<p>I can't recommend SYA highly enough. My son went to SYA France. It IS expensive -- about the cost of a year of boarding school in the US -- but it is like going to an American school for classes while living with a French family. The kids lose no academic ground, AP or otherwise, except in science (they offered only environmental science) -- son ended up taking both AP Physics and AP Chem senior year. Very humanities based -- language, literature, history, culture, and art of host country (France, Spain, Italy (for classics) and China. Math and English classes taught in English; everything else in the host country language. Son went back and visited his family 2 summers ago. For the rest of us, it meant Christmas vacation in Brittany and Paris.</p>
<p>BTW, the kids were supposed to leave 9/12/01 from Logan. They went about 10-12 days later from JFK. It was a real lesson in the need to go forth and be brave in a world crying out for young people eager to immerse themselves in other cultures.</p>
<p>geena -- thanks for the recommendation for the SYA program! My son can't decide whether to apply for China (he has taken about a year of Mandarin) or Italy (took 2 years of Latin). </p>
<p>When I talked to the office, they told me they were very generous with financial aid -- so for us, it might be the better way to go. </p>
<p>It seems like some of these programs are no different than applying to colleges -- you need to apply to several and some of the more expensive programs have better financial aid.</p>
<p>School Year Abroad rocks. For many of the people who go, it's the best year of their life. I did the program in Rennes, France, and now conduct interviews of the applicants. I have so many good things to say about it, and also a bucket of advice. My host family took students for 25 years or so, and they gave me a lot of insight based on their experiences, as well. If anyone has questions, feel free to PM me, and then I'll post a paraphrase of the question and an answer on this board (unless you say otherwise).</p>
<p>Hey.. I was accepted to go to SYA Spain next school year and leave September 7th.. cant wait to leave.. few q's bout it tho even tho u were in Spain..
What was the curfew/ how'd it compare to normal kids who lived in the area?
How difficult are the classes ( I hear a lot of kids are struggling just to get b's) and what can i do to prepare myself?
Any advice to give a kid going next yr..?<br>
Thanks,
Austin</p>
<p>You can save a lot of money on SYA by avoiding organizations such as AFS. We chose a Buenos Aires-based company when D did her SYA in Argentina. We paid less than half of what AFS, et all, cost, and she had a superb experience. </p>
<p>There are competitive programs out there - google will show you many options and many pricing structures.</p>
<p>My son has been accepted by Rotary for an exchange for the 2007-2008 school year! They are 99% sure they can send him to Germany, his first choice. We should learn where in Germany he will go within the month.</p>
<p>He will walk graduation in May, then will take senior English in summer school to really finish up (he was a sophomore last year - senior this year). He also applied and has been accepted at University of Tulsa which he will defer for one year, so now he doesn't have to worry about long distance applications. </p>
<p>Anyone else making plans for an exchange next year?</p>
<p>My son started the Rotary application process but then backed out -- they wanted a committment too early for him to decide since he was applying to other programs that he really preferred.</p>
<p>My son really wants to go out of the country -- he has apply to SYA China, United World Colleges, YFU scholarship program to China and the Congress Bundestag program to Germany. We shall see what, if any, choices he has come March and April.</p>
<p>Hi! I'm applying to CBYX, Rotary, and some YFU scholarships next year. hsmomstef, I'd love to hear how your son does this coming spring, particularly in the CB program. I'm applying through ASSE, though.</p>
<p>My son had applied for the Congress Bundestag last year and by the time he found out that he wasn't selected it was too late to get on the other programs. AYUSA, who administers CBYX in the western US, didn't make the final selections until May! He preferred knowing for sure earlier this year so he decided to stick with Rotary.</p>
<p>What year in school is your son, hsmomstef? In our area the older kids (seniors) had a better shot at CBYX than younger ones. Good luck to him and you, dollyflower!</p>
<p>2son -- my son will be a senior (although, depending on the program, he may repeat his senior year after he gets back). I think that will help. He has been on one exchange program already (Egypt last summer) and has good stats and EC's -- so his fingers are crossed. He also applied for a couple of summer exchange programs (YFU, AFS) but everything is so limited and competitive that it is hard to know if he will get anything. </p>
<p>Dolly flower -- I will post about his experience in applying as it happens. I have learned so much through this board -- it is great!</p>
<p>2sonmama-
Congrats on your son's acceptance through Rotary. I have only heard great things about the program. My son absolutely LOVES it over there--don't know if you remember our conversations from last year--it has just been a wonderful experience for him. You're son is going to love it. I might add, it is a really wise thing to get his high school stuff out of the way so he doesn't have that hanging over him. It will be a fun year for both of you.</p>
<p>Your son went to Germany, right? What part of the country? My son hopes to find out next month at the first orientation meeting what Rotary District he'll be in so he can start learning more about that part of the country. </p>
<p>Yes, he is in north Gernany right on the coast of the North Sea. The Host Parents are both teachers, one at the Gymnasium in which he is attending. They are very outdoorsy--play tennis, members of bicycle clubs, etc which is right up his alley. It has just been a perfect match. They also are fluent in English--the Dad had been a foreign exchange student in the U.S. when he was a student so there has been no language barrier--the down side is, he has not picked up the language nearly as quickly or as well as I would have hoped--but he still has half a year left. One thing I would recommend is that if your son does not have a laptop, he might invest in one. My son's family has wireless internet so we email almost daily. It is really not that much different than when he lived here. Also--be aware that your son will have a lot more freedom (if he is in the same type of situation as my son) than we ever allowed him to have have. He takes the train for weekend trips with friends quite frequently. But it is a good thing--he will come out of this with great self-confidence and maturity and a love for adventure.</p>
<p>How do students who do a school year abroad for their junior year in high school fit back into their high school for their senior year? My daughter is applying to SYA China for next year. She is currently a sophomore in a girls boarding school. I am concerned that she might become an outsider coming back for her senior year when everyone is focused on college apps, graduating, and moving on.</p>
<p>Shelley: Your worries are completely unfounded. The thing you have to remember, is that students who have done a year abroad come back far more independent, greatly matured, and with a new sense of responsibility and priorities. They tend to be more comfortable in their own skins, and much more socialized than they were before. I did SYA junior year and also returned to boarding school afterwards, and my experience is typical of everyone with that experience I know.</p>
<p>montrose -- did you feel that you missed out on time in extracurriculars and leadership? Did you have any problems fitting back into your old school, classes and activities? I can definitely see the benefit -- and the maturity that will come with it, but I also wonder about what happens when the student returns.</p>
<p>At SYA Spain most students did not miss out on school activities as only one or two of 63 were athletesand most were into alternative activities like drinking and light drugs.</p>
<p>Most of the students were independent outside of the mainstream types,who probably fit in with the SYA kids better than with the students at their home school.However,this can vary year to year . Athletes do not tend to go.</p>
<p>If your child does not drink alcohol,he or she might experience estrangement from the other SYA students. That,nonetheless,can be good as the child may make spanish friends.</p>