Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Will I receive credit for this program?
A. Probably not.  Most universities involved in AUSL do not give credit for the program.

Q. Do I need a TOEFL score to participate?
A. No.  English proficiency is important to AUSL, but VIA evaluates English ability in a face-to-face interview in May.  We find that it is much more important to be enthusiastic about learning English than to be highly skilled in the language.

Q. How many participants are involved?
A. AUSL can accommodate a maximum of 36 participants. We will recruit most of the participants from Japanese universities and some from Taiwanese and Chinese universities.  In addition, there are six Stanford coordinators and four Asian coordinators who work as AUSL staff.

Q. What are the service project groups?
A. AUSL has three service project groups of 10-12 participants and 2-3 coordinators each.  Service project groups focus on one of three topics ( health, poverty, and environment).  Groups meet together for discussion during the “Service in the US” class at Stanford as well as for reflection activities.  Furthermore, service groups spend one week together doing hands on service activities and site visits during the third week of the program.

Q. How are the service project groups chosen?
A. The AUSL applications asks applicants to rank their preferences of service project groups.  VIA staff look at each participant’s preferences as well as their interests and background experiences to determine which group they will join.

Q. How much money should I bring?
A. The answer to this question is largely a matter of personal preference.  We suggest that each participant bring a minimum of $500 for meals and activities that are not included in the program price as well as personal shopping, gifts, etc.  Some students spend considerably more on personal items during the program.

Q. What do we do during service project week?
A. Project week for each group is unique.  All project groups combine hands-on service activities with local non-profits and service organizations, reflection activities, and discussions with community leaders. 

Q. How many hours per day can I expect to study?
A. Most students spend about 2 hours per day studying on average.

Q. What are the accommodations during service week?
A. Accommodations during service week differ from group to group, but most groups stay in youth hostels.

Q. What is a “typical day” of AUSL like during the time at Stanford?
A. Although each day has a somewhat different schedule, a “typical” day might be as follows:
8 AM: Breakfast
9 AM: “Service in the US and Asia” group discussion
10 AM: Guest speaker for “Service” class
11 AM: Continued class discussion
12 AM: Lunch
2 PM: Visit to local non-profit or volunteer organization
4 – 6 PM: Free time/study time
7:30 PM: Panel discussion on social issues
9:30 PM: Homework, casual discussion, games, etc. in dormitory

Q. Who are the AUSL coordinators?
A. Six of the AUSL coordinators are Stanford students, both undergraduate and graduate.  They help lead discussions for the “Service in the US” class, participate in extracurricular activities, lead the service projects, live in the dormitories with participants, and generally serve as friends and guides for AUSL participants.  They are also very eager to learn about Japanese and Taiwanese culture and issues.

Four of the AUSL coordinators are from Asia (two from Japan, one from Taiwan).  All four are VIA alumni from other programs.  They will be supporting participants in the pre-program period, and they will also assist Stanford coordinators in guiding group discussions and running service project week.

Q. How is the weather at Stanford?
A. Generally quite warm, but not humid.  Evenings and nights can be cold (as can the weather in San Francisco).

Q. Why does the program cost so much?
A. VIA is a 503(c) non-profit organization, so almost all of the AUSL program fee goes to covering the costs of the program.  The most expensive aspects of AUSL are the Stanford housing and dining fee, transportation, and activity costs.  In general, prices in the San Francisco Bay Area are among the highest in the United States.

Q. Why do I have to buy my airline tickets through Nissin Travel?
A. To insure that all participants arrive at the same time, it is necessary for VIA to reserve group tickets several months before the start of the program.  Group tickets are difficult to reserve during August, and prices can be quite high because it is peak travel season.  Nissin also provides other services, such as arrangement of travel insurance and a travel orientation.

Q. What are some of the cultural activities like?
A. In past programs, cultural activities have included jazz and symphony concerts, professional baseball games, theme dinners, etc.

Q. What sort of pre-program content will we be involved in?
A. All participants will be required to attend a retreat or orientation in their home country in June 2008.  These will focus on tone-setting, program orientation, and group bonding.  Also, each participant will be assigned a research topic related to his project group.   Participants will continue their research while at Stanford and deliver a presentation during the program’s second week.  There will also be a number of reading assignments.

Q. Will we have time for sightseeing?
A. The program itinerary is quite busy, but there will be some time for sightseeing and recreation during some afternoons at Stanford.  The last two days of the program in San Francisco are very open for sightseeing and cultural events.