Has anybody sent their kid abroad as an exchange student?

[Anonymous]

What grade would be the to spend the year in another country?
Were you able to choose what country to go to?

And does anyone have experience in hosting an exchange student?

[Anonymous]

My kids are too small but I was an exchange student to France the summer between my sophomore and junior year in high school. The organization I went with started sending kids as young as 6th grade, I believe. My parents hosted a girl (not the same family as I stayed with) for part of the time while I was gone and then I got to hang out with her for a few weeks when I returned. It was a great experience for me! I had lived a pretty sheltered life and getting to experience a foreign country was so exciting! We stayed in touch with the girl who stayed with us for many years. I would caution you to find an organization where the family you send your child to is not getting paid. I heard some really scary stories from some of the kids who had done other programs where they were not treated very well because the host families were just doing it for the money. GL!

[Anonymous]

I went to Germany when I was 14 (between freshman and sophmore year) with Youth for Understanding. I was a farm girl from Indiana and it was an amazing experience. I didn't get to choose which country I wanted to go to but I did get to list my order of preferences. We also hosted a student from Brazil when I was a senior in high school. Other organizations that seek host families in the US include Rotary Clubs and AFS (American Friends Society).

[Anonymous]

I went to the netherlands for a year. It was great. Full year - I did it after graduating, since I was pretty young. Great experience.

AFS is American Field Service, not Friends Society. AFS, YFU and Rotary run very different programs, all have websites, and all have good reputations.

[Anonymous]

OP, I spent a year in West Germany when I was in 11th grade. I went with AFS. It was a great experience! I cannot remember what the age requirement was for the year program but I'm sure it must have been high school. Maybe 15/16?

My family hosted numerous exchange students for the year with the AFS program. Actually, they usually served as back up hosts for kids who for whatever reason had conflicts with their host families and needed a new placement. I actually had a conflict with my first German family and moved to new one after Christmas. The program really keeps track of the kids and makes sure that they are having a decent time, although of course you are expected to work through problems as much as possible.

[Anonymous]

Here's info on AFS

http://www.afs.org/afs-and-exchange-programs/available-afs-programs/

[Anonymous]

Generally you do not get to pick your country, although if you are American and have studied another language especially for a few years chances are good that will help you get sent to that country, especially if it is a language other than Spanish and French. Also if you express a preference for a non-European country chances are better that you will get it. Everyone wants to go to France or Italy or England or New Zealand.

[Anonymous]

http://www.afsusa.org/study-abroad/resources/faq/

[Anonymous]

I was an AFS exchange student to Italy for the 11th grade. I had requested France (didn't request Italy - didn't even cross my mind to, grew up in NJ & Italy was not "cool" then). I absolutely loved, loved, loved that year. It was so, so positive for me. To this day, I'm still a huge "Italo-phile" (if that's a word). If my children are interested, I will absolutely encourage them to do an exchange year in high school. It is completely different from a junior year abroad in college (did that too - not knocking it!). Total immersion I think is not possible during the college/grad years the way it is in high school.

[Anonymous]

I know a family who hosted probably 5 kids over the years, all for the full school year. Then their child spent his full junior year abroad. For various reasons he ended up repeating 11th grade when he returned but was fine with that.

One thing that is interesting about some of these exchange programs is that you are not supposed to come home during that year (9 months really) or have visits from your family.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was an AFS exchange student to Italy for the 11th grade. I had requested France (didn't request Italy - didn't even cross my mind to, grew up in NJ & Italy was not "cool" then). I absolutely loved, loved, loved that year. It was so, so positive for me. To this day, I'm still a huge "Italo-phile" (if that's a word). If my children are interested, I will absolutely encourage them to do an exchange year in high school. It is completely different from a junior year abroad in college (did that too - not knocking it!). Total immersion I think is not possible during the college/grad years the way it is in high school.

I agree! The year I spent in a German high school, I applied to college and was accepted at one that had a Jr. Year abroad program at a college near the town I lived in.

I went to visit some of the juniors living at the college and was amazed at how much better German I spoke and how much more of an immersion experience I was having. Living with a family and going to school all day (and not having other Americans to hang out with) made it a true immersion.