becoming an exchange student to argentina?
how much will this cost? (please give me an approximate cost) will is be REALLY expensive to go to buenos aires? the hosting family? the plane tickets? i live in ohio, and i'm a junior in high school right now should i do this for my senior year or should i wait to do it during college? i would really love to go, and i'd like to know if plane tickets are the most expensive thing are there people who finance all this? please give me some websites with info!
Studying Abroad - 1 Answers
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Going on exchange is an amazing experience! I can't address any questions about going on exchange while in college, but I will write about high school exchanges. Most high school exchange programs provide your plane ticket and finding of a host family (the host families aren't paid anything) in the program tuition. You would have to pay for personal items (clothes, souvenirs, etc.) and a few other miscellaneous items (getting a passport if you don't already have one, etc.). The website of the program should be clear about what is and isn't included in tuition. One option to going your senior year (if your concerned about missing prom, graduation, etc.) is to do a "Gap" year -- it's an option for those who have just graduated from high school but aren't 18 yet. If I may, I would like to recommend going with Youth For Understanding (YFU). YFU, AFS, and Rotary are frequently called "the big 3" when it comes to exchanges - long histories and good reputations, although a few others are making their way up that list. Please forgive my bias towards YFU - it's the one that I have direct experience with (I am a 5-time host mom and volunteer). I am gaining indirect experience by corresponding with former students. When I have asked exchange students why they chose YFU, I get the following answers: (1) YFU gave them more bang for their buck and/or (2) someone they knew and trusted recommended YFU. 95% of the fees collected by YFU go for direct program costs (airline tickets, support in hosting country, etc.). YFU has been around for almost 60 years and has learned how to make exchanges successful. If you choose another organization, please make sure that it is listed with the Council for Standards on International Educational Travel (csiet.org). They routinely audit programs for quality. While it is possible that a good organization is not listed with them, it is less likely and I would advise doing more research on anyone that is not listed with them. YFU also has competitive scholarships -- in a typical year, 500 American students go overseas with YFU and 300 of them will have partial or full scholarships. Check out the websites below and good luck to you no matter what you choose!
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