Meet Senior OTS Admissions Counselor, Patrice Barley
- undergraduate2
- Mar 17, 2016
- 2 min read
1. What is your role at OTS?
I recruit students from colleges and universities across the country for the OTS programs offered in collaboration with Duke University and I work specifically with students in the admissions process who are applying to the semester and summer programs in South Africa.
I have been with OTS since 2009 and have had the opportunity to visit our undergraduate program locations in both Costa Rica and South Africa.
2. Are you still accepting applications?
Yes! The application deadline for our summer programs has been extended to April 1st and we are also accepting applications for Fall 2016 programs. The applications for Spring 2017 programs will be open soon as well.
OTS also offers scholarships to eligible students who have been accepted into our programs. For priority consideration, apply early!
3. What makes OTS programs unique?
As an undergraduate French major, I studied abroad in France. Before coming to work for OTS, I saw no real value in study abroad experiences that did not focus on language acquisition and cultural immersion.
Working for OTS has shown me that there is great value in study abroad experiences that don’t focus on either of those things.
Learning about the ecology, the environment, or health care issues or another country is just as valuable as learning the language and local culture. However, I think that one of the strengths of the OTS programs is that, even though our programs don’t focus on language acquisition and cultural immersion, those components are still incorporated into our programs.
Even though the OTS programs are taught in English, OTS students still learn about the culture of Costa Rica or South Africa and do have language exposure.
4. How do OTS grads benefit from the programs?
OTS programs provide students with an invaluable skill set that will serve them well in whatever field they decide to pursue.
Our students are engaged in hands-on, field-based research early on in their academic careers and this allows them to either solidify or reassess their future aspirations before committing to a graduate program or having to discover this during their first job.
Joining an OTS program is definitely a wise investment in your future!
You can start or complete your application here. Feel free to reach out to me (patrice.barley@tropicalstudies.org) or the rest of our team at undergraduate@tropicalstudies.org if you have any questions about your application or scholarships.
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