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Application Process
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If none of my teachers know me, who should do my academic reference? Remember that you can have any teacher who has given you a grade within the last two years write your reference for you, including your H.S. or seminary teacher. If you can't think of any teacher, call us at the office, and we'll help you think of someone else.
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What if it doesn't matter to me what age group I teach or where I go? We actually prefer that! Although we consider preferences, we do not encourage them. Its best for the program to be able to place you where you are most needed. Remember that it is our highest priority to keep friends together in the same city, so ask all of your friends if they'd like to go with you!
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What if I don't have achievements in all of the areas? Sorry, you won't be accepted. Just kidding! This is more for introduction purposes than evaluation purposes. We are just trying to get to know you better, so don't worry too much about it.
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Do I need to type the application? You can type it if you'd like, but it's not necessary--as long as we can read it easily.
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Is the program sponsored by any church? No, ILP it is not sponsored by any church or university, however it has a Code of Conduct that is consistent with LDS (Mormon) standards. ILP is an independent non-profit organization.
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Do you have to be a Mormon to go? Of course not! We welcome everyone to take part, however, we do require them to live by the ILP Code of Conduct found in Part D of the application.
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Will I be home for Christmas? Yes, each of our programs end in time to get you home for Christmas.
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How long are you gone? You are typically gone four or five months, depending on what time of year you go. The fall group goes four months; the spring group goes for five.
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When do you leave? We have two groups that leave per year, one from early August to late December, and one from early January to mid-June.
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Can you get credit? Usually, but this depends on how successful you are at arranging it. Since ILP is not a university, you must arrange all credits directly with your university. ILP's official stand on credits is that we support them, but we don't encourage them. If you NEED to take some in order to go (for academic, insurance, family, or other reasons) we support you doing so. However, if you don't need to, by all means don't! The beauty of ILP is that it is not a Study Abroad, but a Service Abroad, which is a very hands-on learning approach—by hands-on we mean preparing your lessons, studying the language while being immersed in it, etc. The majority of our volunteers do not arrange credit, and they have the most profound academic experience of their whole college career. If you need to arrange credits, speak with your ILP representative to make sure the credits will be compatible with your ILP experience. For example, we have had volunteers who were stuck in their dorms completing a midterm on Chinese architecture when the rest of their group left on an excursion to see the Great Wall! We would love to assist you in suggesting ways to make your credits compatible.
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If you aren't religious who should do your character reference? Like people, each situation is different. If you need help, give us a call in the office, and we will help you decide who would be best.
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Who should do the character reference, someone from school, or someone from home? The best answer to this is whoever knows you best.
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Can LDS seminary or institute teachers do my academic reference? They sure can, but we prefer a college or high school teacher when possible.
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What is the benefit of going to a small city vs. a large city? The easiest way to explain this is to picture if you were Russian or Chinese, had never seen the US before, and needed to decide whether you would come to New York, or Salt Lake. Both would be "authentic U.S." experiences, but they would allow you see two very different aspects of the country. Both would have great people who would be proud of their cities, and couldn't imagine living anywhere else. Of over 2000 volunteers, we have never heard someone say that their city wasn't the best! Each city has equal things to offer, just different. We hear much more often about the group of teachers with whom they served, which shows that who you'll serve with is often more significant than where.
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How big are the cities? In Russia: Moscow (10 million), St. Pete (7 million), Voronezh, Perm, Ufa (all around 1 million), and Kiev, Ukraine (2.5 million). In China: Tainjin (9.5 million), Wuhan (7.2 million), Ningbo (5.3 million), Wuxi (4.3 million), Hefei (4.2 million), Kunming (3.8 million), Urumqi (1.5million)
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Does the cost of the program cover credits, or is that in addition? Credit cost is in addition to the program fee. Since credits are arranged directly with the university, payment for them needs to be made directly to them, and is not considered an ILP cost.
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How is ILP organized? Who is in charge? ILP was organized in 1992 as a non-profit, charitable 501(c)(3) organization. It employs three full-time directors, an assistant director, and 11 part-time staff. The method founder is the late Dr. Trevor McKee, Ph.D., former professor of Human Development and Psycholinguistics at Brigham Young University. Abroad, we have three levels of administration; 1) head teachers (peer-age leaders who have previously volunteered with ILP), 2) advisors (senior couple, who act as Mom and Dad of the group) and 3) native coordinator/foreign affairs office, also a generation older than the volunteers, who are responsible for safety, political, and host family issues).
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What happens when I leave you my name and number? Don't worry, you are not making any commitment when you leave this information. We simply take your contact information so we can contact you in a few days to see if you have any questions. If you aren't interested, we won't bug you anymore! If you have chosen to apply, we can assist you through the entire process until departure.
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How hard is it to get in? The program has a self-filtering effect. We look for good people who love kids, and want to serve them. When people understand that they are paying to go serve kids, and then choose to apply, they are typically the exact kind of people we want! Occasionally we can tell from people's application that they simply won't have a good experience if they go, so we invite them not to go. So, because of the high acceptance rate, program admittance almost becomes first-come-first-served, so its good to apply as soon as you've decided to go. This is why we take applications up to three semesters (a year and a half) in advance.
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I am still praying/deciding about this and I'm just not sure what to do! It is very important to us that you have enough time to make the best decision for you, and we're supportive of the prayer process! We also understand that making a good decision depends heavily on having adequate information, so we want to provide you with all the information that you and your parents need. In the mean time, because of the time sensitivity of the application, we encourage you to continue to complete the application, except for paying the $30 fee. This way, the very moment that you decide to go, you will pay the app fee and be ready for review.
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I am interested and would like to do this, but I'm not sure about when? As long as you are sure you want to go sometime, we encourage you to apply now, and decide when later. We try to help people be able to go when they WANT to instead of when they feel they NEED to. Typically the deciding factor is either a financial or academic one, with which we can usually help. With over 2000 past volunteers, many precedents have been set which will likely apply to your situation!
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If I want to go in ______, when do I need to start applying? We accept applications up to three semesters (one and a half years) in advance, so apply as soon as you can!
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How do I know if this program is for me? First, find out all you can about it, by reading, looking at the ILP web site, speaking with representatives or others who have been, etc. Then, TALK TO YOUR PARENTS about it, and encourage them to contact us--parental support is extremely important to ILP. Then, if you're so inclined, run it through the prayer process, and see how it feels. Most of us used this process when we were deciding to go, and it made all the difference. The program is not for everybody, but if you choose to go, it is a great program, and it will probably change your life like it has ours!
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Do you have to have a certain GPA? Co-Director Steve Brayton says that if ILP took GPAs too seriously, he could have never gone! We look at your GPA, but we are much more interested in whether you are a good person that loves kids, and wants to help them. Most applicants agree that it's a very refreshing application experience.
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Do you have a summer program? We currently don't have a summer program. Most of our schools are off in the summers, so there would be no children to teach.
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I am looking into other study abroad programs like BYU Jerusalem. We encourage our volunteers to look around at all the options! One of the unique features of the ILP experience is that it is not a Study Abroad, but a Service Abroad, which is a very hands-on, yet still very academic approach. Many of our volunteers have experienced both Jerusalem Study Abroad, and ILP Service Abroad, and have loved both. Decide on the one that's best for you.
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I just don't know if I feel good about it. Don't feel pressured in any way. We have found that information is one of the most important ingredients to make a good decision, and we are dedicated to providing that for you. You or your family may speak with your representative, or with one of the Directors at any time if you have a question. This experience is not for everybody, but if you feel it's right for you, we hope it will change your life like it has ours!
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Can married couples go? We love couples to go! They add tons to the chemistry of the team, becoming kind of a big brother and sister to the group. Currently, the housing provided in China is the best fit for couples, however there are a few facilities for couples in Russia and Ukraine as well.
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Who do I talk to about getting credits? There are many different ways to accomplish this! There is rarely any "package deal" of credits from universities. Most volunteers arrange credits personally with the university they are attending. When you inquire about credits, remember to have an advice-seeking approach, and not a demanding one. Some universities have an Internship Coordinator for each department, which could prove very useful to you. DON'T FEEL YOU NEED TO TAKE CREDITS. We support people taking credits, but don't encourage it. Only take them if you need to—the beauty of ILP is that it is not a study abroad, but a service abroad. Most volunteers who didn't sign up for any credits said that it was the most academic experience of their entire college career, just because of the hands-on nature of the whole experience. Remember to ask your rep for help on this. We are here to help you!
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