I need help in explaining how the Foreign Exchange Student program works in the U.S. I assume there is an agency in the U.S. that handles applications or requests for information, but I am asking for personal experiences that you folks may have had. Thanks in advance for your help - you will be providing information that I can pass to a very bright young student interested in attending schools in the U.S.
Could you be a bit more specific?
Most students are sent by an organisation, that deals with all this stuff, like YfU or Afs.
The son of one of my co-workers here in Georgia is interested in attending one of the institutions of higher learning in the U.S. - he actally has been thinking about West Point, but is interested in all colleges / universities in the U.S. He is currently in high school and wants to become a foreign exchange student to get through high school and then move on to a U.S. secondary school. What should be his first step? Any personal information you could give might help him decide if this is what he really wants to do.
Start with YfU or AFS.
iirc the US is not particulary happy about foreigners using a high school exchange program as an entry key to study/work in the US. I think they will require a student to leave the country after the exchange year in any circumstances. This does of course not mean, that he will not be permitted back.
Check these sites and feel free to post further questions.
Thank you for your help, T. Mehr. I will pass along the information concerning YfU and AFS. Were you an exchange student? If so, can you give some personal insight into the program?
Rotary also runs HS-level exchanges, but you should be able to get a more complete list through the State Dept., which authorizes agencies to issue documentation for exchange student visas (usually the J-1 category).
I’ve done 2 programs in Russia through Council on International Educational Exchange (www.ciee.org), and would be happy to share any tips, although mine were at the university level and it’s been a few years.
Just an FYI, but only United States Citizens may be admitted to West Point, The U.S. Military Academy. (You also have to have a nomination from a U.S. Senator or Representative, but that seems the smaller issue in this case.)
http://www.usma.edu/admissions/faqs_admission.asp
Howdy, Eva Luna - have you gotten the recipe book yet? I also have some maps that I will send when I get back to the U.S. This young man is interested in attending a university in the states, BTW.
Hello Again - yep, I was aware of all the restrictions on admittance to West Point, but just wanted to pass on all the possibilities to this person; you know: citizenship application, military academies, war college participation of foreign nationals, etc. Thanks for the link to the academies.
Well, Ralf I spent a year abroad, but it’s been a while. I guess, much of the official bureaucracy stuff has changed in the mean time, but it’s pretty much taken care of the exchange organisations anyhow.
Howdy to you, and nope, no package yet…I imagine things take a while to arrive from your neck of the woods, especially during the holidays.
Anyway, both CIEE and Rotary do exchanges in both directions, i.e. to the U.S. as well as from the U.S. I’m not sure whether Rotary operates in Georgia, but I believe they do. They are headquartered here in Evanston, IL (my hometown), and I know a number of people there (although not in educational programs), so let me know if I can dig up anything for you. I do know a fair amount about the visa side of things, once your person locates an appropriate program.
Eva Luna, Immigration Paralegal
If he’s quite set on a military acedemy, he could consider The Citadel (AKA The Military College of South Carolina). It’s not a U.S. Military Academy (once upon a time it was) but they maintain a military tradition… and accept international students.
http://citadel.edu/intlstudies/internationalstudents.html
Thanks to all of you for your informative responses. I will keep y’all (I am in Georgia, after all) informed about what this young fella decides.