Before You Go

Welcome to the “Before You Go” section of the CLS Participant Handbook!

The time you invest in planning for your summer abroad will likely minimize the challenges you will experience and will allow you to make the most of the limited time you will have in your host community. We have organized this section to help you in several aspects of planning including how to accept your CLS award, which can be a more time-consuming process than many students imagine, and how to obtain a U.S. passport and any required visas. We also provide an overview of the pre-program requirements that CLS places on participants to prepare them to participate in the program and give some insight into the many logistical and personal elements that we suggest you think about in advance. Please read the information in this section carefully as it will help you better understand what you can expect over the next couple months as a CLS finalist, as well as important considerations as you prepare for your summer in your host country.