The OCS Application process has two parts: Kenyon approval, and the application to your program provider.

Part I

Kenyon’s application process, completed through StudioAbroad.  

  • The CGE offers advising appointments throughout the year in order to help answer your questions about off-campus study. Please make an appointment through Google Calendar. OCS advising appointments for the Class of 2026 will begin on Monday, Oct. 2, 2023 and must be completed by Friday, Jan. 19, 2024. Prior to your first appointment, please complete the short Advising Questionnaire in StudioAbroad.
  • After you choose a program, you must interview with someone in the CGE to open your application for you. Early-deadline applicants* must complete their OCS interviews between Monday, Oct. 30, and Friday, Nov. 17, 2023. Standard-deadline applicants must complete their OCS interviews between Monday, Nov. 6, 2023, and Friday, Jan. 26, 2024. These appointments should also be scheduled through Google Calendar
  • Following your interview, you will be able to begin working on your OCS application in StudioAbroad.
  • Final decisions for OCS participation are made by the Faculty Subcommittee on Global Engagement. You will be notified of the decision by email to your Kenyon email address.

*About the early deadline: Normally, all students must complete their interview and begin their application by Jan. 26, 2024, and complete their application by Feb. 4, 2024. However, if your program provider has a deadline of March 1, 2024 or earlier, you are considered an early deadline applicant and must complete your application (including an interview appointment) by Dec. 4, 2023. The University of Oxford programs have an earlier deadline; students applying for Oxford must interview and complete their application by Monday, Nov. 27, 2023. It is your responsibility to note your program deadline by checking the program provider's website. We will not accept applications that are not completed by Kenyon deadlines, and we cannot accommodate students who do not plan ahead. Kenyon-Exeter and Kenyon-Rome are not considered early deadline programs.

The process for approval to study off-campus is competitive. You are responsible for compiling the strongest possible application. The number of spaces available for off-campus study is limited.  Still, in most cases students who qualify are ultimately granted permission to study off-campus. Students applying for OCS for an academic year or a split-year (two programs in one year) must present a very strong case for this longer option. Because this process is a competitive one, some year-long or split-year applicants may be approved for one semester only. The CGE reserves the right to take disciplinary history into account when making final OCS approval.

Part II

Apply to the program(s) for which you have been approved through the program provider website (not through Kenyon).

  • Program deadlines vary, so be aware of your program’s deadline requirements. For applications with rolling deadlines, apply as soon as possible after your Kenyon approval. IMPORTANT: The deadline listed in StudioAbroad is the Kenyon application deadline; you must check your program deadline on the specific program website.

Kenyon College is committed to providing equal access to off-campus study for qualified students with disabilities. Not all OCS program accommodations are equal to those provided at Kenyon for students with disabilities. The CGE is confident that there is an appropriate program for every student and works with all students to find the programs that best fit their needs. Students are encouraged to self-disclose regarding any disabilities, so that the CGE can assist in finding a program with reasonable accommodations.

With approval to participate in OCS as a Kenyon student comes the obligation to complete the full cycle of programming that supports your experience: pre-departure orientation, the OCS program, re-entry debriefing and evaluation.