How To: Student exchange in the US – made easy

In today's How To section we would like to inform you about student exchanges to the US. Every day we receive questions from interested students and parents about how to spend a year at an American high school. We would like to thank our partner, www.schueleraustausch.de, who has helped us write this.

What is a student exchange? You can differentiate this into a short and long-term student exchange. The organized long-term student exchange (between half a year and one year) exists in Germany since 1948. It is usually one-way, meaning you don't have to take in a guest student in return. Approximately 9,000 German students a year spend their exchange year in the US.

How old do I have to be? Between 15 and 18. Most students are 16 or 17 when they go abroad.

What does it cost to spend a year in the US? You have to count on €6,500 for the exchange program for one year at a public high school in the US. In addition there are approx. $250 allowance every month - that amounts to another €2,400. In addition, there may be short trips, shopping for some things - a total sum of €12,000 is realistic. The basic prices of the individual providers include different services so that it is not always immediately clear from the brochures what you will really have to pay. The comparative tables in our book "Ein Schuljahr in den USA" ("A school year in the US") gives you a good overview of all services and the prices you have to count on for the German market.

Do I have to get a leave of absence from my school? Yes. Compulsory school attendance makes a leave of absence necessary. You may apply with an informal letter to the school or school authorities who may grant your leave of absence. Please inform yourself about the regulations for being promoted to the next grade in your state.

What year is the best for the exchange? Due to the age limitations, only grades 11 and 12 are suitable. The only exceptions are those states where grade 12 is the last year of school. In that case you should go after tenth grade.

Will the year in the US be recognized in Germany? That is different in almost every state. Furthermore, it usually also depends on the subjects you are taking in the US. We recommend to get the necessary information from the respective authorities in good time. One further remark: you should not consider the year in the US to be a "lost year," in case you will have to repeat the year in Germany. Often it is easier to get back into the usual German school routine if you don't have to bring full academic performance right away.

What kinds of scholarships are there? First off, there's the Parlamentarische Austauschprogramm (PPP) (Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange) for a school year in the US. Application deadline for this is September of the previous year. The exchange organizations themselves also grant scholarships, with different conditions. In addition, there are some companies that grant scholarships - and also the Rotary and Lion's Club. Another option is to apply for BAföG (German student loan) for the high school year abroad.

Am I ready to spend a year abroad? In case you only want to do this because your parents want it or because everyone else is doing it, better don't go. If the year wasn't your idea or your wish, you will probably not enjoy it. You need a certain amount of tolerance and adaptability in order to turn your year into a success.

Will it be a problem if I have a chronic disease or diabetes? In general - no. Sometimes you will have to try a few organizations before you will find one that takes you in. It is more difficult for organizations to find a family for you in this case.

How much do you have to adapt to the US? Very much. As a guest in a foreign culture you will live with other people who will have their own rhythm. We recommend that you learn the rules quickly and learn to read between the lines. If you can accept the rules - even the unpleasant ones - you year will be success.

How important is church? In the US, it is very important! Church and religion means more than just Sunday services and hymns. It is a way of life with barbecues, conversations, and afternoon coffee, in many families at least.

Do I have to quit smoking? If you are a smoker, you should either state this in your application or quit. Anything else - e.g. keeping it a secret - may get you into a lot of trouble. If you state in your application that you don't smoke - forget about smoking in secret in the backyard. In case you are caught, your host family will surely feel betrayed. Smoking is frowned upon in the US - even more than in Germany.

Which one is the best organization? It doesn't really matter how well the organization is with the preparing of the year - you have to make the best of it yourself. We have compiled a list of criteria that we believe to be important to make the right choice. You can use this as the basics and add your own ideas to the list in order to find the best organization for you.

Criteria:
- detailed personal application interview
- no late applications
- minimum: compulsory preparation course over several days
- consultation for parents
- no regional guarantees
- professional support in the case of emergencies
- wrap-up session
- transparency, also for price policies
- registered in Germany
- realistic information brochures, not just advertising
- a CISET-listed partner organization in the US

What about the visa? In case you have an exchange organization take care of everything, they will provide you with the necessary documents that you will have to submit to the US consulate yourself. Usually, you will apply for the J-1 Visa.

In case you want to organize your high school year yourself, you will also have to take are of everything else yourself. In order to obtain a visa, in this case the F-1, you should know the following things:

For the F-1, you will need form I-20. This can only be issued by a US high school that is registered with US Citizenship and Immigration Services. Please note that not all US schools are authorized to issue this form. So please make sure before whether this is possible. When you apply for the visa you will have to submit evidence for the fact that you have paid the tuition (among other things), usually between $4,000 and $8,000. Apart from all the things you will have to take care of, the year will probably also be significantly more expensive than if you have an exchange organization.

What about a driver's license? The US driver's license and the European driver's license have only one thing in common - both authorize you to drive a car. The requirements you have to meet to obtain this, however, could not be more different. There are two ways of obtaining the US driver's license - private lessons at a driving school or driving lessons at the high school (favorable prices, the school will decide whether you may participate). Some organizations do not permit you to obtain a driver's license in the US, and almost all the organizations will not permit you to drive once you have a license, because the insurance does not cover this. It depends on the regulations of your local communal government whether you may exchange your driver's license for a German one.

Find all information about a student exchange in the book "Ein Schuljahr in den USA: Austauschorganisationen auf dem Prüfstand" (in German) (ISBN 3-930902-06-0, EUR 14,90, Recherchen-Verlag, Berlin). You may buy this in bookstores or online at www.schueleraustausch.de. There you will also find a chat room, experience reports, advice, dates and links, as well as a monthly newsletter with current information about student exchanges.