<p>Rising senior D is lobbying to do a summer program in Japan. Many of her friends have done programs in France & Spain, but it seems that many of these lack supervision. I like the idea of Japan because it seems less of a party destination FWIW we took a two week vacation there a few years back so this is not out of left field. Does anyone have any recommendations for specific programs? Ideally, I'd like to find something where she's not left to do as she pleases. I was thinking dorm vs. homestay because I would wonder what kind of screening is done of host families.</p>
<p>Japan is TOO much of a non-party place. Japanese host families and exchange organisations are extremely strict. Other Asians seem to do fine there but I have seen Europeans and Americans going crazy.</p>
Haven’t posted in a while, but after seeing this post, you’re making a really big generalization if you ask me. Have you been to Japan as an exchange student? Just because some families are “strict” doesn’t make every family strict. The students who apparently go “crazy” when abroad probably came into the program with the wrong expectations.</p>
<p>Nyermom, I’m sure your daughter will do fine as long as she keeps an open mind. A program I’d recommend is Youth for Understanding (YFU) USA. There are national and regional scholarships that cover for most or all of the six week program cost. There isn’t a Japanese language requirement, and she’ll most likely be placed in a high school while trying out clubs with her host brother or sister (In some rare cases, some students can’t go to school). If you have any questions about this program, feel free to PM me. Best of luck to your daughter! :)</p>
<p>Yep, I lived there for a year as an exchange student, with host families.
Sorry if it seems wrong but that is honestly my opinion. Japanese students do not party, they just got for karaoke or maybe get some purikura clicked, and families as well as exchange organisations are extremely extremely rule-abiding. But no denying that anyone can go there as long as they be open. It was the best year of my life, and I can say the same for a ton other exchange students, and I’d recommend it to anybody and everybody.</p>
<p>I think Japan’s harsh drug laws also keep a lid on the party. At the moment we are looking at shorter programs that involve dorm stays (I would almost hate to inflict my sloppy teen on a perfectly nice Japanese family!)</p>
<p>That is a justifiable concern as a mother sending your daughter overseas. Yes, studying abroad can be known for partying, but I wouldn’t quite limit yourself to Japan. Regardless, the stereotype is that students go to Europe to party whereas they go to Asia to learn which is true to only a certain extent. As far as dorm vs homestay, if you are really concerned about partying or distractions, homestays are your best bet. Instead of being around a lot of kids her age and instead being immersed in a Japanese families life, she is less likely to party, it all depends on the comfort level of you and her and what your preferences are. It’s a great thing you are asking these questions!</p>
<p>Japan was her first choice. And I like it because it seems more challenging than the typical sojourn to Barcelona or Paris. And it might seem less like a “lark” on her college resume. Thanks for the input</p>
<p>Actually the exact opposite is true now, most people I’ve met that are study abroad students in tokyo beijing and hong kong (I’ve worked in those cities) are there partying it up and do very little learning while my friends that studied in europe were the hardcore study type.</p>
<p>My son went to Japan for a month in high school (he’s currently in his last quarter of college) through Intrax/AYUSA. He lived with a host family and attended a Japanese high school. He had a fantastic experience, and is still in touch with both his host family and several of his Japanese classmates. However, one of the things that made his experience so wonderful was that it was completely immersive; he was in a semi-rural area, and, with the exception of one of his teachers, pretty much no one with whom he interacted spoke English. (I should note that he already was at a pretty high level of Japanese and had made clear in his application he wanted to go to Japan to seek greater fluency, so I don’t know if his placement, and thus his experience, were typical of those had by the other Intrax students.) Our overall experience of the organization was very good, as they were well-organized and excellent about staying in touch with us.</p>
<p>A friend’s son had attended a similar Japanese homestay/school program the previous summer through Youth for Understanding. His experience was nightmarish, and YFU handled it horribly. Despite Sprint’s endorsement above, our friend’s son’s experience was so bad as to justify recommending avoiding YFU if you have any other options.</p>
<p>Map- Can you say what the negative experience was with YFU your friend’s son had? My son is applying for a scholarship. I had heard positive things from other parents so I’d like to know what you heard as well.</p>
<p>His host family essentially kicked him out to make room for relatives to stay with them. He had no place to live and no money, and YFU did very little to help remedy the situation or communicate with the family at the time. Please bear in mind that this occurred 6 or 7 years ago; it is entirely possible that the situation may have been an anomaly then, and YFU may have improved their operations since.</p>
<p>I must chime in here - my son was in Japan this past summer on the YFU Japan-America Frienship Scholarship. He had an absolutely wonderful experience. The host family could not have been nicer and we are now still in frequent contact with them. I’m happy to answer any questions others might have.</p>