How do I take part in a foreign exchange program?

Question

Im 16 and am in 11th grade Ive always wanted to go to Japan and I wanted to know if anywhere in New York they do things for foreign exchange programs to send me to Japan and do I have to know Japanese to do this?

Answer 1

join EF

ef.com

Answer 2

The first thing you need to know is that you must hurry! In order to do this next year, you need to get an application in soon. I'm afraid that the time may have passed, especially if you are looking for scholarships.

Now you need to find a program. First, make sure it's CSIET listed (www.csiet.org) to give it some accountability. You should also check with your school counselor for a recommendation. An organization is only as good as it's local representatives. Generally, AFS, Aspect, Rotary and YFU are reliable everywhere.

The good news is, most programs work with Japan -- especially AFS and YFU.

You will NOT have to know Japanese before you go. However, if you decide to do this and get accepted, taking some classes (or, try buying Rosetta Stone) would be a very big help for you. Also, educating yourself on the culture. Your program will most likely send you to a language camp prior to your exchange.

For lots more on exchange students, check out this on-line community: http://www.exchangestudentworld.com/

Good luck!