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High School Exchanges
In the United States, "high school" is the term
used to denote the three or four years of education that precede
college or university study. High school is equivalent to
secondary school in many countries.
Exchange programs for high school students range in length
from a few weeks to a semester or an academic year. Many include
a "home stay" in which the student lives with a
host family for the duration of the program. Students who
participate in these exchanges are generally self-funded,
and scholarships are rare. However, there are a few well-established
international organizations, such as Rotary International,
the American Field Service (AFS), and the Lions Club, that
offer exchange programs that are partially or fully funded.
If these organizations have a presence in your home country,
contact them directly to see what programs are available.
Another option is to arrange for your own attendance at a
U.S. high school. If you would like to do this, a good starting
point is to contact the department of education for the state
where you wish to study and request information on schools
within that state or in a particular section of the state.
EducationUSA information and advising centers are likely to
have contact information for all the state departments of
education. Information on private schools in the United States
can also be found at EducationUSA centers or by doing Internet
searches.
Note that unless you plan to live with relatives or to be
part of an organized program, you will be responsible for
arranging your own accommodations in the United States. In
addition, while public high schools are free to U.S. taxpayers,
you will be required to pay tuition. Under current visa regulations,
if you make your own arrangements to attend a U.S. high school,
you must enter the United States on an F-1 visa, not a tourist
visa. If you are attending a U.S. public high school, you
must show proof of having paid the unsubsidized cost of your
educational expenses before an F-1 visa will be issued. The
maximum length of time that you can attend a U.S. public high
school is one year. If you attend a private high school in
the United States, however, there is no time limitation and
no prepayment requirement.
English language proficiency is usually a requirement for
any U.S. high school exchange program. You may be asked to
present a letter of support or evaluation of your English
language ability from a teacher or other qualified individual,
or to go through an interview in English with a local representative
of the exchange program.
The EducationUSA center near you may have a list or directory
of high school exchange programs between your country and
the United States. In addition, some useful organizations
in the United States to contact are:
American Institute for Foreign Study Foundation (AIFS)
River Plaza
9 West Broad Street
Stamford, CT 06902-3788, USA
Telephone: 203-399-5000 or 800-727-2437; Fax: 203-399-5588
Web site: http://www.aifs.com
AYUSA International
455 Market Street, 17th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94105, USA
Telephone: 888-552-9872; Fax: 415-986-4620
Web site: http://www.ayusa.org/
EF Foundation for Foreign Study
EF Center Boston
One Education Street
Cambridge, MA 02141, USA
Telephone: 617-619-1000; Fax: 617-619-1001
Web site: http://www.effoundation.org/
The Center for Cultural Interchange (CCI)
17 North Second Avenue
St. Charles, IL 60174, USA
Telephone: 630-377-2272; Fax: 630-377-2307
Web site: http://www.cci-exchange.com/
It is also a good idea to explore the World Wide Web, using
various search engines, for the latest information on these
and other high school exchange programs.
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