How to Apply

ELAP has made it easy for you to apply. Please read through the following three steps thoroughly and you'll be on your way toward an exciting experience abroad.

1. Meet the Eligibility Requirements

Personal Profile Requirements

The ideal ELAP participant should possess the following attributes:

• Patience with yourself and others
• Desire to participate and learn
• Ability to work in a team
• Personal initiative
• Reliability

Volunteering abroad through ELAP is very exciting, yet challenging at times. ELAP is not for everyone.

Academic and Language Requirements

• 2.5 GPA for Latin America and South Korea programs; 2.8 GPA for England and Spain programs
• 4 semesters or 6 quarter units of Spanish for most ELAP programs in Latin America and Spain

Spanish language eligibility will ultimately be determined through the 10-minute Spanish language phone interview conducted by an ELAP Coordinator. Please note some placements in Cusco, Peru can accept participants with less Spanish language experience. Please contact ELAP for more details.

If you do not meet the minimum language requirements for an individual placement but are still interested in volunteering, please consider one of the ELAP Group Projects.

2. Complete Necessary Application Materials

• Standard ELAP Application
• $200 Program Deposit (deducted from program price)
  Please note the Standard ELAP Application and $200 Program Deposit MUST be submitted by all applicants, including students currently enrolling in an ISA academic program.
• Official Transcript
  Please note applicants currently enrolling in an ISA academic program do not need to resubmit additional transcripts to ELAP.
• Résumé in Spanish (for Latin America and Spain programs); Résumé in English for England and South Korea programs
• Letter of Recommendation (for South Korea program ONLY)

3. Submit Application Materials

Applications should be submitted as soon as possible. ELAP accepts applications on a rolling basis. All application materials will be reviewed by the ELAP staff to determine acceptance.

Application Deadlines - application and payment deadlines vary according to program session and location. Please check the "Prices & Dates" section for your program of choice. Late application may be accepted after assessing $150 late fee.

All application materials should be mailed to:

Experiential Learning Abroad Programs (ELAP)
1112 W. Ben White Blvd.
Austin, TX 78704

Spanish Language Phone Interview

Upon receipt of the necessary application materials, an ELAP representative will contact all participants traveling to Latin America and Spain to schedule their required Spanish language phone interview.

Please note that placements are available on a first-come, first-served basis. It is recommended to submit all application materials and conduct the necessary Spanish language interview as soon as possible.

Acceptance and Placement

Once accepted, ELAP will contact you to begin the placement process. More than 90% of the time ELAP is able to confirm a participant's preferred placement. Once a placement is confirmed, you will be notified and an official placement description will be sent via email. Most placements are confirmed approximately one month before the program start date.