Preparing for Your Quest
Applications
Applications for international Quests are due several months before the departure, so think ahead about which Quests you are interested in.
Though it’s tempting to wait until the application deadline, we encourage you to apply early to best prepare for your Quest trip.
Opening Conversation
We review all applications, and then set up a conversation with each applicant who we think would likely be a good member of a particular group. Opening conversations usually include both guides for the Quest, and other staff if available. The goal of the opening conversation is to allow us all to get to know each other, and to get a better sense of whether you and this particular Quest are a good match. Bring your questions, and have fun with it.
Once we have had a conversation with each applicant, the guides and Quest Coordinator decide together which applicants to invite on the Quest. Our goals are to put together a diverse group with individuals that are likely to contribute positively to the Quest. If you're not invited to join a particular Quest, please don't be offended! We often have more applicants that we can take, and we encourage you to consider another Quest or apply again next year.
Check Your Passport
Once you are accepted into your Quest group, the first thing you should do is begin the process of renewing or getting a new passport, if necessary. Some countries require your passport to be valid for six months AFTER your departure, so make sure that yours won't expire within that time frame. It takes several weeks to receive a new passport and you absolutely cannot travel internationally without one. You can find the information you need here.
Check Your Vaccinations
It’s worth informing your family doctor or University Health Services about your travel plans, and asking if there are any recommended preventative measures (e.g. malaria pills) for your destination or if you need any vaccination updates. For some preliminary suggestions, can you check out the CDC's health recommendations for your particular destination here. You can get all travel vaccines you'll need at the UHS Travel Clinic and learn more about their services here.
Group Meetings
Each Quest group meets several times before they depart. Usually groups meet about every two weeks on a regular schedule to make trip preparations, do team-building exercises, and meet with experts who lead discussions on their destination location or the theme of the Quest. We will also be having a weekend Quest Retreat for all of the Quest groups together (which will be awesome!).
These meetings are a vital part of the Quest experience. It’s important that before each Quest group departs, the members have a shared body of knowledge about their destination, have established ties of friendship and cooperation, and have begun thinking about the theme of the Quest together. This preparation helps the group “hit the ground running” once their travels begin.
Fundraising
Quest groups sometimes decide to do fundraising to help minimize the out-of-pocket expenses for each traveler. The Crossing is committed to helping each Quest group to make their trip more affordable, but it’s up to each group to decide how aggressive they want to be with fundraising and what strategies they would like to use. Our primary method is Shareholder Fundraising, which we've found to be most successful both in terms of sharing the benefits of the trip widely among your friends and family, as well as financially. Of course, each Quest student is welcome to “opt-out” of fundraising if they would prefer to pay the whole trip cost on their own.
Applications for international Quests are due several months before the departure, so think ahead about which Quests you are interested in.
Though it’s tempting to wait until the application deadline, we encourage you to apply early to best prepare for your Quest trip.
Opening Conversation
We review all applications, and then set up a conversation with each applicant who we think would likely be a good member of a particular group. Opening conversations usually include both guides for the Quest, and other staff if available. The goal of the opening conversation is to allow us all to get to know each other, and to get a better sense of whether you and this particular Quest are a good match. Bring your questions, and have fun with it.
Once we have had a conversation with each applicant, the guides and Quest Coordinator decide together which applicants to invite on the Quest. Our goals are to put together a diverse group with individuals that are likely to contribute positively to the Quest. If you're not invited to join a particular Quest, please don't be offended! We often have more applicants that we can take, and we encourage you to consider another Quest or apply again next year.
Check Your Passport
Once you are accepted into your Quest group, the first thing you should do is begin the process of renewing or getting a new passport, if necessary. Some countries require your passport to be valid for six months AFTER your departure, so make sure that yours won't expire within that time frame. It takes several weeks to receive a new passport and you absolutely cannot travel internationally without one. You can find the information you need here.
Check Your Vaccinations
It’s worth informing your family doctor or University Health Services about your travel plans, and asking if there are any recommended preventative measures (e.g. malaria pills) for your destination or if you need any vaccination updates. For some preliminary suggestions, can you check out the CDC's health recommendations for your particular destination here. You can get all travel vaccines you'll need at the UHS Travel Clinic and learn more about their services here.
Group Meetings
Each Quest group meets several times before they depart. Usually groups meet about every two weeks on a regular schedule to make trip preparations, do team-building exercises, and meet with experts who lead discussions on their destination location or the theme of the Quest. We will also be having a weekend Quest Retreat for all of the Quest groups together (which will be awesome!).
These meetings are a vital part of the Quest experience. It’s important that before each Quest group departs, the members have a shared body of knowledge about their destination, have established ties of friendship and cooperation, and have begun thinking about the theme of the Quest together. This preparation helps the group “hit the ground running” once their travels begin.
Fundraising
Quest groups sometimes decide to do fundraising to help minimize the out-of-pocket expenses for each traveler. The Crossing is committed to helping each Quest group to make their trip more affordable, but it’s up to each group to decide how aggressive they want to be with fundraising and what strategies they would like to use. Our primary method is Shareholder Fundraising, which we've found to be most successful both in terms of sharing the benefits of the trip widely among your friends and family, as well as financially. Of course, each Quest student is welcome to “opt-out” of fundraising if they would prefer to pay the whole trip cost on their own.
