I want to go to England as a foreign exchange student, has anyone done the same?

Question

i really want to go there! for a whole year but i just need some good advice because i would be really scared and excited at the same time. will it affect my high school credits? give me advice (:

Answer 1

Well, I was an exchange student, but I didnt go to England.

I would suggest looking at the AFS program (American Field Service).  They have a web site, and are active in many schools.  If they arent in your school, you can apply through another school that does have it (that is what I did).  One real advantage of AFS is that they place you with the same family for an entire year.  No running newspaper ads with your picture in it, no switching families every few months like other programs.  So this really allows you to settle in, learn the culture and the people.

As to High School credits, that will vary from school to school.  My high school was great about it- they went through the classes I took, matched them up as closely as possible with the classes I needed to take as a Junior (the year I missed in the US), and then gave me the credits I needed.  I didnt get as many credits as if I had gone the whole junior year in the US, but I just lost an elective or two, and still graduated on time.  As a bonus, foreign exchange programs look great on a college application.

I personally went to New Zealand.  Talk about far away.  And yeah, it is a little scary traveling around the world, especially if you were anything like me- 16 years old, from a small town, never having traveled out of the US before.  But it was completely and totally worth it.  It really broadened my horizons.  And here it is, now its been, man, this is scary- 18 years ago that I went there (Im in my mid-30's now), and I am still friends with some of the people that I met in New Zealand.  I still stay in contact with my host family, and went back to New Zealand about 3 years ago and paid them a visit.  Ive got friends in Europe, Asia, and North America from that experience.  GO FOR IT!!!  I wish I could do it all over again :)