I would love to spend a year abroad in high school. I’m a freshman now. Is it too late to do it for sophomore year (this coming school year 2010-11)? My family is probably going to be going on sabbatical for part of my junior year so I can’t do it then. My senior year seems so far away–I really hate the school I go to now–but if that’s the only option I have, I’ll do it.
How would I go about going abroad? What are some good programs? I’m looking into Rotary. Any others that are good? And where do you think I should go? I’ve taken up to French 3, so a Francophone place like France, Belgium, Switzerland, Luxembourg, etc, might make the most sense. I’d love to go anywhere else, too. English-speaking places like England, Scotland, Australia, etc sound good, though I’ve heard it’s best to go somewhere that speaks a foreign language.
Finally, how much would it cost? Do I have to pay to go abroad and stay with a host family, even if I go to a public school? Is there financial aid, or scholarships?
All advice is appreciated! I need your experience to help me guide mine! Thanks everyone!
Going on exchange is an incredible experience! I applaud your interest in it.
To the best of my knowledge, with all reputable organizations, it’s most likely too late to apply for 2010-2011 (although I don’t know the details of every organization) – the application deadlines tend to be fairly early.
My biggest piece of advice is to go with an organization that is listed with the Council for Standards on International Educational Travel (csiet.org). They routinely audit programs for quality. While it is possible that a good organization is not listed with them, it is less likely and I would advise doing more research on anyone that is not listed with them.
YFU (Youth For Understanding), AFS, and Rotary are frequently called "the big 3" when it comes to exchanges – long histories and good reputations, although a few others are making their way up that list. Please forgive my bias towards YFU – it’s the one that I have direct experience with (I am a 5-time host mom and volunteer). I am gaining indirect experience by corresponding with former students. When I have asked exchange students why they chose YFU, I get the following answers: (1) YFU gave them more bang for their buck and/or (2) someone they knew and trusted recommended YFU. 95% of the fees collected by YFU go for direct program costs (airline tickets, support in hosting country, etc.). YFU has been around for 59 years and has learned how to make exchanges successful.
The cost varies considerably from organization to organization, destination country to destination country, and summer to longer programs. In general, costs this year for a summer program were around $6000-$7500 and semester/year programs were $8000-$10,000. There are scholarships, but it is definitely too late to apply for those for 2010-2011. You will have to pay to go, even if you stay with a family and go to public school. Most reputable organizations will pay for your airfare and will have staff and trained volunteers to watch over you while you are away. In some places, you may also have to buy school uniforms. In some places all school-related fees are covered in the ‘tuition’ for the program. It varies.
Below are some links that you may find helpful.
The process would go something like this (some of the steps can be done in a different order or at the same time as others):
– Talk to your parent(s).
– Choose an organization with which to travel.
– Choose your country and length of stay. Some countries (such as France, French-speaking Belgium, and French-speaking Switzerland) do require previous language study. Some do not. With YFU, this year there were 30+ countries that did not. (I personally think it would be cool to be the only person in school to speak Hungarian, but that’s just my odd personality.) Where you go is a highly individualized question – it depends on your preferences for lifestyle, language, climate, etc etc etc. Your parent(s), teachers, and other advisors can help you with that.
– Talk to your teachers and school counselor. This is especially important if you want to try to get school credit for your exchange.
– Apply to the exchange program and/or scholarships. In a typical year, YFU has about 150 students who go to Japan with a full or partial scholarship. Another 150 will go to other places with full or partial scholarships. (There are about 500 students who go overseas with YFU in a year.)
– Participate in an in-person interview.
– Assuming you are accepted, pay for the program.
– As soon as you find out who your host family will be, correspond (snail mail, email, internet chat, skype, whatever you both have). It’s not an official requirement, just something I (as a host mom) think is a VERY good idea.
– Attend a pre-departure orientation – this gets you ready for the experience by explaining all of the rules, what to expect, and (if someone is there who has been to the country of your choice) some country-specific information.
– Go on exchange, work hard, have fun.
– Come back and share your experience.
I hope this helps you. Good luck to you no matter what you choose!!