Freshman foreign exchange-italy?

Question

i want to go to italy to study for a semester,

but i was wondering if i still get my high school credits?

the problem is that i was planning to graduate early,

do you recomend it?

and how much would it cost?

:]]

Answer 1

Hi,

What a great idea!

But first, you need to realize that as a freshman, you probably will not be able to go. The federal law that exchange programs operate under requires you to be 15 - 18 1/2 on the exchange. You'll probably be too young. Even if you make the age cut off, I still submit your freshman year is too early. If you plan to graduate early, look at your sophomore year.

Most schools will give credit for an exchange experience, especially if you go with a reputable, CSIET listed (www.csiet.org) group. Ask your school counselor for a recommendation as an organization is only as good as its local representatives. In general, AFS, Aspect, Rotary and YFU are reliable everywhere.  You may have to double up on some classes or take a summer/correspondence course or two however, especially if you are planning to graduate early.

As to expenses, you can expect around $10,000 give or take. Rotary will be considerably cheaper, but much more competitive.

I highly recommend an exchange year! Colleges and universities LOVE exchange students and often offer preferred admissions and/or scholarships!

Here's an on line community of exchange students that will give you some more info: http://www.exchangestudentworld.com/