts be reflective of what the communities themselves truly need in the long-term.

  6. What is Carpe Diem's relationship with LEAPNow?

    LEAPNow started in 1995 and began running these same Carpe Diem group semesters in 1998. Carpe Diem International Education has been running, developing, and growing these same semester programs since the Fall of 2007. Carpe Diem is directed by Ethan Knight who has worked for LEAPNow in multiple capacities since 1999. In the years prior to taking on the semester programs and founding Carpe Diem, Ethan was one of three LEAPNow executive staff members and was directly responsible for all facets of running LEAPNow Group and LEAPYear semesters. Prior to Directing LEAPNow Operations, he led four semesters - two in Central America, one in India, and a semester to Bali & India. Ethan has dedicated his professional life to international study and travel, and has lived, worked and run programs in Africa, Latin America and throughout Asia.

    LEAPNow had planned to phase out the group semesters and focus exclusively on their year-long programs, but felt that the group semesters were an important program offering. The ability to maintain seamless continuity and a high quality standard made it a no-brainer to continue these programs under the capable direction of Ethan Knight and the ownership of Carpe Diem. Please note that these group semesters may be done under the umbrella of the LEAPNow Latitudes Program - where they are combined with college credit and a solo internship.

    Carpe Diem and LEAPNow continue to compliment each other and are committed to mutually improving their educational offerings to students and the global community at large. We both have a strong spiritual, environmental, and social ethic that we champion by partnering with local organizations as much as possible, and volunteering in every country our programs travel to.

UNIVERSITY

  1. How does a GAP Year fit into a four-year Bachelors degree?

    The answer is very well. The reasons why students have been embarking on GAP Years for the past decades have been to round out their knowledge and to experiment with potential careers. On a Carpe Diem program, students necessarily will take an experiential approach to their education that grounds the classroom knowledge they've learned. As well, it provides an opportunity to truly explore each student's career options by taking part in the myriad volunteer options that they are exposed to along a program.

    Taking a GAP Year enriches a student's experience in college and personally by internationalizing their worldview and options - and these days having an international background is very helpful to finding a job. Add to that the benefits of a focused language study as we do on almost all of our programs and students inevitably walk in more prepared and knowledgeable than their counterparts who went directly on to college.

    We believe that for the vast majority of us, we can only strive for what we've seen and in that way when a student is exposed to so many different ways of living it causes students to quest for their own version of "success" and take a greater ownership in their college careers and life.

    Finally, onto the wilder side, many students spend a majority of their freshman year in college exploring the society of college, (meaning drugs and/or alcohol) at a great expense to their parents. It makes far more sense instead to get college credit for a GAP Year through Carpe Diem, and then take those grades, maturity, and experience onto your next schooling.

  2. How well do Carpe Diem's credits transfer?

    Almost all colleges appreciate the benefits that GAP Year graduates bring to their campuses. That being said, you can sometimes expect the need to educate an admissions counselor at your school about why you want to do a program like this and how you think it will benefit you. I've never had a student regret having done their GAP Year.

    The Ivy League schools tend to be very familiar with GAP Year programs and their benefits. In fact, Harvard's Director of Admissions has publicly said that he'd prefer all incoming freshman be 25 years old in order to truly maximize their experience in college. Princeton recently created a gap year program called their Bridge Year and are diverting 10% of their incoming class to take part in it as an experiment.

    As for the benefits, many students apply to and get accepted to universities during their GAP Year that they were previously denied to ... in part that's because schools recognize the maturity differences, but the other part of it is that students actually have much more meaningful experiences to draw from in their admissions essays. If anything, I've heard countless stories of students changing their colleges because the old ones they'd applied to and deferred (to do their GAP Year) no longer fit ... as if they'd out grown that environment and now knew what they were looking for.

  3. Is CD part of PSU? or What is the relationship between CD and PSU?

    Carpe Diem and Portland State University have a unique relationship as two separate organizations that allow Carpe Diem students to earn up to 18 quarter-credits per Carpe Diem semester. In other words, we have a contract signed by the State of Oregon to be able to offer our students access to Federal Financial Aid and a PSU transcript. There is an additional fee of $900 that students must pay to Carpe Diem to cover the fees we pay to PSU and the grading professor.

    We've developed this relationship over the past many years to both assist our students through their bureaucracies, but also now have a fairly good sense for how to avoid falling into any cracks. A large part of this is the development of a designated liaison at PSU in the Office of International Affairs by the name of Debra Jasperson. She's the go-to person for any issues that pertain to PSU.

    While the vast majority of students have been able to get things set up without much hassle, those who are needing FAFSA dollars can expect to meet with more hurdles to jump through. Whether it's that your paperwork wasn't entered correctly into your file, it got lost somewhere, or they're waiting on a particular piece of correspondence, ultimately the best way to ensure that you're not missing any vital details is by remembering to log on to your two main portals: my.pdx.edu and www.carpediemeducation.org/myaccount-login.php.

    Unfortunately, Carpe Diem is not able to assist with any details between yourself (the student) and PSU. While we're happy to provide guidance, and connect you with the right people at PSU, ultimately there are Federal laws preventing us from acting on a students' behalf.

    For more information on exactly how the relationship works, please visit our PSU page and our Financial Aid page.

  4. How well do Carpe Diem's credits transfer?

    Credits are earned through Portland State University: these credits generally transfer well as 'required general credits.' Language credits typically transfer with the greatest ease. The ultimate decision about the transferability of credits lies with the admissions office of the university that you'd like to transfer the credits into, and this is often a financial game that administrations unfortunately need to play. In all cases, we recommend that you contact the school you wish to transfer the credits to and describe our program. We are used to working with universities to help bridge that transition and have spoken to numerous colleges and universities on our students' behalf.

    Portland State University is a fully accredited four-year institution located here in our hometown of Portland, Oregon. Our collaboration with them has allowed our students (with enough lead-time) to gain access to FAFSA resources as well as to Portland State's own Financial Aid department. All of our coursework and our grading instructor have been vetted by Portland State University's faculty and board and met their approval. Currently we are able to offer a full semester (18 quarter credit hours) of coursework time, and are working with PSU to increase that to a full year's worth of college credit for those students opting to do our Latitudes year or two semesters in back-to-back succession. www.oia.pdx.edu.

MISCELLANEOUS

  1. Do you have any shameless promotion of GAP Years by your founder?

    Funny you should ask! Of all of life's coincidences, it just so happens that Ethan was caught speaking at a forum in Seattle recently and that video was put on youtube. View it here:

  2. Is there a way to ask present/past students and/or parents for the REAL skinny?

    Probably the best way for students and parents to get a real and authentic idea of what a Carpe Diem program entails is to go to our blog and read about the experiences of the students from their own mouths. Each semester program has its own blog maintained by the students, and it is a unique and authentic view into the life of the group and our program. We also have a list of student references, past participants who are willing to speak to prospective students about the program, so please contact the Carpe Diem office directly if this is something that you are interested in.

  3. Do people ever leave the program mid-stream? If so, where do they go?

    Very rarely the group and a particular student part ways during a Carpe Diem program, sometimes because of behavioral reasons, issues back home, or medical situations. If we do decide to part ways, we work with the student as well as the parents in order to create the best solution given the circumstances, one in which everyone is is well-prepared for the next step. Sometimes a student may come home and sometimes he/she may stay in-country, but the decision always comes through a collaboration between the student, the leaders, the Carpe Diem office, and parents, all with the intention of doing what's best for the student in terms of his or her growth and development.

  4. I don't live in the Portland area, but I'd love to talk to someone from Carpe Diem in person. Do you ever travel to other parts of the country? Do you have representatives on the East Coast? Midwest?

    If you would like to speak to someone from Carpe Diem in person, but do not live in the Portland area, please let us know and we will do the best we can to set you up with past program participants or past leaders who are in your area. We also visit various parts of the United States in the spring through the annual Gap Year Fair, and this would be an excellent opportunity to speak to someone about our current programs. Most of the United States is actually represented very well in our office here in Portland, and many of us go home and travel periodically around the country, so it is just a matter of coordination in many cases. We also love using Skype as a way to speak with people in a more personalized way, so let us know!

    For more information about meeting with a representative from Carpe Diem, please call us or consult our Facebook Page, where you can also sign up for our newsletter that is a wealth of information about our programs and all the new stuff we are up to! (click on "Join Our List" and follow the prompts).

  5. Why does my son/daughter get to do all the cool GAP Year stuff? When do I get to go? Can I join them for a part?

    We totally understand your desire to be able to do some of the cool activities and projects that your son or daughter is going to do on a Carpe Diem semester program! Especially since these kind of things weren't around when we went to school, it seems natural to want to participate in sharing these experiences with our children. We encourage parents to take advantage of this opportunity as well, maybe using your son or daughter as an inspiration to get out and try something new yourself in a completely new place and culture. In fact, if you are interested in any of the types of projects or programs that we do, please contact our office and we'd love to talk about all the possibilities out there!

    That being said, we also ask parents to please allow your son or daughter his or her own experience during these three months. It is a delicate process to create a positive and dynamic group experience, one that can be made difficult with the presence of parents. In our experience, many times these reunions can break group momentum and drastically change the relationship between the students and the goals that we have created for our programs. If you would like to do some of the same projects as your son or daughter, we think that is an excellent idea, but please make sure that you do not overlap in time. It's okay to share experiences, but we are really trying to create a strong group and social identity, and remember, this is also a time for your son or daughter to truly engage with the process of becoming an conscious and independent adult.