Foreign Exchange Student Questions

[silver7]

My son wants to be a foreign exchange student and go to Germany this year. I have hosted a foreign exchange student before and so has my neighbor. We hosted with different groups. (EF and AFS) One is much cheaper than the other in my situation.

My questions are: Have you had a child go overseas with a company, and if so what was your experience? We may already have a host family arranged by my foreign exchange student's family.

Also, is the insurance worth it, or did you use your own?

TIA!!

 

[tiff13]

I went to Germany with GAPP. I absolutely loved it, even to the point where I would say the best time of life.
Not sure about the insurance as I didn't take it (I think I was covered by my parents).
I've heard AFS has an outstanding program. Have you guys also looked into the Congress-Bundestag Scholarship? (just thought I would throw that in there.

 

[NHdisneylover]

I was an exchange student to Spain through EF back in 1989-1990 (I turned 16 in Spain). It was the best experience I had growing up. So very well worth it. I did the optional 3 week language camp at the start of the year (do not know if that is still offered). I didn't learn much about the language really, but I do think I felt much more comfortable in the country knowing some other kids in the same area (a couple hours away, but still much closer than home and we kept in touch), and I got to tour areas of Spain I would not have seen otherwise. I thought EF did a pretty good job back then. The camp was good and they changed my flight home becuase it was originally scheduled for the fourth of July and a Basque terrosist group had made some threats about flights to the US on that date (nothing ever happened). Then again, I was totally unaccompanied on the train from the town I stayed in to Madrid (5 hours) and in a hotel in Madrid the night before the flight home (I wasn't worried and never even thought about that unti just now answering the post ). The EF rep in the little town was not really very helpful or accessible but I know my parents found the people on the US side very helpful and infomrative.

 

[MsLeFever]

I was a Rotary Exchange student for a year in Japan. It was life changing and I highly encourage every young person I teach to spend time somewhere out of this country.

Rotary was ideal for my family because the local club funded most of the travel and the hosting club gave me families plus an allowance and paid for tuition and such.

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

We had an exchange student from Germany when she was 15 - she turned 16 here in the States. She used YFU & it was a fantastic experience for her & for us.

I went to Spain when I was 21 through the Cal State University program.

I would recommend hosting an exchange student or being one. My life is richer for the experiences.

 

[candykisses]

My sister was an AFS student back in 1986. She loved the experience. She and my mother are still in contact with her "mom".

That being said, it was a learning experience. She wasn't used to a sister that was very quiet. It turned out that the family applied to be host family, so that they would have help bringing the daughter into social circles. The dad was old fashioned. He would request that his slippers be brought to him in the evening. They also opened all of there windows each day to make them all healthy. She learned to be a part of that family.

She was in Luxembourg for the year. She did have to learn several languages just to make it the day.

After her senior year back home, she returned to Switzerland to attend Franklin College in Switzerland. From there to Durham University in the UK and Cairo University in Egypt.

Good luck!