Meet with an Advisor
Schedule an Advising Appointment
The Study Abroad Office offers a variety of advising appointments to help you navigate the study abroad process. Once you have attended a First Step info session, you can meet with a member of our team to receive personalized help in selecting a program that fits your academic, professional, and personal goals.
Connect with one of our advisors to learn more about your options for studying, interning, and participating in research abroad! Our advising is offered virtually and in-person.
Please note, all advising appointments are optional and not required as part of the application process. If you do wish to meet with an advisor, you may schedule an appointment below.
Study Abroad Advising
Learn more about the types of advising appointments we offer!
Drop-In Advising
Drop-In Hours are intended for students who are planning on going abroad at any point during their academic career. If you have no idea where to start, please stop by our office during regular business hours, Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM.
Please note: Study Abroad Advisors may have scheduled appointments and may not be available immediately. In this instance, you may meet with a Peer Advisor if one is present in the office.
Peer Advising Appointments
If you’d like to hear first hand perspectives of students who previously went on Study Abroad programs, we highly recommend that you meet with our Peer Advisors. Not only have they completed programs, they also work in our office and can help navigate you from application process to program selection. Some of our Peer Advisors offer additional identity-based advising for students who have questions or concerns about traveling with a specific identity.
The Peer Advisors are a great starting point and are recommended to meet with before meeting a Program Advisor.
Program Advisor Appointment
If you are interested in studying abroad, but need some assistance in determining which program is the best fit for you, please schedule an appointment with one of our Program Advisors. These are intended for students who have narrowed down their search to a specific country or region of the world (see country portfolios for our advisor team below). Depending on your interests you may meet with multiple advisors in our office as each advisor has a particular area of expertise. During your appointment you will discuss scholarship options, create a budget, discuss visa/immigration requirements, and review the course approval process.
Scholarship & Funding Advising
If you need assistance with your study abroad scholarship application for scholarships such as the Gilman International Scholarship, Gilman-McCain Scholarship, Freeman Asia, Fund for Education Abroad Scholarships, and any others, please schedule an appointment with Kyle to review your essay or brainstorm content ideas. If you would like a draft of your essay reviewed, please email it to sao@uic.edu 48 hours before the time of your appointment.
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The Study Abroad Office team has a wide range of international experience and works in collaboration with UIC Career Services and other external partners to advise students on future global opportunities and incorporating their study abroad experience into their job materials, interview preparation, and more. Schedule an appointment with anyone on our team (or email them directly) to discuss how you want to apply study abroad to your future.
Meet with our Peer Advisors - (ONLY DURING FALL/SPRING -- Peer Advisors do not work in Summer. Please scroll down to see Program Advisors instead)
Want to study abroad but don’t know where to start? A good first step is speaking to a Peer Advisor. Learn from UIC students who have successfully studied abroad about how their experience was, which program might be right for you, what to do next and where to get more information.
Lilian Salgado, Peer Advisor
Lilian joined the UIC Study Abroad Office in 2024. She is a senior student majoring in Hispanic and Italian Studies with a focus on Teaching of Spanish, Lilian has studied abroad in Paris, France in 2023 and Bilbao, Spain in 2024. As a first-generation Latina student, she is passionate about helping others navigate their study abroad journey.Lilian is excited to assist students in finding the perfect study abroad program, guiding them through the application process, and connecting them with general information about scholarships and resources.
Office Hours:
Tuesday: 11:00 AM – 4:30 PM
Thursday: 11:00 AM – 3:30 PM
Feel free to drop by during her office hours or schedule an appointment to discuss your study abroad plans!
New to iAdvise? Log in to get to my schedule at my.UIC.edu and visit the Advising Tab. Click on iAdvise and you will go to your Success Network. Search for “Study Abroad” in the search bar to make your appointment!
Have you used iAdvise before? Use the link below to go directly to my schedule.
Ethan Ehrenhofer, Peer Advisor
Ethan joined the UIC Study Abroad Office in 2025. He is in his third year at UIC, double majoring in Marketing and Information and Decision Science. During Ethan’s time studying abroad at the University of Sydney, he experienced a vibrant culture that helped him grow academically and personally. Ethan is passionate about helping students find programs that fit their academic schedule while enhancing their cultural experience. He is looking forward to assisting students during their entire study abroad journey; from first impressions to final application and scholarship submissions, Ethan is excited to help you experience the world abroad!
Office Hours:
Monday: 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Tuesday: 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM
Wednesday: 11:00 PM – 1:30 PM
Feel free to drop by during his office hours or schedule an appointment to discuss your study abroad plans!
New to iAdvise? Log in to get to my schedule at my.UIC.edu and visit the Advising Tab. Click on iAdvise and you will go to your Success Network. Search for “Study Abroad” in the search bar to make your appointment!
Have you used iAdvise before? Use the link below to go directly to my schedule.
Claire Dombrowski, Peer Advisor
Claire is in her fourth year at UIC, and is studying environmental biology. Claire is a first-generation college student and a UIC Navigator Scholar. She has studied abroad with the First Year Flames Abroad program in Costa Rica, Pop, Art, and Culture that Rocked British Society program in London, England, and with the CEA CAPA Liberal Arts and Sciences San Jose program in Costa Rica. Claire has also served as a peer leader for the First Year Flames Abroad program in Costa Rica, guiding other first-generation college students through their transition into college. Throughout her experiences on these faculty-directed programs and as a program peer leader, she has discovered a passion for study abroad and aims to help introduce more students to these amazing experiences. As a first generation college student, she wants to show other first-generation students that study abroad can be more accessible than it may seem and that there are programs for everyone at UIC Abroad.
Claire can assist with helping students choose a program, searching for scholarships, and application questions.
Meet Claire during her office hours below or schedule an appointment:
Thursday: 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm
Friday: 10:00 am – 12:00 pm and 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Need another time? Email Claire at cdomb3@uic.edu to schedule a Zoom appointment for later in the day, weekends, and other times not listed.
Raeya Shah, Peer Advisor
Raeya is in her second year at UIC and is studying biology. She joined the study abroad office this Fall and has studied abroad in Panama in Spring of 2025. Raeya is also extremely passionate about culture and has explored over 25 countries and hopes to grow that list! Raeya is excited to help students find the perfect program for their academic and adventurous goals. She is especially enthusiastic to help students navigate their major requirements and professional responsibilities with finding the best time and place to go abroad!
Feel free to drop by or schedule an appointment during her office hours:
Monday: 12:30 pm – 3:30 pm
Wednesday: 11:30 am – 1:00 pm
Friday: 11:00 am – 1:30 pm
Shreya Atluri, Peer Advisor
Feel free to drop by or schedule an appointment during her office hours:
Monday: 9:30 am – 10:30 am
Wednesday: 3:30 pm – 4:15 pm
Friday: 9:45 am – 11:45 am
Meet with our Program Advisors
Already have your program or country in mind and want to discuss the specifics? Our Program Advisors will be able to guide you.
General Inquiries and Exploratory Advising
Josefina Vega advises all students who have any initial questions about studying abroad. Schedule an appointment with Josefina if you have questions about the process to study abroad, need assistance selecting a program that is right for you, or want more information about navigating your identity abroad.
New to iAdvise? Log in to get to my schedule at my.UIC.edu and visit the Advising Tab. Click on iAdvise and you will go to your Success Network. Search for “Study Abroad” in the search bar to make your appointment!
Have you used iAdvise before? Use the link below to go directly to my schedule.
Asia & Africa and Select European Destinations
Irina serves as the Study Abroad Advisor for these programs.
Please make an appointment with her via iAdvise.
New to iAdvise? Log in to get to my schedule at my.UIC.edu and visit the Advising Tab. Click on iAdvise and you will go to your Success Network. Search for “Study Abroad” in the search bar to make your appointment!
Have you used iAdvise before? Use the link below to go directly to my schedule.
Central/South America, Spain, and Other European Destinations
Colleen serves as the Study Abroad Advisor for these programs.
Please make an appointment with her via iAdvise.
New to iAdvise? Log in to get to my schedule at my.UIC.edu and visit the Advising Tab. Click on iAdvise and you will go to your Success Network. Search for “Study Abroad” in the search bar to make your appointment!
Have you used iAdvise before? Use the link below to go directly to my schedule.
Oceania & Europe
Anthony serves as the Study Abroad Advisor for these programs.
Please make an appointment with him via iAdvise.
New to iAdvise? Log in to get to my schedule at my.UIC.edu and visit the Advising Tab. Click on iAdvise and you will go to your Success Network. Search for “Study Abroad” in the search bar to make your appointment!
Have you used iAdvise before? Use the link below to go directly to my schedule.
General Advising with the Executive Director
Dr. Kyle Rausch is the Executive Director of the Study Abroad Office and is enthusiastic about connecting with students. Schedule an appointment with Kyle if you need assistance with an important health & safety concern, scholarship applications, navigating your identity abroad, or virtual study abroad.
Dr. Rausch advises for a small portfolio of programs.
To schedule an appointment, please contact him via email at kcrausch@uic.edu.