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: or ; Fax: 203-399-5588
Web site: https://www.aifs.com
AYUSA International
455 Market Street, 17th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94105, USA
Telephone: ; Fax:
Web site: https://www.ayusa.org/
EF Foundation for Foreign Study
EF Center Boston
One Education Street
Cambridge, MA 02141, USA
Telephone: ; Fax:
Web site: https://www.effoundation.org/
The Center for Cultural Interchange (CCI)
17 North Second Avenue
St. Charles, IL 60174, USA
Telephone: ; Fax:
Web site: https://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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