1.  Learn. Read through our website to gain more knowledge about our program.  If you have any questions please see our FAQ section (Frequently Asked Questions) section of the website.  If you still have questions, please contact us.

2.  Apply.  Fill out our application form and submit it to us at least 45 days before you intend to come to Hawaii.  Admittance into the English Study Tours program is selective since space is limited.  Not everyone gets admitted.  When we receive your application we will review it carefully.  We will contact you if we have any further questions or need clarifications.  We will contact you as soon as we have made a final decision about your application.  Please remember that if you do not get accepted in one term, you may be eligible for admission in the next term or another term of your choice.  We will keep your application active for 12 full terms.

3.  After being accepted. After you have received notification from us that you have been accepted into the program, the next step is to send in your registration fee ($95), your tuition deposit (50% tuition deposit (50% of the total tuition due based on the number of weeks the student will be staying with the program), and An activities deposit of $385.*  We must receive these payments within 72 hours of notification of acceptance into the program, otherwise we will select the next applicant on our list.   When you are ready to register, we will send you further detailed instructions on how to wire transfer funds to our account here in Hawaii, or use our PayPal portal to transfer funds.

At this stage, we will contact you by phone, Skype, Instant Messenger or other telephony device to conduct a brief interview. We will arrange times with you via email.

*Please note: some students who are working with consultants or agents may be required to pay the full tuition amount and fees to the consultant or the agent. Top

4.   Airline Reservations. When we have confirmed your acceptance into the program (after application acceptance and the receipt of initial fee and deposit), please make airline reservations.  Remember that the first part of our Study Tours adventure will begin on Oahu. 

Remember that our Study Tours start dates and meeting times are firm, so make sure that no matter what arrival plans you have that you arrive at least the day before classes begin to give you time to acclimatize to your surroundings. 

Important outer islands accommodations note:  we will book your hotel room and flights for you for the outer islands that we’ve chosen for the first part and second parts of our Study Tours adventure.  It is important that everyone is located in the same hotel.  Depending on the season, you have the choice of sharing a room with another student, or having your own room.  Sharing a room is a lot cheaper, but some students like their privacy.  If you do not want to share a room, then there is an added expense that must be paid at the time you check into the hotel. Please let us know at the time you are accepted into the program if you do not want to share a hotel room during the outer island study excursions.

5.  Accommodations on Oahu. As mentioned earlier, much of the English Study Tour adventure happens in different locations on the island of Oahu.  So, you will need accommodations on Oahu.  By the time you get here, arrangements will already have been made for you for accommodations on Oahu.  So, when you arrive on Oahu from the outer island Study Tours excursion, you will have accommodations waiting for you. This is how the arrangements are made for accommodations on Oahu:

You may make these arrangements yourself, through your travel agent, or you can make these arrangements through us.  If you would like us to find you accommodations, then you must tell us this at the time of your notification of acceptance into the program.  See our accommodations page in this website for more information about what is available, fees, deposits, and usual costs.

6.  Complete Care. Because you will be spending a limited amount of time here, and you don’t have unlimited amounts of money to spend, we have set up a Complete Care system to help you to get the most out of your time here without having to waste a lot of time, money and effort trying to find things and get around.

The Complete Care system helps you with the following:

• We provide you with a free bus pass for unlimited travel around the Island of Oahu throughout your stay with us.  You may bring a bicycle, a boogie board, and packages on board the bus if you like, and most buses run into the evening.
  
  
• We also provide you with other forms of transportation while on Study Tour so that transportation should never be an issue while you are here.
  
  
• Free emergency cellular phone (to those who do not have a cellular phone):  to be used for emergencies on any of the islands; you can call us, or call emergency personnel in case there is a problem. (There is a deposit for this which is refunded when the cell phone is returned at the end of your stay.)
  
  
• Airport pickup and drop off:  we will pick you up at the airport and drop you off when you are going home.  There is usually a charge for this service because of distances to the airport (please see the registration section of our website ).
  
  
• We will find accommodations for you, including home stays (subject to availability) upon your request.  There is a fee for this so please see the accommodations section of our website.
  
  
• And, of course, we are always there for you to help you with the best advice about "how-do-you-find", "where-to-go", "where-do-you-buy" and other help with most questions about living in Hawaii.
  

7.  What to bring. Some suggestions about what to bring with you to Hawaii: 

• Clothing, dress according to the season.
  
  
• Summer in Hawaii: days are warm and sunny and nights are comfortable and usually breezy (light jacket is handy sometimes).  Be prepared for some light mauka (from the mountains) showers from time to time.
  
  
• Fall in Hawaii: warm days but can be windy.  Nights are comfortable, but a light jacket is recommended if you are planning an outing on the beach.  We can get some rain in the fall, so be prepared.
  
  
• The winter months in Hawaii are generally very beautiful, but the weather is very variable and you should be prepared for heavy rain at times, cool weather at times, and generally variable conditions.  This is the time of the year when the North Shore gets huge waves, so please use caution if you plan a beach outing on the North Shore and you plan to go swimming.
  
  
• Spring in Hawaii:  beautiful, warm, little wind.  We can get some rain at this time, but about the same likelihood as fall.
  
  
• Some of our excursions may take us to cold places.  Yes, Hawaii actually has a place where you can snow ski!!  The higher you go into the mountains, the colder it gets.  If we go to Maui or the Big Island, we will most likely be visiting some extremely interesting areas in the mountains, so bring some warm clothes with you.
  
  
• Sun protection.  Bring a good sun screen with you. SPF 50 protection is recommended.
  
  
• Backpack. It should be big enough to carry some extra clothing, water, your Study Tours clipboard box (measures approximately 3.5 cm by 5.3 cm; used for handouts, note-taking and to store other learning material), and whatever else you would like to bring with you on our excursions.
  
  
• Important documents:  passport, drivers license (if you have one), visa, credit or debit card (if you have one), proof of medical insurance, all of your receipts that we have sent you from English Study Tours. (It is possible to get a local ID while you are here. This is good for discounts and other convenient privleges while you are in Hawaii)
  
  
• You can purchase fins, snorkel, and mask, bicycle, and additional clothing and second smaller backback here in Hawaii at very reasonable prices.  If you want to lighten your baggage requirement, consider buying some of these things here.
  Top

With the exception of some interisland flights, students usually book their flights through their own travel agent. Some students use the Internet to find the best deals on flights. Make sure you can get the flight(s) you want for the class time that you have been assigned. As mentioned above, you need to make sure that you arrive at your destination at least one day in advance of the Study Tours start date. Missing class time after the classes have begun can cause problems (see our refund policy regarding missed class time).
Top

You can choose to have us find you accommodations for when you arrive, or you can use other agents or your own methods. We can usually find you studio or 1-bedroom apartments, dormitory accommodations, shared accommodations, or our special English-only home-stay shared accommodations. Because there is a big demand for the English-only home-stay shared accommodations, it is important to book these as early as possible. It is not unusual for students to book accommodations as much as 6 months in advance. See our accommodations page.
Top

Students who attend English Study Tours receive free bus transportation anywhere on Oahu almost anytime of the day. We also offer other methods of transportation, especially during our Study Tours excursions. We also suggest to our students that they get a bicycle on Oahu. Bicycles are inexpensive here and you can take your bike on the bus to anywhere on the island, giving you much freedom to move around and explore on you own.

We do offer transportation to and from the airport. If you want us to pick you up at the airport please let us know on your enrollment form and at the time of acceptance. There is a charge for this service. You can also use the many forms of transportation that they have available to vistors at the airport, like the airport shuttle.

When students get settled here, many of them purchase monthly bus passes which gives them unlimited access to the bus system which will take you anywhere on the island of Oahu. Another popular form of transportation is bicycle. Because the buses here are able to care bicyles, students combine bicycle travel with bus travel. Bicycles can be gotten very inexpensively here, either bought new from K-mart or Wal-Mart, or purchased used through Craigslist.org.
Top

Please be sure to finalize all visa documentation before coming to Hawaii. You may study with an English Study Tours group with a simple tourist visa. It is not necessary to get a student visa to study with us if you are staying for 3 months or less. Let us know if you cannot obtain a visa. If you have already registered and cannot obtain a visa we will refund your registration money. Top