KWC in Rome: Applying and Preparing

David Bertschinger is a KWC junior majoring in physics. He is spending the Spring 2010 semester studying abroad in Rome. He will be providing regular updates to KWConnect.

Filling out the AIFS application was not as complicated as you would think. They required one brief essay and one teacher recommendation, along with forms to be filled out by other teachers and faculty. Plane tickets, meal vouchers and housing are all included in the AIFS package. I enrolled by an early deadline of July 1st (the regular one is October 15th) to receive a promotional offer of 200 Euros free spending money when I get to Italy. After I was accepted into the program, there were more forms to fill out and much more literature to read.

The biggest challenge was to obtain a visa, but even this went without complication. AIFS supplied a guide to filling out the application for a visa. The process includes required travel to the Italian consulate that covers your jurisdiction. In my case, the consulate that covers Kentucky is in Detroit. This process can only be completed within 90 days before leaving, so my father and I went there in mid-November, after AIFS supplied me with the necessary forms and letters. 

I have spent the past months reading up on Italy and Rome, organizing things to pack and eagerly awaiting my plane ride out of the United States. Just recently I received my final package from AIFS, which included my plane tickets, an itinerary, and contact information for overseas and of my fellow travelers.

Now all that lies before me is to pack for this adventure and board a plane in St. Louis and then again in Chicago that will take me across the Atlantic. I will first spend a few days in London before flying to Florence, Italy, for a two-week orientation program, and then on to Rome to start classes for the semester at the beginning of February.

Wish me luck, and be sure to check out my future notes about my adventures over there!

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