This brief overview is designed to help you guide students through the major phases of the UC Reciprocal Exchange experience, also known as the ”non-degree/no-fee exchange.”

Key Reciprocal Exchanges Contacts

We want to encourage you to make us at UOEAP your first line of contact. UOEAP’s address is:

Reciprocal Exchanges
Universitywide Office, Education Abroad Program
6950 Hollister Avenue, Suite 200
Goleta, CA 93117 - 5823
EAP web page: eap.ucop.edu – select Reciprocal Exchanges
Telephone: (805) 893 - 4534
Fax: (805) 893 - 2583 (Attention: Reciprocity)

Please discourage undergraduate students from directly contacting various UC campus offices, such as admissions, housing, and the registrar, until EAP instructs them to do so. Students may receive misinformation if they speak with staff who are not familiar with EAP exchange programs.

Paulette Greisner, Director pgreisner@eap.ucop.edu
(805) 893 - 2375
Emergency Cell: (805) 451 - 0458

Ralitsa Kirova, Section Supervisor rkirova@eap.ucop.edu
(805) 893 - 2398
Janis Carey, International Specialist jcarey@eap.ucop.edu
(805) 893 - 8336
Francesca Agostini, International Specialist fagostini@eap.ucop.edu
(805) 893 - 2398

Administrative Support
Diana Joiner
Assistant / Summer Sessions djoiner@eap.ucop.edu
(805) 893 - 3761

Adrienne Lee alee@eap.ucop.edu
Mirjana Muzar mmuzar@eap.ucop.edu
Assistants / General Administrative Support / Transcripts

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Application Deadlines

If you have any questions about deadlines, please let us know as soon as possible. We are much more likely to assist you if requests for extensions of deadlines are brought to our attention early in the application cycle.

The following deadlines are very important. Ensure that your students’ applications reach us in a timely fashion for review and placement. Applicants submitting their applications late, particularly students in selected majors, can only be placed at campuses where space is still available. Students applying late in selected majors risk being refused acceptance to the program.

Fall Calendar

June through December	Registration for English as a Second Language (ESL) tests. See the Reciprocal Exchanges application instructions.
November	Application period for Fall begins.
January 15	Deadline for receipt of UCLA design / architecture undergraduate Fall applications only.
February 1	Deadline for receipt of Fall UC undergraduate applications in selected majors (architecture, business administration, engineering [including computer science], film, legal studies, and the arts).
February 15	Deadline for receipt of applications in all other UC undergraduate majors.
February through May	Notification of applicants’ acceptance or denial.
July	Finalizing arrangements (e.g., visa, housing, flight reservations) for Fall arrival (August / September).
Late August	Fall semester courses begin at UC Berkeley.
Late September	Fall quarter courses begin at all UC campuses except UC Berkeley.
Mid-May	Academic year ends at UC Berkeley.
Mid-June	Academic year ends at all UC campuses except UC Berkeley.

Mid-Year (January) Calendar

January through August	Registration for English as a Second Language (ESL) tests. See the Reciprocal Exchanges application instructions.
August 1	Final deadline for receipt of all January applications.
November	Finalizing arrangements (e.g., visa, housing, flight reservations) for January arrival.
Early January	Winter quarter courses begin at all UC campuses except UC Berkeley.
Mid-January	Spring semester courses begin at UC Berkeley.
Late March	Spring quarter courses begin at all UC campuses except UC Berkeley.
Mid-May	Spring semester ends at UC Berkeley.
Mid-June	Spring quarter ends at all UC campuses except UC Berkeley.
June through August / September	Summer holidays.
Late August	Fall semester courses begin at UC Berkeley.
Late September	Fall quarter courses begin at all UC campuses except UC Berkeley.

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UC Informational Materials

The Reciprocal Exchanges web pages provide the most up-to-date information about study at each UC campus. Students can browse this information on their own or it can be used with a projector and Internet connection in a group presentation.

Select “UC Information” on the left-side bar of the Reciprocal Exchanges web page.

Special features:
• Interactive map of California featuring UC campus facts, photos, and virtual tours
• Major department links for each UC campus
• Catalogs, schedules of classes, and UC campus sites
• Undergraduate fields of study (majors)
• UC directory
• UC news
• UC slideshow
• Introducing the University of California (pdf version of the UC publication)
• UC flyer (one-page pdf)
• World magazine articles
• Quotes from past Reciprocal Exchange students

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Applicant Selection and Preparation

The Study Center Director or UC liaison should:

• Review the UC / partner university agreement terms and conditions that relate to Reciprocal Exchanges. If you have questions, check with UOEAP in the early stages of the application cycle.

• Ensure that applicants understand the nature and limitations of EAP non-degree status. The exchange provides for coursework only. Reciprocal Exchange students do not earn a degree while on exchange at UC. They continue to be enrolled at their home university during their UC exchange period (see the Nomination and Authorization for Release of Academic Records and Information form).

• Verify that prospective applicants have the UC equivalent of a 3.0 grade point average (GPA) or higher. This is particularly important for applicants in impacted majors. If you do not know the UC-recognized equivalent GPA in your location, contact a Reciprocal Exchanges specialist at UOEAP. For any student lacking a 3.0 GPA, provide supporting documentation (e.g., letters of recommendation, description of illness or hardship, etc.) explaining the mitigating circumstances as early in the application process as possible.

• Ensure that applicants have taken an approved ESL test as appropriate (see below), and have the required minimum or higher score for their preferred UC campuses.

• Read the EAP Reciprocal Exchanges application instructions and Student Guide. Ask questions about any information that is unclear. UC information for recruitment purposes, guide materials, forms, UC catalogs, schedule of classes, and general pre-arrival information may be viewed on the Reciprocal Exchanges web page.

• Verify that applicants have reviewed the Undergraduate Majors table in the application instructions and on the Reciprocal Exchanges web page to ensure that their major is offered at their preferred UC campuses. Students should consult UC online catalogs for the most current information accessible. Printed catalogs will no longer be sent to locations abroad.

• Provide opportunities for applicants to participate in pre-departure orientation activities to ensure that they will be well prepared to enter a different academic culture. UC students and returning Reciprocal Exchange students are useful resources for these activities.

• Pay particular attention to the Visa Requirements section. Plan to address this important issue in pre-departure orientations (also see the Reciprocal Exchanges web page and the Student Guide).

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Closed Programs and Departments

A few UC majors / departments and most UC professional schools do not accept Reciprocal Exchange students. A listing of departmental limitations can be found on the Reciprocal Exchanges web page.

If there are any unusual student requirements, such as requests for mid-year admission or access to particular coursework or laboratory space, advise students to check with the UC department or UOEAP before applying.

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English-Language Requirements

Proof of Proficiency in English

Students whose native language is not English, and whose high school or college / university education was in a country where English is not the language of instruction must present proof of proficiency in English. UC admissions does not allow exceptions to this policy. Students should enroll in one of the approved ESL tests as early as possible to avoid delays in acceptance of their application. All test results should be sent directly to UOEAP (see the application instructions and the Reciprocal Exchanges web pages for UC-recognized ESL test requirements).

Students from institutions that teach in English, located in countries where English is the official language of instruction, are not required to submit ESL test scores. UC does, however, reserve the right to ask for further documentation (i.e., documentation used for admission to the home university or, if none is available, scores from a UC-approved ESL test) when there are reservations about a student’s English-language proficiency.

ESL Test Options and Score Reporting

For information about UC-recognized ESL test requirements, minimum scores, registration and reporting, see the application instructions on the Reciprocal Exchanges web page.

Reciprocal Exchange undergraduate students may take the TOEFL, IELTS, IB, or approved Cambridge tests. Direct reporting of ESL test scores to UOEAP by the Educational Testing Service ensures the most rapid and reliable reporting of your students’ scores.

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The Application Process

Establish a Liaison Account

To access UC-EAP Reciprocal Exchanges online application, each partner international office and Study Center must select someone to act as the primary user for a liaison account. For security reasons, do not use a generic login. The account user should be the person in your office who works directly with nominated UC Reciprocal Exchange students. If the primary user from the previous application cycle no longer works at your office, another staff member should be designated as the primary account user.

If you are establishing a new account, proceed with the following steps:

1. Select the primary account user.
2. Send the following information to Ralitsa Kirova (rkirova@eap.ucop.edu)
Name of Institution / Study Center
Account User’s Last Name
Account User’s First Name
Account User’s Title
Account User’s E-Mail Address (Note: The e-mail address must be an e-mail address at the institution cited above, in the name of the primary user. Generic e-mail addresses, such as exchange@anyuni.edu, cannot be used to establish an account.)

After you have requested your account, UOEAP will e-mail you the web address and an individual user name and password for you and your partner institutions. When you first access that site, you will be asked to select a new password (the user name must remain the same).

If you have previously established an account but you have problems using your account, contact ReciprocityHelp@eap.ucop.edu.

Initiate the Application Process

• Direct only nominated applicants to the application instructions at http://eap.ucop.edu/reciprocity/undergraduate/ and the Reciprocal Exchanges online application at https://myeap.eap.ucop.edu/ucreciprocity.

• Instruct applicants to read the application instructions first, paying particular attention to the Preliminary Steps, before beginning their online application. The Preliminary Steps help applicants determine their class level, English-language proficiency, and prerequisite courses; research and select three UC campuses; and prepare a study plan for each selected campus.

• Assist applicants in reviewing the online UC catalog course descriptions, paying special attention to any course prerequisites. Advise applicants to consult the UC Undergraduate Majors table, the Impacted Majors table, and the Prerequisites for Selected Majors table in the application instructions.

• Assist applicants in formulating study plans. Study plans are a vital component of the selection process, and should describe, as accurately as possible, the applicant’s desired coursework while on EAP exchange. Be aware that the study plan is a planning tool used for placement and advising. Applicants are not automatically enrolled in courses selected on their study plans. The actual enrollment process is separate, and may or may not yield a similar schedule. There is no guarantee that a particular course will be offered while a student is on exchange at UC. Advise applicants to plan carefully in advance and consult their home university advisors so that they can select alternative courses.

• Determine if there are course requirements a student must fulfill at the home university while on UC exchange, and assist the student and his or her academic advisors to plan for alternatives. UC cannot guarantee access to particular courses for EAP Reciprocal Exchange students. It is inappropriate to send applicants with rigid home university coursework requirements on UC exchange.

• Advise applicants to access the Reciprocal Exchanges online application web site and establish a login name and password-protected application account. At any time while applicants are completing their online application, they may save the information, exit the program, and resume completion of the online application at a later time. If they experience technical difficulties, they or you may contact the EAP helpdesk at ReciprocityHelp@eap.ucop.edu.

Release Online Applications

• Access any student application from your institution(s) and / or Study Center, including those “in progress” and those that have been completed and submitted, through your primary user account at https://myeap.eap.ucop.edu/SC - select “Reciprocity Students”, then “Release and Unlock” on the menu bar.

• You can release an individual application or a group of applications, depending on your needs. To release a complete (“submitted”) individual application to UOEAP, check the box in the column marked with the “release” icon. To release all “submitted” applications, click on the “release” icon at the top of the entire column.

Study Center Portal screen shot

Note: only “submitted” applications can be released to UOEAP. “In-progress” applications need to first be submitted by either the student or the Study Center to be released to UOEAP. Once you have released an application, the applicant can no longer make changes in the online application, as the application is “locked” for review by UOEAP. UOEAP and the Study Center / liaison may “unlock” released applications if necessary, such as when a student must revise his or her study plan.

• The online application software will alert you to any parts of the application that are incomplete, listing them on the screen, grouped under each section of the application. You should not release an incomplete application until missing fields have been completed.

Forward Paper Application Materials to UOEAP

• Collect and mail paper documents for released applications (e.g., official academic records, Confirmation of Financial Resources form, documentation of required funds) to UOEAP. Completed applications and supplementary paper documents must be received by UOEAP by the announced deadlines.

• Attach a copy of the home university grading scale.

• Verify the accuracy of any translated documentation.

• Ensure that all required items on the application checklist, including photocopies, have been submitted for each applicant.

• Include the Nomination and Authorization form, signed by the student, the home university UC liaison and, where applicable, the Study Center Director.

• UOEAP must receive the completed online applications, supporting paper documents, and accompanying forms directly from the UC liaison or Study Center. UOEAP cannot accept applications directly from students. In addition, applications cannot be sent directly to campus admissions or to the UC Application Processing Service. They must be sent to UOEAP only.

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Online Application and Study Plan Tutorials

Online Application

Study Plan Tutorial

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Notification of Placement and Acceptance

Application Status Lists

UOEAP e-mails the Study Center or UC liaison bi-weekly lists indicating applicants’ UC campus placement and acceptance status.

Application Status Confirmation / Transmittal Sheet

UOEAP e-mails the Study Center or UC liaison a copy of the status confirmation for each application as it is processed. Forward the status confirmation notices to students, noting any problems or missing items. The status confirmation sheet is the notification of:

• When and to which UC campus an application has been directed
• Receipt of supplementary materials included with the application
• Omissions or problems that require the applicant’s immediate action

Acceptance

UOEAP sends students, through the Study Center or UC liaison, an EAP acceptance letter. The EAP acceptance letter is the student’s official notification of acceptance. This letter outlines the fees waived or paid on behalf of EAP Reciprocal Exchange students, and asks for confirmation of the student’s intention to attend the host UC campus. Students must sign and return the lower portion of the acceptance letter to confirm that they accept their UC campus placement and terms as an EAP Reciprocal Exchange student.

Address Updates

It is critical that students keep UOEAP and the Study Center or liaison informed of addresses where they can always securely receive mail and e-mail. Failure to keep this information current may create considerable delays in delivery of a student’s visa document. Encourage students to provide the most secure and reliable address possible, rather than a school or temporary address.

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Additional Information

Short-Term Students

Advise students who plan to attend UC for less than a full academic year of the challenges and compromises that may be required from short-term participants. Encourage students to participate in the Program for a minimum of one semester (15 weeks) or two quarters (two ten-week terms).

Course scheduling and registration at UC are geared to full-year students. Many courses, particularly in the sciences, are taught in sequential order (e.g., “part A” is offered in the Fall, “part B” offered in the Winter, etc.). Not all courses are offered each term or each academic year.

Students attending one term only may also be at a disadvantage in course enrollment, as they register much later than regular UC students. Registration for courses opens during the preceding term. One-term students do not have two or three opportunities to register during the year, and risk not being able to schedule coursework if they participate for only a single term. Also, advanced undergraduates who would like to enroll in a graduate course may find it easier to receive the instructor’s consent in their second or third term of attendance.

Short-term students may experience challenges in finding housing. For more information, see the Housing section in the Student Guide and UC host pre-arrival instructions on the Reciprocal Exchanges web page.

Students with Disabilities and Special Needs

Encourage students with disabilities and special needs to inform UOEAP of their disability and possible accommodation requirements as early as possible. Refer them to the Student Guide on the Reciprocal Exchanges web page for more information.

Mental Health Concerns

Encourage students with mental health concerns to inform UOEAP of their concerns and possible accommodation requirements as early as possible. Refer them to the Student Guide on the Reciprocal Exchanges web page for more information.

Employment Options for Reciprocal Exchange Students

Students are not encouraged to work while on exchange at UC and must plan to take sufficient funds to cover their living expenses for their period of study. Students on F-1 student visas are not eligible to work off campus. Part-time, on-campus employment is, however, an option at all UC campuses. On-campus employment may be difficult to obtain, and students should not depend on working to meet their UC campus financial requirements while on EAP exchange.

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UC Transcripts and Academic Performance

Academic Progress Reports

Reciprocal Exchange students’ academic performance at UC is monitored by UOEAP. The transcript for any student performing below the level of a 2.7 GPA or enrolled in less than 12 units per term will be sent to your office for review.

Transcripts indicating problems should be reviewed by the UC Study Center or UC liaison and forwarded to the appropriate home university advisor for their information and appropriate follow-up.

Final UC Transcripts

Students’ final UC transcripts will be forwarded to the UC Study Center or UC liaison at the end of the academic program. Advise students who wish to obtain personal copies of their transcript to make arrangements, before their departure from UC, for the copies to be sent directly to their permanent address. There is a small charge for each official transcript ordered while the student is still at UC. It may cost the student significantly more if the transcript is ordered from abroad.

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Share Your UC Exchange Experiences

EAP welcomes materials that reflect student experiences in California for use in our publications and web page information. Please encourage returned students to share their comments, tips, and testimonials with future EAP Reciprocal Exchange students. Comments and photos should be directed to UC-Comments@eap.ucop.edu. Participants may also use our online form for submissions at http://eap.ucop.edu/reciprocity/comments.

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