Applications
to
the LAW/LSJ in Rome Exploration Seminar are processed through the
website for the International Programs and Exchanges (IPE). The IPE website is:
http://studyabroad.washington.edu. You
need
to
follow
the
instructions
on
that website and complete all
the required steps for your application. You
also need to submit a hard
copies of some parts of your application at the LSJ office or at the
law school, according to the instructions below.
You need to submit your application through the online site AND provide
the hard copies of materials.
Please try to submit your materials by the deadline. Please
contact Prof. Anita Ramasastry if you think you will need more time to
complete your application (
arama@u.washington.edu).
The program is open to students at the UW Law School and to
undergraduates of all majors. Undergraduates must
have successfully completed a 300-level course in LSJ, political
science,
European studies, international studies, business, or a similar
major. Students do not need foreign language ability or prior
experience living or traveling abroad.
Please read the information on this
page carefully to make sure that
you provide a complete application.
To complete the online part of the process: Go to
the
IPE
page
for
this
program and
click
on
"Apply
Now"
near
the
top
of
the
page. Login and follow
the instructions associated with each part of the application.
The application program will ask you to complete an "Application Questionnaire Form"
where
you respond to a series of
questions about
your interest in the program and your plans for taking part. You need
to complete a "Statement of Purpose"
and
a
"Statement of
Finances." There are also questions about prior
experiences
abroad and about your ability to contribute to group harmony. You
can write responses in a word processing program and then past your
responses into the required spaces. There are several other signature
forms that you need to complete according to the instructions in order
for your application to be processed.
The most important part of the
application is your "Statement of Purpose." You
should spend time gathering information about the program from this
website, and information about studying abroad from the IPE
website. You should use that information to write a thoughtful
statement. Your statement
should
1)
explain
your
interest
in
an
academically
oriented
study abroad program in Rome, and 2) explain
your
interest in and preparation for the topics covered in the seminars.
The automated application process also asks you for one recommendations for the
program. There are links that allows you to look up a faculty member
and have the system send the faculty member a request for a
recommendation. The program will then send an email to that
faculty member with an online reference form. If your recommender is not in the
database or not at the University of Washington, you can manually enter the
person's name and email address to have a recommendation form sent by email to
that person.
You should politely ask a person who knows you or your academic work
to provide a reference. When you make the request, you may want
to tell the recommender that they only need to fill out a short
reference form, not write a complete
letter of recommendation. You might also say that the form is
completed
online. When you set up the recommendation request on the IPE
system, you can add a short note to the faculty member identifying
yourself.
The recommendation can sometimes strengthen an
application, but the recommendation is not as
important as your personal statement or overall academic
record. A recommendation is most likely to be helpful
if it is written by someone who knows you well. If there is no faculty member who knows
you well, it is OK to ask a teaching assistant, adviser, employer, or even a
student who has already been on the Law/LSJ in Rome program. It is OK if the
person writing the letter cannot answer all of the questions on the form. Just
ask him or her to complete what he or she can. It is OK if the recommendation arrives a
short time after the deadline, but please try to complete the rest of
the application by the deadline.
Follow all the instructions on the IPE application pages and be sure to submit
all the required signature documents. The IPE website should allow you to submit
your documents online with a UW NetID verified electronic signature. Your
application is not complete and cannot be considered if you do not complete the
forms. Please try to complete all of the required application steps before the
February 27 deadline. You
are encouraged to apply the before the deadline.
In addition to completing the online application, you need to turn in a
hard copy of your "Statement of Purpose" and a hard copy of your
academic transcript. Undergraduates should turn in a these
two items to Mark Weitzenkamp, the LSJ Academic Adviser (42 Gowen
Hall). Law students should turn them in to Ruth Beardsley, Room
325, William Gates Hall. The hard copies should be turned in by 3:30 P.M. on February
27. Alternatively,
students
can
mail
the
materials
to:
LSJ
Rome
Program,
c/o Mark Weitzenkamp, Box 353530, University of Washington,
Seattle WA 98195. Please mail early enough to ensure that they
arrive by the deadline. When you turn in the hard copies of
these materials, please attach them to the a completed
COVER SHEET.
Some applicants will be asked to come in for interviews with program
faculty.
Decisions regarding admission will be announced on March 8. Please be patient. Not being asked to interview does not
necessarily mean you will be rejected.
Applicants will be evaluated based on their overall academic record,
their record in courses related to the academic program, their
expressed interests in the program, and their capacity to contribute to
the group learning experience. Students who applied
last year but did not attend are encouraged to reapply this year.
Please also look at the
FAQ page for
additional information about the program, the selection process, the
classes, and the city of Rome.
If you have additional questions after reading that web page, please email the
co-directors, Anita Ramasastry,
arama@uw.edu,
or
Sabrina
Tatta,
sabri@u.washington.edu.
RETURN TO LAW/LSJ in
Rome Exploration Seminar Homepage.
GO
TO
IPE
Webpage
and
Apply
to
the
Program.
Visit
the 
page.
COVER
SHEET
