@JoaquimC That’s so cool! I met a few Puerto Rican semifinalists at the interview, and I know of at least 3 that got in. If they do the interview like it was last year, they have it one weekend in Richmond, VA and then another weekend in Atlanta, GA.
THanks and sorry about all the posts, don’t know why there were so many 
@JoaquimC Im currently in the program and I’m from PR, send me an email if you want to know more about the program! cguerrero2015@gmail.com
Hi! I’m a sophomore and I’m also applying for cbyx next year. My application is through AFS though. Do you know about how many of the semi finalists you knew made it as finalists last year? @elisabethashton
Hi guys! I’m a senior applying this year in the CIEE region. Any tips for first-time applicants? I’m also applying to YES and NSLIY this year. I wish I had found out about this program earlier! Also, does anyone know what role any prior language experience plays? I’m in my fourth year of French, but I haven’t studied German in school. Is that a knock against me?
Hi everybody! I’m a senior applying from New York, so I’m in the AFS region.
@savlam To try to answer your question- I’m applying as well and have never taken German- I studied Spanish for 5 years in school. All official sources that I’ve read say that no background in German is required. That being said, I’m assuming that having a level of German ability couldn’t do anything but help your case. Also- I’ve read some blogs about the interview process that mentioned the same game/test in which applicants had to complete a task without speaking English- I’m assuming some of them tried to communicate in German. As for me, I’m currently picking up as much basic German as I can on Duolingo. I’ll be one step ahead for language school should I be accepted and I’ll know some of my Great-Grandparents’ mother tongue if I don’t! 
Just wondering- how did all of you convince your parents to let you apply? Mine immediately shot down the idea of spending a year abroad when they saw the CBYX poster I hung on my door.
Thanks @SoCcErTrAcK2016! I downloaded duolingo as well!
To answer your other question, my parents were also initially very reluctant, but I sat down with them and explained that I had put a lot of time and effort into researching study abroad and explained some of the logistics and that it was fully funded. I’ve applied to YES & NSLI-Y as well, so I guess this was an easier sell since everyone thinks of Germany being much safer than some of the other places I could go. There are a couple of blogs I’ve been reading from alum/people on program that helped me make my case too!
@savlam Thanks for the reply! I’m gonna collect my thoughts this week and try to convince them this weekend. Here goes nothing!
Best of luck @SoCcErTrAcK2016!
@SoCcErTrAcK2016 If you need any extra advice/tips on how to convince them, let me know! I’ve been there 
I found that the scholarship aspect was a huge selling point–it’s fully funded and sponsored by the government, so it’s really an honor to get. Looks GREAT on your resume, for getting into college and beyond. And it’s really an extraordinary opportunity to grow as both a person and as an American. Life changing! (I’m a 31-year-old alum who now works in international television, which includes a German channel, so it can really shape your life choices! My previous job was finding homes for exchange students in the US. I’ve ended up being uniquely qualified for certain jobs)
Thanks! I’ll need it @savlam
And thanks for the extra info! Can I DM you if we have any more questions in the future? I think my parents are mostly concerned with the prospect of me leaving the country for a full year. @proudterrier
@SoCcErTrAcK2016 - parent of a CBYXer from the '14-'15 program year here. I would be happy to correspond with your parents if they have questions - feel free to PM me. My D did CBYX as a gap year after high school.
As to some of the other questions about qualifications - D had no German language but did have demonstrated interest in foreign language and culture. This is not an academic competition - she got in but another student from her high school with similar credentials and somewhat better grades did not. What selection committees are looking for is someone who would make a good exchange student, and by doing so, a good representative of the US. Are you a conscientious student? They want people who will take school seriously, because schools hate nothing more than to take an exchange student who blows off his/her classes. Are you flexible? Are you considerate of others, including future host family members? Do you have an open mind, and can you imagine other perspectives than your own? These are the sorts of qualities CBYX will be looking to assess.
Good luck to all of you. Last year was an amazing one for my D.
@CIEE83 Thank you so much for the offer! We just might take you up on it
Glad to hear that your daughter had a great year.
@SoCcErTrAcK2016 Yes, feel free to DM! I’m always happy to talk about it and address specific questions. And since I actually worked in the industry for 2 years, I know more than the average bear about it
@CIEE83 Did your daughter have any issues with placement and/or deferring college acceptance in time? As a senior, I would also be on a gap year if I were to be accepted!
@savlam Not sure what you mean by issues with placement? As for deferring admission - she had to notify her school that she was attending by May 1, and that she was deferring by June 1. Placement for college courses was in some cases determined by AP classes in high school and in some cases by placement tests.
ETA: she was notified of acceptance in March, so she knew well ahead of time that she would be taking a gap year. Some students are selected as alternates, and I guess the timing could be trickier there if someone was accepted very late, but I bet most colleges would be understanding of that circumstance.
@CIEE83 Thank you!
To clarify, I meant was there any difficulty with placing her in a host school and/or classes in Germany as a result of having already graduated?
Oh, I really don’t think it was an issue. She got her host family and school placement a couple of months before she left, which might be some kind of record for AFS (jk). The school approval seems to have happened after her host family agreed to host her, which makes me think they weren’t worried about whether the school would be ok with it. I assume that CBYXers are given priority for placement by their respective exchange organizations, because the State Department is a nice source of recurring business.In addition, it’s probably easier to find host families for them, as there’s a certain cachet to having been selected for the program. Not sure, though, whether that was played up to D’s host family. (Btw I used to work for AFS many years ago, so I probably have a bit more insight into the process than the average person.)
Great thank you so much! @CIEE83
Hey everyone! Im applying to cbyx for my junior year next year and was wondering if someone could offer help on an essay question? My first essay is to write about an “activity” as listed in another part of my essay and how it affects others and myself but im not sure what would count as an activity. Im not involved in sports or in an music programs but im in a lot of volunteer clubs (red cross, salvation army etc.) Does anyone know if it would be ok to put my clubs under “activities” vs. community activities/volunteer work? And any suggestions on other things to put down as activities would be very helpful!
thanks!