Students may find it harder to get into popular study abroad locations such as Copenhagen in the upcoming year (photo courtesy of Kushagri Taneja)

WashU Overseas Programs has implemented priority applications for the fall and spring 2027 spring study abroad application cycle due to capacity constraints of popular study abroad destinations, including Prague, The Czech Republic; Copenhagen, Denmark; Amsterdam, Netherlands; and Stockholm, Sweden. 

According to the program’s website, the new application aims to assess student academic needs for both popular programs and spring semester, which typically see a higher volume of applicants. This change, combined with increasing undergraduate enrollment, could affect acceptance rates for popular study abroad destinations in future cycles. 

Kelly Heath, director of global education, believes the trend of students studying abroad their spring semester instead of the fall may be driven by several factors. 

“It’s a common phenomenon across the country that spring tends to be popular,” Heath said. “It also depends on the campus culture. WashU has a culture of students going in the spring, and then it just keeps building and building and building.”

Select popular programs are also becoming more competitive due to changes in eligibility requirements. Director of Olin Global Programs, Sara Stratton, says her department has removed the prerequisite of Spanish 3020 from the Olin Global Program BSBA Madrid Semester Abroad Program eligibility criteria. This change was implemented after WashU’s partner school, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, revised its language requirements for their students.

“They have since loosened their language requirements for students coming, and so then we decided as well,” she said. “This is really our only program with a language requirement … so why don’t we try and loosen this one as much as possible while still maintaining the integrity of the program?”

WashU has no shortage of spots for students who hope to study abroad. According to Heath, approximately 50% of WashU undergraduates participate in study abroad programs. Heath says the department wants to keep it that way.

“I think that’s really something like WashU can be proud … to really be able to say, that we proudly send that many students abroad,” she said. “But we understand if there’s increased demand. I think [the College of] Arts & Sciences wants to meet the demand.”

Assistant Director of Overseas Programs Cassidy Thompson said one way students can improve their chances of placement in top programs is by opting for the fall semester. 

“Maybe we can’t send 100 students to Copenhagen in the spring, but we can send some of those students in the fall,” Thompson said.

Stratton believes that the limited capacities of more popular programs ultimately improve the students’ experience.

“We really want students who go abroad to experience something different, to step out of their bubble somewhat,” she said. “If you’re just in a location with 100 to 200 other students from your same institution, you’re not really getting that cultural integration and putting yourself out there as much.”

There are a wide range of opportunities available outside of students’ first choice. Lesser-known programs are also available, particularly in the fall, including the English track in Madrid and the global health program in Chile.

“We know sometimes students may come to WashU having looked at our website and have a certain program in mind,” Heath said. “If students can kind of keep an open mind, we’ll make sure we can find a place for you if you want to study abroad.”

Heath also emphasized that the University prioritizes ensuring students can study abroad, even if they are not placed in their first-choice program.

“It might get more competitive, but if you can’t get into one program, we’ll make sure you know that there’s backup options.”

Editor’s note: This article was edited at 6:05 p.m. on May 5th to reflect that the priority applications do not apply to the Dublin program, but rather the Amsterdam, Netherlands program.