OT: Study abroad programs? Need help from college students!

[JUJU814]

Hi all, my daughter is about to graduate high school and has been accepted to one college and was wait listed for her first choice. She is now interested in studying abroad as a freshman...and I'm supportive of that.

She is interested in AIFS American Institute for Foreign Study.

Do any of you know if you can go through them if you're not currently enrolled in another college or university? If you can go directly through them? If not, are there any reputable programs that are independent and you do not need to yet have a home institute?

She would like to go for a semester or year to spain and then try to transfer to her first choice. Even if they didn't take all of the credits, the experience we feel would be worth it.

Any words of advice from those of you who have studied abroad?

Thanks!

 

[ZeroToHero]

AIFS required you to be a current college freshman when applying, not a rising senior, from what I gathered on the site, so she wouldn't be able to apply at this time.

As it is, I would not recommend studying abroad freshman year. You lose out on a lot of opportunities and are essentially coming in like a transfer student, which, if you haven't experienced college before, can be intimidating. College is very different from high school.

There are options to take a gap year - I know someone down the street from me spent a while in South Africa - I don't know what program she did it through, it might have been the Peace Corps. Look up "gap year programs" and see what you can find.

 

[JUJU814]

AIFS required you to be a current college freshman when applying, not a rising senior, from what I gathered on the site, so she wouldn't be able to apply at this time.

As it is, I would not recommend studying abroad freshman year. You lose out on a lot of opportunities and are essentially coming in like a transfer student, which, if you haven't experienced college before, can be intimidating. College is very different from high school.

There are options to take a gap year - I know someone down the street from me spent a while in South Africa - I don't know what program she did it through, it might have been the Peace Corps. Look up "gap year programs" and see what you can find.

Thanks!!

Actually, since I posted here, I have spoken directly with AIFS three times and you do not need to be enrolled in a college or university and can apply directly out of high school. It depends upon the country/university/ and program.

We are weighing all her options. I have been reading up a little on "gap year" and will do some more research.

She is extremely mature and I really think she could handle it and excel in this particular program. She is going to major in language and is in her fifth consecutive year of spanish now, being in AP spanish. She's also a TA and a spanish tutor.

I sure wish she'd go off to college and apply for the Disney program!!! I would have loved that in my day.....

I work with a nutritionist now that was in the Disney program through Northeastern University. He worked at Pirates of the Carribean for 5 months!

 

[ZeroToHero]

Thanks!!

Actually, since I posted here, I have spoken directly with AIFS three times and you do not need to be enrolled in a college or university and can apply directly out of high school. It depends upon the country/university/ and program.

We are weighing all her options. I have been reading up a little on "gap year" and will do some more research.

She is extremely mature and I really think she could handle it and excel in this particular program. She is going to major in language and is in her fifth consecutive year of spanish now, being in AP spanish. She's also a TA and a spanish tutor.

I sure wish she'd go off to college and apply for the Disney program!!! I would have loved that in my day.....

I work with a nutritionist now that was in the Disney program through Northeastern University. He worked at Pirates of the Carribean for 5 months!

A lot of my friends go there! Too big of a school for me, but they like it.

And I'm glad you were able to get that clarified! I saw there was a "just out of high school" option, but it was only for China, and then everything I looked at seemed to say you needed a college transcript if you were anything but a freshman (they needed high school transcripts), so it sounded to me like you could only apply while in college... the FAQs didn't help either.

I hope, whatever you decide, she has a great time!