<p>I am a junior right now, and I was strongly considering doing a full year exchange program to Germany my senior year, but then I decided to stay here and do some more hard core academics that I would have no chance of doing in German. Next year, I will be taking all my classes at Michigan State University (I live in east Lansing), so I assume that is pretty strong for my college app. But, I still really want to do the exchange program. I am considering taking a year after high school to go (they have a 13th grade there too). I would probably apply my senior year, but declare that I would be doing the exchange the next year, and defer my acceptance. I was just wondering what you think, because on the one hand, doing the exchange program will probably GREATLY improve my chances of acceptance, but I don't know about taking the year off. I don't really want to go abroad during college, at least not during the academic year. </p>
<p>I will be applying to places like Carleton, Reed, Oberlin, Whitman, and possibly Ivies, although I am not really fond of those kind of places. </p>
<p>Anyway, any advice for me on what would be the best thing for me to do would be great.</p>
<p>Are you aware that many colleges (including Michigan State) have a study-abroad option as part of their college program?</p>
<p>You can take a semester or a year-long program at some of these schools and get college credit at Michigan State. Also, some of these programs allow you to meet your course requirements at Michigan State while studying overseas.</p>
<p>Also, Univ of Minnesota runs the largest study-abroad program of any school in the country I believe, and you can sign up for it even while at Michigan State and have the courses transfer (they are both Big 10 conference schools, after all).</p>
<p>Lastly, since my son is at Indiana University, I know that if you are in the business school, they have a program that allows you to spend one year overseas at University of Essen in Germany, and when you graduate from Indiana University, you also get the equivalent of a bachelor's degree from the University of Essen at the same time. That's right--you get two bachelor's degrees for taking some courses at Essen and most of your courses at Indiana. I think this would be perfect for someone who wanted to do International Business focusing on the US and Germany.</p>
<p>Well, I was actually just considering doing high school exchange programs like through AFS or other organizations. I guess that's all I've thought about. I think it would still work with a High school exchange because their high schools go up to the 13th grade. There is this scholarship program that I was going to apply for this year, but it would still be possible for the next year. </p>
<p>But, of course, it is highly competitive, and chances are I won't get the scholarship, but, you never know...</p>
<p>Anyway, thanks for the info though. I will definitely look into that. I just wanted this to be more separated from college. Just take the year, and then go to college for 4 years.</p>
<p>I think many LACs (and also Harvard) support entering freshman in deferring a year for study abroad or other "gap year" activities of educational/vocational value. I know one of the schools you listed, Whitman, makes a standard offer to any admitted student of a year's deferral. My son applied ED, then deferred, and there were several students in his class who did the same. The advantage I see is that you have the application ordeal done while you still have ready access to teachers, etc and then can do your travel/study with a plan in place for the following year.</p>