<p>I'm from Germany and currently in the last weeks of my year abroad in Canada. I'm 17 and have been living in a host family in Montreal since August 2004, while attending an anglophone school (CEGEP/College). </p>
<p>Since I definitely loved everything about this experience, I'm sure going have a very hard time going back to Germany in June. Furthermore, I've always been thinking about studying abroad, and my experience in Canada has certainly amplified that wish.</p>
<p>Now I'm wondering whether spending a year abroad in a foreign country will be of value when applying to North American universities/colleges? I believe it demonstrates a high degree of independence, flexibility and responsibility, but what do Admission Offices think? </p>
<p>I've e-mailed a bunch of ivy league universities about this and they all said that it's an amazing experience and would definetly give you the upper hand in admissions and really sets you out from the crowd. </p>
<p>i'm planning on a high school year abroad to portugal for my 11th grade and then another year abroad on a gap year probobly to germany because going there is free :D</p>
<p>how does it look when applying to european universities? i'm going to apply to irish, british, french, greek, swiss, german, austrian, spanish, italian, and portuguese ones, so any info is helpful! i honestly haven't decided what country i want to go to for uni.</p>
<p>I have interviewed Europeans applying to schools of which I am a graduate. Most applying for US colleges have had a year in North America. Most of them also get accepted at good schools.</p>
<p>JakeR, a high school year abroad would definitely impress at European universities. I don't know much about Portuguese and Greek colleges, but in most parts of Western Europe (and that includes Germany) admission is lax, even for internatinal students (or so I hear). Still, spending a year abroad at young age is an amazing experience that will help you develop personally and academically. And Portugal sounds pretty nice, too :)...</p>