Placement Process
The placement process depends on many things, and it may take some time for a student to be placed and
confirmed at a site. We ask for your patience and to not contact the ISEP Coordinator at the host site to inquire
about a student’s placement status. Remember, arranging placements with an ISEP-Direct host institution
independently of ISEP-Central is not permitted.
If you have a question regarding the status of a student’s application, contact the ISEP Program Officer. He or she
will be able to give you the most up-to-date and accurate information about where a student stands in the
application process.
• After the home coordinator mails a student’s application to ISEP,
ISEP will review the student’s application for completeness. The
student’s requested host site is then entered into our database. To
see when your ISEP-Direct student has been placed, please
reference your institution’s status report online.
• ISEP then mails applications to the host institution. The host
institution has 3 weeks to review apps and return the Host
Institution Placement Confirmations (HIPC) to ISEP Central.
• After receiving HIPC confirmation, ISEP notifies the home
coordinator by email. The coordinator then downloads the
Participant Placement Acceptance Form (PPAF) from the ISEP
website to give to the student (further details in next section). It
may take up to 6-8 weeks after the application is initially sent to
ISEP for the student to receive the PPAF.
Timeline of an application
Student turns in
1st Step application to
Coordinator
Coordinator reviews
application, signs,
and sends to ISEP
The ISEP Program
Officer reviews the
The student is officially application, makes
enrolled in their program! placement, and
ISEP will invoice the sends to host
institution for the institution for
student’s program fee approval
one month before (P: Placed)
program start date
Final Step
The student
accepts their The host institution
placement by reviews the
mailing the PPAF application, and
back to ISEP, confirms the student
with the $500 (PC: Placed and
deposit. The host Confirmed)
(PCA: Placed, institution sends
Confirmed, confirmation back
Accepted) The coordinator
prints out the to ISEP, and
PPAF and IIS for ISEP notifies the
the student home coordinator
by email
PPAF Acceptance Process
Once the student is placed by ISEP and
confirmed by the host institution, an email will
be sent to you indicating you may download the
PPAF for the student. It is important to note
that the student does NOT receive notification
of their acceptance directly from ISEP, but is
dependent on their home coordinator to inform
them of acceptance and receive their PPAF. You
will need to regularly check the coordinator’s
section of the website to see which students
need to complete a PPAF. To print out the PPAF,
go to the far right column of “Quick Links,” and
click “PPAF Packets.”
The PPAF is a nine page document. Four of
these pages (pages 2, 3, 4, and 6) must be
signed and returned to ISEP. It is acceptable to
mail, fax, or scan and email these documents to
ISEP.
A $500 non-refundable deposit is due once the
student accepts his or her placement.
The Participant Placement Acceptance Form:
What to do Next
Step 1: Print the PPAF. The Participant Placement Acceptance Form is the firm contract for the student’s
acceptance. It outlines the placement, special conditions, and further steps to complete the acceptance. It also
includes a medical self-assessment form and instructions for enrolling in the required ISEP insurance online.
Step 2: Print IIS – Institutional Information Sheet. This is an important part of a student’s PPAF packet, as it
contains specific details about the host program and benefits. The IIS is only available in the coordinator section.
Coordinators should review important IIS sections with the accepted student, particularly housing, meals,
transcripts. Students should thoroughly read the IIS and take a copy with them when they go abroad. It is also a
good idea to have students make a copy of the IIS for their parents, so they are not dependant on their child for
date and contact information in case of an emergency.
Step 3: Participant Handbook – You will receive new handbooks for your students in the mail each year. They can
also be found online in the “Placed Students” section, relevant for all participants. Make sure your students read
the “Before You Go,” “Health and Safety,” and “Your Return” sections so they may adequately prepare.
Step 4: Country Handbook – found online in the “Placed Students” section. These handbooks are specific to each
country, and include visa details, aspects of daily life, and a bibliography for additional reference material. Make
sure the students read this thoroughly, so they have enough time to make preparations.
Step 5: Sign and accept. Students have 3 weeks to make an acceptance decision, sign, and return their PPAF. If the
student does not accept the placement, they must check the box “I do not accept my placement” on the PPAF, sign,
and return it to the coordinator for mailing. The coordinator then signs and submits the PPAF to ISEP.
Quiz: Placement Process
1) Approximately how long does it take for a student to be 2) When is a student PCA (placed, confirmed, accepted)?
confirmed (receive their PPAF packet) after they submitted a) When the host institution returns the Host Institution
their application to their coordinator? Placement Confirmation (HIPC)
a) 2/3 weeks b) When ISEP receives the signed PPAF
b) 4/6 weeks c) After the program fee has been paid in full
c) 6/8 weeks
d) 9/10 weeks 3) Which document does the student not receive with their
PPAF?
a) Country Handbook
b) IIS
c) Host Institution Placement Confirmation
4) The student is notified directly once their host institution has
confirmed their placement. (True/False)
5) If a significant period of time has passed and the student has
not been confirmed, who should you contact?
a) host coordinator
b) ISEP Program Officer
c) Student
ISEP staff hard at work with student applications!
Answers are on the next page
Quiz: Placement Process
1) Approximately how long does it take for a student to be 2) When is a student PCA (placed, confirmed, accepted)?
confirmed (receive their PPAF packet) after they submitted their a) When the host institution returns the Host Institution Placement
application to their coordinator? Confirmation (HIPC)
a) 2/3 weeks b) When ISEP receives the signed PPAF
b) 4/6 weeks c) After the program fee has been paid in full
c) 6/8 weeks
d) 9/10 weeks
3) Which document does the student not receive with their PPAF?
a) Country Handbook
b) IIS
c) Host Institution Placement Confirmation
4) The student is notified directly once their host institution has
confirmed their placement.
False – the coordinator is notified
5) If a significant period of time has passed and the student has not
been confirmed, who should you contact?
a) host coordinator
b) ISEP Program Officer
c) Student
ISEP staff hard at work with student applications!