Selection Criteria

For a person to be eligible to participate in a Boston College Campus Ministry-sponsored Arrupe faith-based, international immersion program, she or he must:

• Be an undergraduate student at Boston College – unless one is serving as a Staff Leader or Student Leader.  Note: Students studying abroad during a program’s application process are welcome to apply – as long as they know that they will be back at Boston College for the semester before the trip, and for the semester after the trip.
• Not have participated in a previous Boston College-sponsored international immersion trip.  (Note: Students who have participated in a Boston College-sponsored study abroad program are eligible to apply for an Arrupe program.)
• Be at least 18 years old by the trip’s departure date.
• Complete and submit all required application materials, and forms and documents by specified due dates.
• Provide documented parent or guardian support to participate in the program, if requested.
• Be in appropriate physical health.  Note: This must be confirmed by a physician if requested.
• Be in appropriate emotional health.  Note: Applicants or program team members who exhibit signs of a mental or emotional health condition may be requested to provide documentation from a professional therapist of their mental or emotional readiness to participate in the immersion program to which they are applying and/or in which they are participating.  Campus Ministry reserves the right to request that a participant withdraw from the program in which s/he is involved if Campus Ministry and Arrupe program directors deem such a request necessary.
• Have adequate medical/health insurance that covers the program participant as she or he travels outside of the United States, and within the specific country(ies) that the traveling delegation visits during the trip.
• Along with fellow delegation team members, be responsible for covering all of the program’s costs – including the trip, retreats, post-trip activities, etc.  Note: A student should not be discouraged from applying for a program because it seems cost-prohibitive.  Such applicants should discuss funding options with the Arrupe director as soon as possible.
• Be in good standing with Boston College academically, financially, disciplinarily, etc.
• Be willing, able and enthusiastic to participate in the community service work projects and educational opportunities proposed by the program’s coordinators, leaders and in-country hosts.
• Be willing and able to cope with a variety of potentially challenging situations and circumstances, such as living very simply (i.e. eating food that is not always familiar or plentiful, sleeping in beds that are often less comfortable than one might be accustomed to, bathing rarely, and experiencing limited personal space, etc.) and in the context of a small community, encountering people who live in abject poverty, etc.
• Be willing, able and eager to live with fellow team members in a community of faith, and be comfortable and vulnerable in sharing – and eagerly willing to share – with them her or his personal faith journey.
• Be willing and open to listening to and learning about economic and social injustices from the viewpoint of the people from the countries the participants visit.
• Accept responsibilities for helping create the entire faith-based immersion program experience, including the trip’s preparation and follow up.
• Be willing and able to participate in an experience that is team/community-oriented – that focuses on developing a positive team environment and dynamic and that focuses on establishing positive interpersonal relationships among team members.
• Conduct self maturely, with integrity, and respectfully in relation to others.
• Be patient, flexible and understanding with fellow team members and with in-country partner- contacts.
• Be willing to work through conflicts with others and give and receive feedback.
• Attend all team meetings, retreats, fundraising activities and events and any educational opportunities that might be planned outside of regular meeting times.
• Be committed to taking part in the processing and sharing of the experience with the Boston College community after returning from the trip.

If there are more applicants who meet the selection criteria than there are spaces in a specific program, considerations may be made for:

• Creating a team that is diverse, which includes balancing the number of women and men who participate in a program;
• Students who are able to offer particular skills, knowledge, expertise or experience to a particular international immersion experience.