Bel Camino’s Semester in Siena Acceptance Packet
Money Matters:
Total Cost is $14,900 = $11,400 Program Fee + $3500 Home-Stay Fee
$11,400 Program Fee includes:
Ø Airport pick-up
Ø On-site orientation in Siena, including all meals and a two-night hotel stay
Ø An Italian-speaking American Program Director available on-site 24/7
Ø Three hours of intensive ltalian language instruction in small classes, five days a week
Ø Weekly cultural excursions, including two overnight weekend trips
Ø A one-week guided hike in Tuscany along an ancient pilgrimage route
Ø A weekly gathering for yoga, journaling, reflection and discussion at Bel Camino’s home base
Ø Cultural enrichment activities such as museum visits, concerts, Italian films, guest seminars, a soccer match, some cooking classes and wine-tastings.
Ø Personalized mentoring throughout the semester, plus a one-on-one closing session with the director to assess and plan the participant’s next steps.
NOTE: Payment deadlines for the $11,400 program fee are: July 1 for the Fall semester and December 1 for the Spring semester. Payment should be by personal check to: Bel Camino LLC and mailed to Bel Camino (c/o Nancy Fabian), 8316 NW 30th Terrace, Doral, FL 33122. Please note that a place on the program is guaranteed only after full payment of the program fee has been made. Should an application be received after a tuition payment deadline, we will expect the balance to be paid within a week following the applicant’s acceptance to the program.
€2550 (circa $3500)) Home-stay fee includes:
Ø A three-month home-stay with an Italian family in the city center (including accommodation, breakfast and dinner)
NOTE: This amount is to be paid by participants directly to the home-stay families (with the assistance of the Director) once in Siena. Methods of payment include: ATM withdrawals (maximum of €500/day); euros in cash brought from the States; or Traveler’s Checks (in dollars or euros), which include a 3% processing fee). The easiest methods are either to bring cash with you or to make sure you have enough on your debit card to withdraw either the full amount at the beginning of the program or a third of the total to be paid at the beginning of each month. Please be sure that you have this worked out BEFORE your departure in order to insure that home-stay families get paid on a timely basis.
More Money Matters:
Other Expenses not covered by Bel Camino:
Ø Travel costs to and from Italy
Ø Daily lunches (see note below)
Ø Miscellaneous personal expenses such as: laundry, cyber café fees or independent travel, excursions or sporting events outside the auspices of Bel Camino
Ø Extracurricular individual activities:
Art with Luciana(sketching, watercolor, clay): €20 p/session (of 90 minutes)
Book-binding: €50/session of 4 hours (with 2 session minimum)
Cooking classes (beyond 2 included) if available: €40-60 p/class
Dance classes and/or gym membership: €50-70 p/mo/each
Music lessons: €70-100 p/mo. + a €30-60 inscription fee
Opera lessons: €25 p/class
Stained Glass: €240 - 12 hours (if 2 or more students)
Various 10-week classes (2 hours each) offered by Siena Art Institute (e.g. photography, drawing, silversmithing, ceramics, painting, etc.): €250 + materials
[2013 prices]
Personal Expenses:
In addition to individual pursuits and independent weekend travel, personal expenses typically run between $350-$500/month. The greatest variable in personal expenses is the cost of lunches, which may range from €2 for a slice of pizza to €15 for a sit-down meal. We generally encourage a light lunch since family dinners – the main meal of the day – are always abundant and delicious.
We recommend that you bring both an ATM card and a credit card with you for personal expenses. ATMs are readily available in Siena and are a reliable source of cash. The credit card (Visa preferred over American Express) will serve as a backup. It is also a good idea to bring $100 or so in cash for emergencies.
Money Matters Checklist:
ü Pay the balance of the Program Fee. The $11,400 program fee is due by July 1 and is payable by check to Bel Camino LLC and should be mailed to: Bel Camino (c/o Nancy Fabian), 8316 NW 30th Terrace, Doral, Fl 33122.
ü Make arrangements so that the necessary home-stay fee of €2550 (circa $3500) can be paid to the families at the start of the program or in monthly increments.
ü Bring a debit and credit card with you as well as US$100 cash.
Travel Matters:
Passport & Visa Requirements:
You will need to have a passport that is valid for at least 6 months from the end of the Semester in Siena. If your passport will expire before the aforementioned time, you will need to get one immediately through your nearest passport office or U.S. Post Office. It generally takes 4-5 weeks to get a new passport, but you can expedite the process for an additional fee. You should make at least 2 copies of the first page of your passport. One is for us and the other is for you to keep with you as a backup should anything happen to the original.
You will NOT need to obtain a visa (a stamp in your passport that allows entry into a country) in advance for your Semester in Siena if you are leaving on the program end date. To simplify things, if asked by the Italian authorities at the Florence airport your reason for coming to Italy, say “tourism” rather than “study.” You will then be given a 90-day tourist visa, which will cover you for the duration of the Semester in Siena. If, however, you are planning to stay in Europe for longer than 90 days, you will need to apply for a student visa before leaving the U.S. For further information concerning visas and entry requirements for Italy, you may contact the Embassy of Italy in Washington, DC via telephone at (202) 612-4400; or Italian Consulates General in Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Newark, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, or San Francisco, accessible through the Italian Embassy website.
Travel to Siena – Tickets and Airport Pick-up:
International travel arrangements are left up to you, but we do have some suggestions. In general, it is wise to purchase your ticket well in advance of the departure date. If you would like to use a travel consultant, we recommend Global Vision Travel’s Karen Chieppa, who has worked with our students in the past and can probably help link up your flights with other Bel Camino students. Feel free to contact her at: 1-800-386-4449 or . Be sure to tell her you are part of the Bel Camino group.
Carla will be at the Florence airport from 11:00am to 3:00pm to meet incoming flights on the start date of the program. If you want her to accompany you to Siena, please plan your flights accordingly. Alternatively, you could take a taxi from the airport directly to the hotel where we will be staying in Siena during the orientation period. Let us know if you choose the latter and we will provide you with the hotel address.
Travel & Health Matters:
Travel Matters Checklist:
ü Passport: Get one if you don’t have one. If you do have one, make sure it is valid for 6 months after the program ends. Make 3 copies of your passport – 1 to leave at home, 1 for yourself, and 1 for our records.
ü Visa: If you are leaving at the end of the program, then you do NOT need a student visa. If you are planning to stay in Europe for longer than 90 days, then you will need to apply for a student visa well in advance of your departure.
ü Travel Arrangements: You will need to arrange your international flight to and from Florence, Italy at the start and end of the program
ü Purchase trip cancellation insurance if you want it.
ü Fill out and send us the Airline Itinerary form by Aug 1 or Jan 1.
Health Examination & Insurance:
A physical examination is one important way of helping to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for each participant. The physical exam must take place within 12 months of the start of Bel Camino’s Semester in Siena, and your physician must complete our Physician’s Report. If we have any question about your ability to complete the program, we will call to discuss the matter with you and/or your physician.
Health insurance is required of every Bel Camino participant for the duration of his or her program. Please check with your health insurance company to be sure your policy includes coverage while traveling overseas. If it does, then all we need is proof of this coverage. If it doesn’t, you may be able to pay a premium for this additional coverage. You may also wish to purchase special emergency medical and trip cancellation insurance. Access America is the insurance company recommended by our travel consultant, Karen Chieppa. This policy has a comprehensive plan that covers medical emergencies, evacuation and trip cancellation and can be purchased at the time of ticket purchase. If interested in this policy, please contact Karen for details: or 1-800-386-4449.
Health Matters Checklist:
ü See your doctor and have him/her fill out our Physician’s Report.
ü Make sure you have health insurance that will cover you for the duration of the program.
ü Provide proof of this coverage to Bel Camino by sending us either the forms from your carrier or our Proof of Health Insurance form.
ü If on prescription medication, bring enough for the duration of the program.
Master Checklist:
Read Through The Entire Acceptance Packet And Call If You Have Questions!
Money Matters:
-Pay the balance of the Program Fee. The $11,400 program fee is due by July 1 for the Fall semester and December 1 for the Spring semester and is payable by check to Bel Camino LLC and should be mailed to: Bel Camino(c/o Nancy Fabian), 8316 NW 30th Terrace, Doral, FL 33122. -Make arrangements for the payment of the €2550 (circa $3500) home-stay fee to be paid directly to families in Siena.
-Bring a debit and credit card with you as well as US$100 cash.
Travel Matters:
- Passport: Get one if you don’t have one. If you do have one, make sure it is valid for 6 months after the program .
- Make 3 copies of your passport – 1 to leave at home, 1 to keep with you, and 1 for us.
- Visa: If you are leaving at the end of the program, then you do NOT need a student visa. If you are planning to stay in Europe for longer than 90 days, then you will need to apply for a student visa well in advance of your departure.
- Travel Arrangements: You will need to arrange your international flight to and from Florence, Italy at the start and end of the program.
- Fill out and send us the Airline Itinerary form included in this packet.
- Purchase trip cancellation insurance if you want it.
Health Matters:
- See your doctor and have him/her fill out the Physician’s Report included in this packet.
- Make sure you have health insurance that will cover you for the duration of the program.
- Provide proof of this coverage to Bel Camino by sending us either the forms from your carrier or the Proof of Health Insurance form provided in this packet.
Credit:
- If interested in receiving credit for the semester, contact Professor Steve Tash BEFORE you leave. See Important Miscellany below for details.
Paperwork:
- Fill out, sign (if necessary) and fax the following forms to us within a month of the program start date – by August 1, 2013 or January 1, 2014
- Independent Travel Waiver
- Proof of Health Insurance
- Physician’s Report
- Airline Itinerary Form
- Copy of the first 2 pages of your passport
Pack your bags! See Packing Suggestions below for clothing and equipment lists.
FAQs & Important Miscellany:
FAQs About the program:
Who are the other participants of the program?
Names and contact information of others attending the Semester in Siena with you will be available to you before the program start date.
Tell me more about the Italian classes.
We believe that learning Italian is key to understanding the culture of Italy. For this reason, the Semester in Siena includes 15 hours a week of Italian lessons. Participants are expected to show up, physically and mentally, to ALL classes ON TIME. There will be no tests, but there will be about thirty minutes of homework each day. By applying yourself, you can become proficient in Italian in a short time and the rewards will last a lifetime.
How will I be matched with my home-stay family and how much time is spent with them?
Knowing most of the families personally, we will take into consideration what we know about you and match you with the family that seems to suit you best. Personal habits, allergies and dietary restrictions factor into this decision process, so please be honest and accurate when providing this information.
Generally, you will have a quick breakfast and a lengthier dinner with your family. Dinners are often the highlights of the home-stay as they give you the opportunity to put your Italian into practice and to learn more about your host family and culture. Other than mealtimes, the amount of time you spend with your family is up to you. Many families consist of couples with grown children. If they are still working, the parents will be out for most of the day. If they are retired, they may be around the house for much of the day.