Many students will be making the decision to study abroad in the spring. If you’re on the fence and wonder if the experience is worth the cost, these study abroad statistics should help.

For many years, the benefits of studying abroad have been described in words like these: “It will completely change your life!” and “You will come back a new person.” But the exact long-term benefits were unknown. Now, though, the positive impact of study abroad experiences can be proven with study abroad statistics.

The Institute for International Education of Students (IES) conducted a survey to explore the long-term impact of study abroad on the personal, professional, and academic lives of students. Here are 10 interesting findings:

1. 95% of the students who were surveyed admitted that studying abroad served as a catalyst for increased maturity, 96% reported increased self-confidence, and 95% said it had a lasting impact on their worldview.

2. 87% of the students said that study abroad influenced their subsequent educational experiences. Nearly half of all respondents took part in international work and/or volunteerism since studying abroad.

The Erasmus Impact Study (2013) analyzed the effects of mobility on the skills and employability of students and on the internationalization of higher education institutions. The results of the study proved the benefits of studying abroad for the career development of mobile students. The study highlighted that mobile students are more likely to get managerial positions in their future careers and are less likely to experience long-term unemployment.

Here are some key findings.

3. More than 90% of mobile students reported that they improved their soft skills, including their knowledge of other countries, the ability to interact and work with people from different cultures, adaptability, foreign language proficiency, and communication skills.

4. Young people who study abroad are half as likely to face long-term unemployment as those who do not study abroad. The unemployment rate of Erasmus students five years after graduation is 23% lower.

5. 64% of surveyed employers said that graduates with an international background are more often given greater professional responsibility.

The world is becoming increasingly globalized, and international experience is one of the most essential components of higher education in the 21st century. Just take a look at these facts:

6. The global number of students who study abroad continues to rise with an annual increase of 10%. There were almost 5 million international students in 2014. The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has projected that, with demographic changes, the international student population is likely to reach 8 million by 2025.

7. Several traditional source countries are working hard to increase their attractiveness to international students. China hosted nearly 380,000 foreign students in 2014 but has a target to attract 500,000 students by 2020; Japan is aiming for a target of 300,000 international students in 2020; and Malaysia wants to attract 250,000 foreign students by 2025.

The number of U.S. students going abroad keeps increasing every year, a growth pattern that is likely to continue.

8. The most popular destinations for U.S. students studying abroad in the 2014-2015 academic year were the United Kingdom (38,250 U.S. students), Italy (31,166), Spain (26,949), France (17,597), China (13,763), Germany (10,377), Ireland (8,823), Australia (8,369), Japan (5,978), and South Africa (4,968).

9. 68,798 American students were studying science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) in different countries around the world in the 2013-2014 academic year. Another 59,687 American students were studying business, while 57,067 studied foreign languages and international studies.

Why is study abroad essential?

We live in an increasingly globalized world. New technologies have led to the international integration of national markets and businesses. To successfully compete in the global marketplace, multinational and small businesses need employees with cross-cultural competence and knowledge of foreign languages.

10. A recent survey found that almost 40% of U.S. companies missed international business opportunities due to a lack of internationally competent personnel.

It is clear that employers are seeking candidates with study abroad experiences on their resumes. Students who want to work in our deeply interconnected world must study abroad.

There is no doubt that studying abroad will change your life. It offers you a chance to experience other cultures, make international friends, learn new languages, improve your job prospects, contribute to your personal development…and maybe even find the partner of your dreams!

Content for this article originally appeared on SmartStudy, study and writing tips for students, and was written by Ruth Kinloch, a private tutor, language lover and traveler. Read the original article for even more statistics. 

The average American student attends school 180 days each year. Multiply that by 12 years and, by the time you graduate, you get 2,160 compulsory school days. You would think after all that reading, writing, studying, test-taking, and amassing of extracurricular and civic engagements that writing a college admissions essay would be a breeze. For many, however, that could not be further from the truth.

Somewhere around seventh grade, American schools tend to shift from an emphasis on narrative and descriptive writing to expository and persuasive writing.   As the vast majority of college/university admissions departments favor narrative and descriptive essays, this creates an unfortunate situation for many college applicants.  Even advanced high school writers may find the college admissions essay difficult to write.

Here are the 10 most important writing tips I’ve gained from my years of experience helping students write admission-worthy essays. Follow them and you will be well on your way to writing the kind of essays that transport admissions officers to a time and place showered in such detail it is as if they have been personally invited into the past to experience your life first hand.

1. Write in the Right Style

The first writing tip I want to share is to select the right writing style for your admissions essay. The vast majority of college admissions essays are personal narrative and memoir. Both draw upon real-life experiences to tell true stories in a fictionalized style that includes characters, plot, conflict, setting, and theme.

Personal narrative relays the storyteller’s thoughts, feelings, and experiences on a certain event. Memoir focuses on one particular moment or series of moments, centered around a theme and usually drawing certain conclusions. In personal narrative and memoir, you are both the storyteller and the main character.

2. Know Your Voice, Use Your Voice

When we talk about voice as it relates to writing, we are talking about a combination of word choice, syntax, diction, character development, dialogue, etc. Given the importance of the college admissions essay, students tend to look for a different, more desirable voice. Don’t do this. Admissions essays are not about how smart, funny, or distinguished you sound. They are an invitation for you to authentically bear witness to who you used to be and to how you got to be who you are now.

Whatever voice you have been using up to this point is your authentic voice. Use it. Also be mindful that, unlike the spoken word, the written word is unable to convey inflection, body language, facial expressions, etc. This awareness is critical; for most of us, the college admissions essay is our first experience writing for someone completely unknown to us.

3. First Write How You Speak, Then Edit

Often our speaking, texting, and social media “voice” differs from our academic or traditional writing style. We use this voice more than we write, so this voice tends to be our dominate, authentic, more honest, and less censored representation of ourselves. The first step of personal narrative and memoir style writing is to get your thoughts –in your authentic voice– on paper without edits from your internal academic writer. In other words, let your speaking, texting, and social media voice share your story.

This is just the first step since, for most of us, this voice in written form often presents as scattered, repetitive, fragmentary, and long-winded, qualities which can easily tank an admissions essay, even one with a highly compelling subject. The best way to showcase your authentic voice while avoiding these pitfalls is to begin by writing at least two drafts long-hand with little emphasis on punctuation and grammar.

4. Make Every Word Count

Not all words have to make a reader’s hair stand on end. Each word should contribute, not distract. Words and phrases that rarely contribute include:  like, really, just, you know, and, actually, I guess, also, that, I mean, a lot, kind of. Not sure whether a word or phrase contributes or distracts?  Read the sentence aloud without the word. Avoid five-dollar words when a fifty cent one will do.

If admissions officers are reading your essays, you have already passed the smart enough test. Personal narrative and memoir style writing uses words to create images in the reader’s mind and to engage them. To achieve this, use descriptive words and sensory imagery when describing your characters and setting. Try replacing emotional qualifiers, such as angry, overjoyed, fearless, tender, devastated, etc., with brief action-reaction event descriptions that create the context for that emotion.

Remember, your goal here is to transport the admissions officers to a time and place showered in such vivid detail that it is as if you have personally invited them into your past to experience, to experience your life first hand.

5. Don’t Forget the Middle

Everyone knows strong openings and closings are critical when constructing admission-worthy essays. Far too many people forget the middle is just as important. Unlike your high school English teacher, admissions officers are under no obligation to finish reading your essay.

Considering admissions officers’ hectic travel schedules and the sheer volume of essays to be read, there is a good chance that, if read, your essay will be read piecemeal over multiple sittings. If you are writing a 650-word essay, something compelling enough to keep the reader’s attention –or to make them want to return– needs to happen between 250 and 320 words.

6. Backstory

To effectively craft a personal narrative admissions essay you will need to provide a back story. In addition to offering setting and context, the backstory plays a critical role in determining the degree to which the reader feels invested in you and your narrative.

The problem arises when the back story becomes the story. If you find yourself unable to tell the story you want to tell absent a significant and overtaking back story, then tell a different story. While not the easiest method, a seamless way to introduce a backstory is to weave it into the story you are trying to tell. It is worth noting some of the most informative and compelling backstories have been told in one sentence.

7. Stay On Topic, Be Specific   

Admissions essays are not autobiographies, streams of consciousness, resumes, or opportunities to further address and/or explain that which can be contained in your application. They are also not invitations to reimagine what is being asked of you.

Most admissions essays ask you to describe, recount, explain, identify, or discuss an event, experience, time, or life lesson. Whichever you choose, begin by focusing on the specific details surrounding your story. Look for the stories within the story. If you find one, consider telling that story. Be specific, not only in the story you tell but how you tell it. Readers expect you to be as specific as you can usefully be. Watch out for generalities.

8. Don’t Oversell, Don’t Undersell

While admissions essays are the perfect place to brag about your accomplishments, don’t oversell. Only brag if it’s worth bragging about. Nobody cares if you served Thanksgiving dinner to the homeless. They care if you started a take home food pantry at your school, so kids didn’t have to go hungry over the weekend.

Admissions essays are also not the place to undersell. If it took two years and a sit-in to start a Gay/Straight Alliance at your school, make sure that you include that detail, not simply that you started a GSA.

9. Tell on Yourself

One of the biggest mistakes students make is to try and craft essays which show only their best qualities. Colleges and universities are not looking for perfect people. They are looking for authentic people. Authentic people are flawed people. Some of our most compelling stories are the ones that open with showing us in less than favorable light.

Throw in your lessons learned or what you have done to repair past wrongs and redeem yourself, and you have the makings of a compelling redemption story. Admissions officers have read hundreds of stories from kids who were bullied. They are dying to read the reformed bully’s story.

10. Writing About Difficult Experiences

This last writing tip is a tough one. We’ve all had painful of experiences. Many of these experiences are difficult to talk about, let alone write about. However, sometimes, if there is time, distance, and healing between you and the experience, you can not only revisit the experience but also articulate it as an example of how even the most painful of experiences can be reclaimed, transformed, and accepted for what they are, the building blocks of our unique identities.

If you can do this, go for it. When done well, these types of narratives are the most impactful. Do remember you are seeking admission into a community for which the admissions officer is the gatekeeper. They need to know that, if admitted, not only will you be okay but your fellow students will be okay as well.

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Today’s guest post is contributed by Chad Goller-Sojourner, a Seattle-based memoir and personal narrative essayist, solo-performer and founder of Bearing Witness: College Admissions Essay Writing Coaching he can be reached at www.bearingwitnessadmissions.com

College Interview Counselors / Career Interview Coaches, LLC has just released a book, College Interview Essentials, which is available for purchase on Amazon.com.  In this first publication, authors and founders of CIC, Peggy Nash Marx and Kyrie O’Connor, discuss how a young, texting generation has lost the art of verbal communication and needs to prepare in order to have an impressive interview.

An interview write-up (what the interviewer writes about you post- interview) is included in the college admissions file.  When an applicant’s file is up for review and is decided upon – whether the applicant will be accepted to the schools of choice or not – the interview write up is reviewed along with the written application, complete with transcripts, essays, resumes.  Furthermore, interviewing is a life skill – the sooner a young person learns how to have an impressive interview, the better one is prepared for interviews associated with internships, scholarships, jobs and careers.

Often, by the time a candidate is asked to set a date for a school interview – whether the event is conducted by an alumni interviewer or admissions staff representative – the candidate is exhausted from the process.  However, just like a football game where the applicant is in the end zone, the applicant must persevere and not give a college a reason to say NO!  Having an impressive interview is key to completing an application.  In spite of stellar grades, extracurricular activities and the superlative essays, the applicant must prepare for the interview through research and practice.

Here are some tips which CIC offers for your college interviews:

• Arrive early to the appointed venue. Make sure you have the proper destination in mind and allow for traffic and Murphy’s Law.
• Dress neutrally – that means dress as if you are visiting an elderly relative.
• Know what you want to communicate to your interviewer which will add personality and relevant information (not a repeat of your scores, GPA, etc.) to your application.  Have 3 – 4 elements of your conversation in mind so that you are able to communicate these concepts no matter which questions arise.
• Try to research your interviewer before you arrive at the venue.  In this day and age of the internet, one can often find out something about the interviewer online.
• Know as much as you can about the school to which you are applying. Research areas of study, what is unique about the school, and why you believe you will be a perfect fit for that college or university.
• Have questions ready for your interviewer on subjects that are not available on the school’s website.

These are only a few of the secrets to having an Impressive Interview.

College Interview Essentials offers greater insight into the college interview process. CIC – www.collegeinterviewcounselors.com – also offers interview training and college application assistance through workshops and one on one consultations .

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Today’s guest post was contributed by Peggy Nash Marx and Kyrie O’Connor.

A Producer of multi-media business meetings, Peggy Nash Marx trained executives on how to speak from the podium and answer employee and client queries with sincerity, but with a direct purpose in mind.  As Chairperson of a top New England interview committee for more than 15 years, Peggy has managed the interview process for hundreds of diverse applicants.  She utilizes her editorial and communication skills to fine tune applicants’ positioning in and identification with specific opportunities. Peggy is the owner/founder of Mon Amie and CIC, consulting groups dedicated to enhancing individuals’ potential. She graduated magna cum laude from Tufts University. Her family members have attended Princeton, Tufts, USC and the U of R and have participated in both the public and private school systems.

A branding and marketing expert, Kyrie O’Connor has spent her career launching and building brands and businesses.  She developed her entrepreneurial approach through classic brand management training at Kraft/General Foods and further honed her skills at Cuisinart, Corning, London Fog, Bally Shoes, Switzerland and BhS, London. In 2006, Kyrie founded the business strategy firm, The Opportunity Team.  Her marketing acumen and abilities to identify and maximize talent are put to good use in preparing applicants for admission and employment positions.  Kyrie interviewed hundreds of students as Co-Chair of a top New England college interview committee.  She graduated magna cum laude from Tufts University and earned an MBA with distinction from NYU/Stern Graduate School of Business.  Family members were graduated from the public school system, having participated in the I.B program abroad, and attended Dartmouth, Tufts, Johns Hopkins, NYU, and Harvard.

What lurks in the dark—the unknown? We have so many things to be afraid of these days. Parents live with fear every day. Who knew clowns would be at the top of the list? Can you believe the violence these once happy characters are responsible for? I long for the days of Ronald McDonald.

One thing you do not have to fear is college prep. As with any goal, it’s important to remember the only way to remove the fear and anxiety is to be prepared and organized, know the facts, and have the conversations. Once you do these things, you can enjoy the experience.

Be prepared

Stay organized and prepare for senior year. College prep begins early in high school and culminates with senior year college applications. Create a college landing zone early, set up files (either in a file cabinet or on a zip drive), and start collecting information on test prep dates, AP test dates, volunteer opportunities and any other aspects of college prep.

Know the facts

Get expert advice when you need it. Parents can take advantage of all the social media outlets to educate themselves about college prep. Experts abound on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Pinterest. Once you connect, sign up for their mailing lists and follow their blogs. If you have a question, just ask. Most will be willing to help. Need to know where to find them? Check out these lists from my blog:

50 College Info Websites

50 More College Prep Websites

56 College Info Websites

Have the conversations

Don’t let fear of the unknown cause you added stress during the process. Have conversations about money before they leave for college. Once your student knows what you can afford to pay and what you expect him to pay, the college search becomes more focused. This alleviates any surprises when the offers of admission arrive and it’s too expensive to attend. Discuss budgeting as well.

Don’t forget the conversations about risky behavior. This will be the first time your student is living on their own and there will be many temptations to participate in this behavior. Explain the consequences for each and devise a plan to avoid these dangers.

Enjoy the experience

Lurking in the shadows is the inevitable moment of saying goodbye. Focus on the positive and embrace each and every experience. This is a monumental moment in your child’s life (and yours). It’s the biggest “treat” of all. Don’t let fear and anxiety about the future rob you of the joy of the journey.

For many parents, college prep is scary. They wonder if their student will make the right decisions, be ready for this future step, and how they, as parents, will respond to all these emotions. But don’t be afraid. Get help, talk to other parents, and ask questions. We’re here to help!

If you have children who will be graduating from college, you may be wondering how you can support them on their journey as they enter into the real world and make adjustments to their new lives.

It is a scary world out there and if your child is entering a completely new career field, he or she may be nervous and unsure of what to do.

When it boils down to it, many students face college graduation with an enormous amount of student loan debt and what this does is it sets them up for failure in the real world if they are unable to pay the debt down quickly.

Imagine if your child had $30,000 in student loan debt and could not transition out of their minimum wage job and into their chosen career even with a degree. That is tough to think about, right? Unfortunately, it is the real world and this happens all of the time.

You may be sitting back right now scratching your head and wondering what it is you can do to help support your child once they have graduated college. We do have some ways that we think are feasible for the both of you and will help you two form a closer bond in the process.

Let’s take a look at some of the ideas below.

1. Cosign on Student Loan Refinancing

If you have never dealt with student loans before, then you may have never heard about student loan refinancing. This is okay.

Student loan refinancing is a way for your child’s student loans to be reworked and the interest rate to be lowered. This results in a lower monthly payment and lower overall interest that needs to be paid on the loan itself. Sometimes, students are able change their student loan term period as well.

When it comes time to refinance, your child will quickly realize that there are some strict requirements to do so and if they do not meet these requirements, they cannot refinance. Your child must have a good credit score, good credit history, and a stable job.

Many new graduates do not have the minimum requirements for a bank or private lender to refinance them and they are told they need a cosigner. If you want to help support your child, you may want to consider being a cosigner on the loan, so that they can refinance it. It is possible to have your name removed as the cosigner later on down the road too.

Let’s look at an example to show you how much your child could save. Let’s start out with a loan balance of $20,000 at an 8.6% interest rate with 10 years to pay on the loan. The current monthly payment on the loan is $249 and the total interest paid over 10 years is $9,885.

If we refinance that loan, so $20,000 at a 3.25% interest rate for a period of 10 years, the new monthly payment would be $195 and the total interest paid over 10 years is $3,453.

Simply helping your child refinance in the scenario above would save your child a total of $54 per month and a lifetime savings of $6,433 in interest payments alone.

2. Make a Payment Agreement for Debt

Another way you can help you student is by helping them pay down some of their debt. For instance, if their debt totals $15,000 and you have the money to spare, maybe you can use the money to pay off their debt and then work out a payment plan with them to pay you back.

This will benefit them because they will save money on interest payments. If you wanted to, you could charge interest on the amount you pay off too, but your interest charge is not going to be anywhere near that of a bank.

In addition, you may be able to work something out with your child where you will help pay off a credit card bill and in return they can install new fencing around your home and so on.

It is important that you and your child lay out the terms of the deal BEFORE any money is paid out or BEFORE any benefits have been had. You want to make sure you have a commitment from them that they will pay you back.

3. Help Your Child Budget and Build Credit

If you have never taught your child about personal finance, now is the time. It is important for your child to have a solid foundation to build upon. Finances are not easy to manage when you do not know what you are doing.

You can help your child budget with the money they have as well. For example, sit down with your child and determine how much money they make, how much their bills are, and their necessities. From there, work with them on how to create a budget and where they should be sending their money. The more you help them, the more they will learn.

Lastly, make sure you help them build their credit and teach them about credit. The worst thing you can do for your child is let them blindly get a credit card and treat it like cash or like it does not have to be paid back. This will only breed bad financial behavior and your child will be confused when his or her credit score is in the 400 or 500 range.

Final thoughts on supporting your children after college graduation

As your child enters into the real world, he or she will need your support and it would be helpful for them if you were there. If you are unable to help them financially, you can still support them by providing them with the guidance they need to make payments on time, build their credit score, and not allow their loans to go into default.

Learning by your mistakes is part of what life is all about and how you gain valuable experience, but when it comes to money matters, getting your sums wrong can prove to be a costly life lesson that you could do without and could mean money down the drain.

Get a handle on the value of money

It seem an obvious thing to say but it can make a big difference to how you fare in your financial life, if you work on understanding the true value of money.

It is all too easy these days to pay using your smartphone or by card, meaning you don’t really encounter real cash or perhaps get a handle of its true value to you.

A good example of this would be if you want to buy a new gadget that has a price tag of $500. Buying that item on credit will mean that you end up paying much more for the item than the original price of $500, so the sensible thing to do would be to pay with cash in your bank.

Even if you earn as much as $20 per hour, by the time you add in taxes that you have to pay on your earnings, you will have to work about 33 hours at your net income rate, to be able to earn enough money to buy you must-have item for $500.

Understanding how hard you have to work to pay for something like this will instill a sense of financial awareness and discipline within you that should help you to minimize any indiscriminate spending habits.

Always try to have an emergency fund

One of life’s financial lessons that too many of learn the hard way, is that things don’t always run smoothly and you are almost certain to experience a few bumps in the road.

Not having the money to get your car repaired when it breaks down unexpectedly or running out of cash before you next get paid, can leave you to resort to some short-term lending solutions or to spend on your credit card, both of which will turn out to be costly.

Accidents that require medical treatment can certainly be added to this list. In addition to the funds to cover these emergencies, you may also have to pursue a personal injury claim and rely on the help of experienced attorneys like The Law Offices of David E. Gordon.

A great bit of financial advice is to set up an emergency fund. Put away some small amounts of money on a regular basis and you should soon have a pot of cash tucked away in a savings account, that you can use as an emergency fund.

This allows you to pay for that car repair by borrowing from yourself rather than a lender, so you can get on with your life, and arrange to pay back the money into your savings ready for the next bump in the road.

If you follow these simple tips on how to manage your money and always try to use a budget in order to keep an eye on your spending, you should have a better chance of turning into money savvy adult who manages to cope with most financial events that life can throw at you.

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Sienna Horton is a Mom of 2 grown, or almost grown, kids. She’s working on making them financially independent and able to stand on their own two feet in the world and sharing her tips, and failures, with other parents!