Airport and good-bye

The day finally arrived for my daughter to leave. It really didn't seem possible, and I couldn't shake the feeling that there was something we were forgetting. However, she got on the plane (with a bad cold) in good spirits.

Youth For Understanding (YFU) arranged for students to leave from several departure cities - in our case, Chicago. We had to arrange for our daughter to get to Chicago's O'Hare airport on August 10. As we are about 5.5 hours from Chicago, we chose to drive her down and stay in the city for a few days after her departure. If driving to the departure city is not an option, and you are concerned about your child flying alone, I would contact the organization and ask if any other student near you is traveling at the same time from the same airport. At the very least, you could arrange with another family for the two students to travel together.

Our one concern about O'Hare airport was how she would navigate the airport on her own (with too much carry-on luggage no less). She had traveled in airports before but never without a parent, and O'Hare just seemed too overwhelming. Since she was 16, we were able to request a gate pass for me. The ticket agent asked us several questions, and we had to explain that, yes, she was traveling with a group, but the group was meeting at the gate. Also, we said she was anxious to find the gate on her own (anxious being an operative word). I simply needed a government issued ID and the gate pass, and I was able to go through security with her.

I firmly believe in fostering independence for my child, but there are times when a little hand-holding is okay. She was taking a big step by leaving for a year; if she was nervous about the airport, then I could do something to make that better.

Once we arrived at the gate, there were two YFU volunteers and many other YFU students (including students who my daughter had met at orientation). They were all supposed to be wearing a YFU t-shirt to help identify themselves, but most of the students had not received the t-shirt before departing.

Once we got to the gate (and there were no other parents there), my daughter said I could go. In my mind, I had pictured her walking away from me down the boarding ramp, so leaving her "by herself" at the gate was one of the hardest things I have ever done as a parent. However, she was so excited, it was impossible not to be excited for her.

She then flew to Frankfurt, where she went through customs, and caught a connecting flight to Bremen with several other YFU students. There was a YFU representative in the airport at Frankfurt to help them, and she was able to send me a message that she had arrived safely. The students were all given emergency numbers to carry with them while traveling, so if they had any problems, help was just a phone call away.

Phones

In the interest of full disclosure, I have to admit to being somewhat anti-technology when it comes to communication. Please notice that the important word here is "somewhat." I definitely see its advantages, but as a professor who works with international students, I am very aware of its disadvantages. Students who spend more time on their phones, messaging in their first language to family and friends back home, have a more difficult time adjusting to their new cultures and learning the new language. Even knowing this, I realized we had to send my daughter to Germany with a cell phone.

My sixteen-year-old daughter had never had a smart phone, and I still don't have one, which I acknowledge is hard for most people to imagine. However, all of this ignorance on my part is definitely to your advantage now because I had to ask a lot of questions. This topic generated the most conversation among parents at the YFU orientation. I will summarize what was discussed and what my daughter and I discovered later. This information was accurate as of the summer and fall of 2016.

Can my child bring his/her current phone?

If your child currently has a phone, you may be wondering if he/she can just bring that phone with your current plan. Well, it depends. Several plans (T-Mobile was most mentioned at orientation) promise coverage in Europe and other international locations while still applying your family's plan rates. Several parents at orientation had this plan and had been to Europe. For about 1/2 of them, the plan worked. For the other 1/2, they were stuck with no coverage anywhere in Europe. It seems risky to assume that your current plan will work reliably. If your plan does not work, your child may be stuck without a phone since what he/she needs is an unlocked phone that can take a SIM card from a local company.

What should I look for in a phone?

As I mentioned, the phone should be unlocked. There were not a lot of options in stores, but there were many options online. Additionally, you want to be sure the phone can use the GSM system; some phones in America use CDMA. It is reasonably easy to find phones that use both GSM and CDMA.

If your child currently owns a locked phone, you can contact your current phone company and see if they will unlock it. If not, you can find a service online that will send you a code to unlock your phone (for a fee). I'm not sure of the ethics of that service, though, so I do not advocate that approach. Additionally, I have heard that mobile phone shops in Europe will unlock your phone for a fee, too. Again, ethically speaking, it may be questionable.

What will my child have to do to activate the phone in the new country?

I would imagine that what my daughter had to do in Germany is pretty similar to what students will have to do in most countries. (It is what the international students in America have to do.) She had to order a SIM card. It was free, they mailed it directly to her, and she inserted it in the phone. The company in Germany is Vodafone, and she ordered a "call-ya" card. For about $17/month, she gets 850 mb of data per month, 200 texts per month, and unlimited calling within the Vodafone network with a flat rate for any other calls. She reports that she has never needed that much data or texts as almost everyone uses Vodafone (so free calls to them), and no one texts; everyone uses Whats App.

Since it is unlikely that your child will use the phone to call you, international rates are not an important factor. We didn't even take them into consideration. We use Facebook and Skype for talking.

Before your child leaves, have a conversation about how often you plan to be in contact. Of course, it may change depending on circumstances, but it is good to know upfront what everyone's comfort level is. Expecting to hear from your child daily is not wise, but do you expect weekly? monthly? Just remember, the more they are talking with you, the less they are talking with the people around them.

Sending gifts

Since shipping gifts was often cost prohibitive and slow, we had to come up with options for special events.

Flowers

Every year on her birthday, her father gives our daughter one rose for each year. When she was one, she received one rose; when she turned 16, she received 16 roses, etc. We didn't want to lose a year, so we had to figure out how to send flowers internationally for her 17th birthday. I wasn't impressed by the price or options with FTD, so I did some internet searching. As we discovered, there are a lot of options for sending flowers all over Europe.

For our first floral delivery, I used Flora Queen. For about $37, the flowers were delivered to her home, on time, with a vase, and in excellent condition. From the company, I received frequent updates in English with a tracking number and an opportunity to rate my experience.

I would recommend Flora Queen, but I did not use them a second time. The first time I placed my order, the price was in Euros. Once they realized I was ordering from the USA, the price rose dramatically. The prices were listed in American dollars, and there were several extra fees tacked on at checkout (for example, a $12 "local florist" fee). I learned to look for companies that listed the prices in Euros.

The second time I sent flowers, it was for her host family, and I used Euroflorist. Again, the experience was very good, with flowers delivered promptly and in good condition. I do not have a photo of this bouquet, but my daughter assures me they were beautiful. The prices on Euroflorist are even better than Flora Queen, and the selection is just as good. I have not ordered a second time from them, but when I check their prices, everything is still in Euros. As an added bonus, you will receive newsletters in German on a weekly basis. I have no idea what they say, but the pictures are stunning.

Gifts

Perhaps the best resource for sending gifts is German Amazon. It has everything the American version has and then some. Is your child craving American peanut butter? They have several options. Does your child want to make pumpkin pie for his host family? German Amazon has measuring spoons, measuring cups, and canned pumpkin. Need American candy? It's there. The shipping is much faster and cheaper than shipping from the USA. Even if you don't speak German, it is fairly easy to navigate as all the searches can be done in English, and the format is identical to American Amazon. To make it even easier, you can have the website in English. Just choose the English version in the drop down menu at the top right of the screen.

If your child is not in Germany, do a search for Amazon in other countries.I can only imagine that Amazon exists in quite a few other locations. I found one for the United Kingdom and one for China; however, I have never used those companies.

Sending packages

When I studied abroad (22 years ago) there literally was a "slow boat to China" option for shipping anything larger than a letter. Lots has changed since then, and there are no "cheap" options any more. In fact, it is downright expensive, and I do not recommend that you plan to ship anything large or heavy. Grandma wanted to ship several care packages, so most of this information comes from my mother-in-law.

United States Postal Service (USPS)

Grandma found this option to be the cheapest but also slowest. Their services and prices can be found at the USPS international services webpage. A package of about 4 pounds cost $49 and should have arrived in about 4-6 weeks. I say "should have" because the first package came back to us in 2 months with no explanation. We suspect that Grandma did two things incorrectly: she only put our daughter's name on the address label (put the host family's name, too!) and she did not itemize specifically enough for the customs label (put each item and it's dollar value; do NOT just say "misc"). The next time she used USPS, the package arrived in about 3 weeks. The length of time is not a reflection of the postal service in the USA or in Germany; it reflects the length of time it may be held by the custom's office in the other country.

At this cheaper rate, there is no tracking, delivery confirmation, or insurance available. To add those services, the price rises dramatically.

To send a one-ounce letter internationally, the Global Forever stamp is $1.15. Letters have arrived in Germany within 3-5 days.

United Parcel Service (UPS)

Grandma decided to try UPS after the failed USPS package. UPS international services and rates can be found on the UPS international shipping resources webpage. Grandma sent a small package of odds and ends, and she refuses to tell me what she spent to send it. All she will say is "it was a lot." It did arrive within a week to my daughter, and Grandma could track it the whole way. Unfortunately, my daughter had to pay a small customs tax to collect the package. Since the overall value of the package was not high, the customs tax was not excessive. However, if you send something more expensive, the customs tax would need to be taken into account.

YFU orientation and more deep breathing

Frankly, this is where the experience became a bit rough. As mentioned before, Youth For Understanding (YFU) is run locally by volunteers. Your experience with YFU may vary greatly from someone else's in a different region.

YFU participants (including Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange recipients) are required to attend a local pre-departure orientation. Our local orientation was held in mid-May, and we received the information only about 2 weeks before the event.

Approximately 15 participants and their families were at the event, and the participants were all going to a variety of countries, with Germany being the top destination. Many of the students "knew" each other through the group chat on Facebook -- something that my daughter had not joined. I definitely recommend your child join the group chat immediately; the students who had been chatting online were instantly comfortable with each other.

The students went off to another room, and the parents stayed with a YFU volunteer. I watched a room full of parents go from slightly nervous to almost psychotic in a matter of 45 minutes. It quickly became apparent that, not only were we not going to get any definite information, we were getting a lot of conflicting (and downright wrong) information. Parents essentially stopped listening to the YFU volunteer, broke off into little groups, and exchanged information.

Can you understand now why I think this blog is important?

I will not go into the details as it is not my intention to embarrass or ridicule YFU. Here is the what I want you to know - - no matter how organized or disorganized your local YFU network is, ultimately your child is going to be in the hands of a different YFU network in a different country. This adventure is not for the weak of heart. If your child does not have common sense or cannot speak up for himself or herself, please reconsider sending them abroad.

In YFU's defense, it is difficult to provide relevant information to students going to many different destinations. My daughter did say that she found the student activities (mostly focused on culture shock and host family interactions) helpful. Additionally, there is a National Pre-Departure Orientation (NPDO) in mid-July near Chicago, which goes more in-depth about specific destinations. The NPDO costs (excluding travel to Chicago) are included for YFU participants, but not for CBYX scholarship recipients. My daughter was unable to attend this orientation.

Packing while deep breathing . . .

As I think back over the packing process, I wonder if it is "easy" for anyone. I mean - - packing for my daughter went smoothly, but I would not call it easy. Is there a gender difference? temperament difference? Perhaps if you have a laid-back son, you could just throw a few things in the suitcase before he leaves, but . . . I seriously doubt it.

Packing was one of the most daunting tasks before my daughter left. The whole process is made somewhat more difficult that you can only really do the final packing right before leaving - when emotions are high.

Here are some things to consider:

Will my child need to bring winter clothes?

Of course, the answer depends on what country your child is going to. Indonesia? no. Sweden? yes. Germany? maybe. However, winter clothes take a lot of space, so you don't want to pack them unless you need them. Optimistically, you can ask the host family what your child will need and if they have anything that can be borrowed for the season. My daughter tried to bring multi-purpose clothes. She brought high-topped hiking shoes that could double as boots if need be. She brought several layers of tops that could work as a coat if all worn together. (However, this solution was not enough, and she bought a secondhand winter coat for 25 EU in Munich that fall.) She wishes she had brought her lined leggings, and we sent them to her later.

Could I just mail what my child needs right before the season starts?

We seriously considered this option before my daughter left, and I am glad that we rejected it. Even the smallest packages are expensive to send internationally. (see Sending packages.) It would have been much cheaper to pay for an extra suitcase coming and going; however, we did not do that either because she had to be able to handle all her own luggage. She just had to make do with less.

How do we know what is in style?

Ideally, you can connect with someone just returning from that country and get advice. My daughter was told that everyone in Germany looks like they shop at H&M. She tried to bring clothes similar to that style. She also brought one dressy outfit. I work with international students, and not bringing dress clothes because they are "sure I won't need them" is a common mistake. In terms of style, your child may have to just get comfortable looking like "the American." YFU suggested that they bring less and plan to buy a few things once they get there. It's a good idea, but one that needs to be budgeted for as clothes can be expensive in some parts of the world.

Should my child pack school supplies?

Our opinion is no. Your child should buy school supplies in the country so that he/she has what the teachers expect him/her to have and what all the other students are using. Frankly, my daughter found the German school supplies fascinating; she paid 13 EU (about $15) for a pen, and that was the cheap version. Another good idea is getting a hard copy of a translation dictionary. Google Translate will work in many circumstances but may not always be available.

Should my child pack personal hygiene supplies?

In my opinion, your child should pack enough to get him/her through the first 3 weeks. Since there is no way to pack enough shampoo and toothpaste for a whole year, your child might as well plan on getting some right away. The space in his/her suitcase is too precious. Besides, using the toothpaste and shampoo that everyone else is using is part of the cultural experience. For young women, that might mean adjusting to different feminine hygiene supplies. My daughter won't thank me to share this, but her one meltdown while packing was about this issue. I haven't had the nerve to ask her what she has found.

What about prescription medications and glasses?

For my daughter, we sent a backup pair of glasses and her prescription. (She is basically blind without her glasses.) She is not on any prescription medication, but if your child is, you will need to do the same thing. My daughter does need to take iron supplements, and those are easily found over-the-counter in Germany and also on German Amazon. (For instructions on how to use German Amazon, see my post Sending Gifts.)


My daughter brought her French horn as a carry-on, and believe me, every available crevice was stuffed with items. Leave no empty spaces! Shove socks in shoes; roll t-shirts into tubes and stick them in corners. Weigh the suitcase before leaving home so that you are not frantically re-arranging in the airport. Leave a few expendable items right on top in case you get a really picky airline staff person at check-in. Overall, remind yourself that something will be forgotten, but that replacing it in the new country may become one of your child's best memories or most cherished souvenirs.

Any good ideas for host family gifts?

Your child will want to bring some meaningful gifts for host families and other people who become important in their lives. However, with airline luggage limits, the gifts have to be small and lightweight.

Here is some ideas based on what my daughter took, what we sent later, what she wished she had brought, and things other people have mentioned.

• Card games that do not require English (Uno, Skip-bo, Spot-it)
• Candy: Reeses Peanut Butter cups, Hershey's kisses, fudge (the Germans had never heard of it)
• Anything locally made - in our case, sample sizes of Sturdiwheat pancake mix and maple syrup
• Taco seasoning packets (no one had ever tried tacos in her area, so these were a big hit; she bought all the spices, but the taco packets would have been easier. We eventually sent some)
• Measuring cups and spoons in standard - most countries don't have these instantly available (although my daughter was able to order them on German Amazon). If your child wants to cook or bake something, having these makes life much easier.
• A photo book (an actual physical book, not digital photos on a phone or camera) with pictures of your family, your house, your child's school, famous or picturesque spots in your town, etc. The intention is for your child to take and print out more pictures during the stay and leave the book with the host family.

I would love to hear what gifts were successful for other families!

Money, money, money

At a time in her life when she was just learning to manage and budget money, we sent her off on one of the most difficult financial situations available to a teen - - living overseas. For background information:

• My daughter had had a debit card for several years, but she has never had a credit card. 
• She had traveled overseas and handled foreign currency, but always with parents' input. 
• She has a savings and checking account through Wells Fargo.
• She had been working for almost a year prior to going.

The financial advice we received before she left varied widely. I will try to condense the most important points that should apply to any country your child is going to.

How much money should study abroad students budget for?

This is really hard to answer as it depends on so many factors: destination country and city, strength of the dollar compared to the local currency, and your child's personal spending habits (to name a few).

YFU suggested $100/month in one publication and $300/month in another. My daughter ended up in a rural area, so there are not a lot of opportunities to spend big money. Her scholarship covers anything school-related (including a bus pass to get to school and any books, but not supplies like paper and pens). 

What is the best way to send my child money?

My daughter has never had a credit card, and we thought now was not the time for her to learn to use one. It can get out of control pretty fast. She has her debit card, which is connected to her saving account and our bank account (we can get into her account, but she can't get into ours). Each month, we put a set amount of money into her savings. Once a month, she withdraws a set amount of cash, and that is her budget for the month. She uses her debit card to buy minutes online for her phone and for other purchases online. It has worked well, both in terms of budgeting and avoiding transaction fees. There have been a few things she needed a credit card for; she wanted to book a tour at Neuschwanstein Castle, for instance. The company would not take a debit card online, so I booked the tour for her and transferred the money from her bank account into mine. Having your bank accounts linked is the best advice I can give.

Initially, it was suggested that she set up a "free" bank account in Germany and get a German debit card. YFU will only deposit reimbursements into a bank account. Unfortunately, due to the refugee situation in Germany, the banking laws have changed. She was not allowed to set up a bank account, but YFU will still only deposit reimbursements into a bank account. She has to have it deposited into her host family's account, and they pay her back. The American debit card was problematic at first as she had trouble finding an ATM that would take it, but now she knows what to look for. She has a VISA card, and she was told VISA is very unusual in her area and that Mastercard would have been better. 

Two other issues to check before departure - - double check the daily spending limits. We completely forgot that they were still set to her 13-year-old limits, so she had trouble withdrawing money until we changed her limit. Also, alert your bank that your child will be traveling in a foreign country so that they don't block the card.

Where can we get foreign currency before departure?

We live in rural Minnesota, so no local banks exchange foreign currency on a walk-in basis; however, Wells Fargo has a foreign currency exchange service. You can order money in any currency online. I say you because your child (if younger than 18) will not be allowed to exchange money through this service. It has to be from an adult's account. They can deliver the money directly to your house or to the local branch. There is a fee, but it was not excessive. The fee is higher if you need it rushed.

American school and transferring grades

All the programs I listed as options in earlier posts (Rotary Youth Exchange, NSLI-Y, and YFU) make it quite clear that they will not guarantee your child's grades will transfer to his/her American high school. You need to go into this experience with that information in the back of your mind; studying abroad for a year may delay your child's high school graduation.

With that being said, none of the participants I talked to were adversely affected by studying abroad for a year in any of the programs. All of them were able to transfer their grades/credits and graduate on time.

My daughter's high school administration was thrilled that she was taking this opportunity and wanted to minimize any possible negative consequences. They agreed that they would transfer the credits as long as she provided a transcript from her German high school. They also agreed to take her grades as a letter grade (if it helped her GPA) or as pass/fail (if it would not help her GPA). YFU provided us with a worksheet to fill out with our daughter's guidance counselor. It is important to get everything you and the guidance counselor agreed to in writing. That person may not be in that position when your child returns, and you don't want any surprises.

My daughter had very little choice about the classes she would take in Germany, but she ended up with a pretty basic schedule: Poly Sci, History, English, Germany, Biology, Chemistry, Phy. Ed., Orchestra, and Music Theory. It should all transfer and cover the credits she needed to get her junior year. I'll let you know how it turns out. The most important advice we were given: do not let your child leave the country without an official transcript. Once your child leaves, it will be much harder to contact the necessary people and get them to mail what you need.

Timing: which year is best for high school study abroad?

Most programs require participants to be between 15 and 18 years of age, so your child could (conceivably) study abroad his/her freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior year. Some students could still qualify after high school and do a "gap year." There are pros and cons for all of these options, and everyone's child is different.

Freshman year - - I don't know about your child, but my daughter was not ready to go abroad for a year as a freshman. We did encourage multiple short-term independent experiences for her, but they did not exceed a week in duration. If your child's maturity level is high enough, the freshman year could be a great option.

Sophomore year - For our daughter, the sophomore year could have been reasonable, and there would have been some advantages to going this year. The sophomore year is lighter on college prep courses, and there would not have been any college entrance tests during this year. However, she would have had to apply during her freshman year to go her sophomore year, and she just wasn't ready as a 14-year-old to commit to a year abroad.

Junior year - My daughter chose her junior year to go to Germany for a few reasons. The most important is that wants to experience her senior year with her classmates and friends. Also, she did not want to be applying to colleges from Germany. The disadvantages are that she had to take her ACT in June immediately following her sophomore year (almost a year early than her peers would be taking it).

On a side note - - the ACT and SAT can be taken in many foreign countries; however, the locations and dates are limited. There was no way for us to know if she could have taken the ACT in Germany or not. As it turns out, traveling to the nearest testing center from her rural location would have caused significant problems. If you know your child's location, you can check available test centers and dates on the ACT website or on the SAT website. One other thing to consider -- after forcing her brain to function in German for 2-9 months, we didn't think she would be at her best on a 3.5 hour test in English. It worked well for our daughter to take it early; she could always re-test during her senior year if necessary.

The PSAT/NMSQT is also given during the junior year in the USA. The appeal to taking this test is that it is practice for the SAT and an initial qualifier for the National Merit Scholarship competition. Taking this test internationally is dependent on if you can find a local school administering the test. They have some suggestions for finding a testing center on the PSAT website. They also suggest you start looking 4 months in advance of the test time. The PSAT/NMSQT cannot be taken before the junior year to qualify for the National Merit Scholarship. I think about 0.5% of each state's seniors qualify for a National Merit scholarship, so if you think this could be your child, taking the PSAT could be worth a lot of scholarship money. (Don't mistakenly take the PSAT-10, which does not qualify them for the National Merit scholarship!)

One final consideration about the junior year - - the college search. Most college-bound students get serious about picking a college during their junior year. My daughter left in mid-August and will return in mid-July. There will be limited time for her tour colleges, so we did all of that before she left. She is now seriously considering attending college in Germany, so I am glad that she had the experience of touring colleges in the USA for a reference point. Wherever she decides to attend, she will be ready to apply for colleges when she returns the summer after her junior year.

Senior year - As alluded to, this is a big year for memories and college decisions. If your child is not really into the whole "senior year thing," then this could be a good solution to senior-itis. College applications typically open in late August, so your child will have to be ready to go with choices and application procedures. It will be a significant commitment made more difficult by the completely absorbing experience that is study abroad.

Gap year - The main appeal to doing a "gap year" (a common concept in many countries, but not the USA) is that your child will not have to worry about transferring grades or taking tests. However, if it is your child's intention to go to college, he/she may have to apply to colleges while abroad. If your child is already accepted to a college, he/she should contact the Admissions office of that college and discuss delaying their start date. Unless your child is going to an extremely competitive college, colleges are typically happy to delay admittance. Some programs (in particular, Rotary Youth Exchange) have limited destinations for gap year students. Finally, students still have to attend school and demonstrate effort; a gap year is not a "year off."

Scholarship: Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange (CBYX)

The Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange (CBYX) scholarship is funded  "by the U.S. Department of State to strengthen U.S. – German relations through cross-cultural immersion and understanding." We first heard of the CBYX scholarship when my daughter was not chosen as a finalist for the NSLI-Y Program. The US Department of State sent out an email encouraging the students not chosen to try a variety of other scholarship program; CBYX was one of those mentioned. 50 students from 5 regions are chosen each year (250 total); acceptance rates are not available as they vary greatly depending on your region and how many students apply. Students do not need to speak German in order to participate.

What does it cover?

CBYX is a fully-funded scholarship for recipients to live one year in Germany. Students must be between 15 and 18 years of age. They will live with a host family and attend high school. Airfare from an assigned departure city, health insurance while in Germany, language camp during the first three weeks, expenses directly related to school, some travel to required events during the year, and some pre-departure orientation was paid for. We were told that she would need to pay for her residence visa once in Germany, but she just applied for that, and it was paid for. The only expenses not paid for were the $75 YFU application fee (to get accepted to the program), her passport, travel to get to the departure city (in our case - Chicago), and the National Pre-Departure orientation, which was an optional, two-day training held outside Chicago in July. We will need to arrange for her to get home from Chicago when she returns. She needs to provide her own spending money.

Application

Your child cannot apply directly to CBYX for the scholarship. It is administered by a variety of established study abroad organizations depending on the region you live in. Your child will apply directly to that organization and indicate that they are applying for the CBYX scholarship. For us in Minnesota, the organization is Youth For Understanding (YFU). The application was due in early December. There was a $75 application fee that she had to pay, and she was able to indicate that she would only participate if she received a scholarship. She was able to request that the interview be done by a local YFU representative since we were unable to attend the group event.

Acceptance!

In early March, my daughter received this email message:

Congratulations! We are excited to inform you of your selection as one of 50 finalists for the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange (CBYX) Program for the 2016-17 academic year. You have been selected by our volunteer scholarship evaluation team based on your scholarship application essays, your interview, and your teacher recommendation. Your application will now go into a final review stage which will be based on: 

•           Availability during confirmed CBYX program dates (August 11, 2016* – July 7, 2017)
•           Continued suitability for an academic year program in Germany and interest in the scholarship
•           Final medical review and acceptance by hosting organization YFU Germany
•           Timely completion of any follow-up questions or forms from the YFU Admissions team
•           Attendance to mandatory pre-departure orientation in April, May, or June

Initially, she did not realize that this message indicated she had been accepted. Upon careful reading of the final review stage, we saw that there was nothing that indicated they would be eliminating students. The criteria are based on if your child is still interested in going and willing to complete the necessary steps. If you get this email, celebrate! The official announcement comes out sometime in late March.

My Overall Impression

On the surface, this program seems a bit "too good to be true." Rest assured, it is legitimate. While YFU has been somewhat problematic to deal with (See YFU Orientation), a CBYX scholarship does in fact cover 99% of the expenses for a year in Germany for your child. 

There are a variety of student blogs about "how to get accepted to CBYX," but the reality is that no one knows exactly what gets one student accepted and another student rejected. However, there are some basic rules that should be taken into consideration.

Your child should:

• Have a good reason to want this experience. "Trying new foods" and "seeing new places" are not good reasons. What does he/she hope to accomplish by living in Germany for a year? How will this help his/her college or career goals? My daughter intends to study music in college and would like to study in Germany. For this reason, she needs to be fluent in German.
• Provide a quality headshot picture - not a selfie!
• Provide pictures that show himself/herself in a variety of situations that say "I am comfortable trying new experiences!" 5 selfies with his/her friends does not do that!
• Be honest. Maintaining a lie throughout an entire application process and for a year in Germany is not sustainable. Don't let them do it!

Program Options: Youth For Understanding (YFU)

One option for high school study abroad is Youth For Understanding (YFU). YFU began hosting intercultural exchanges in Germany in 1951 as a way to promote healing and understanding after WWII. Since then, over 260,000 students have participated in exchanges in 55 different countries.

The Basics

There is a vast variety of programs (short-term, semester, or year-long) all over the world, some with a specific focus (music, theater, etc.)

Students must be between 15 and 18 years old.

The cost of a one-year program (2016-2017) was $16,000, which included airfare, living expenses, expenses related to attending school, and pre-departure orientation.
Airfare is from assigned "departure cities," and families will need to get their child to and from that departure city.

Proficiency in the desired language is not required; a short language "camp" is provided in-country at the beginning of the program.
Students will live with a host family in most of the programs.

The Application Process

The application process differs greatly depending on if your child is applying for scholarships or not. YFU administers many generous scholarships, including the popular Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange (CBYX) sponsored by the US Department of State. If your child is applying for scholarships, the application is due in early December. If your child is not applying for scholarships, the YFU application is due much later. Do not underestimate the amount of time your child will need to complete this application! In addition to writing several essays and letters, your child will have to provide official transcripts and teacher recommendations, sign multiple forms, upload pictures, provide proof of a recent physical exam, and complete an interview. Interviews are held locally in January, but if you are unable to attend (as we were), you can request a local YFU representative complete the interview.

My Overall Impression

YFU is professionally staffed at their headquarters in Washington DC, and locally staffed by volunteers. Depending on the strength of your local volunteers, your experience with YFU may vary greatly. My daughter was a recipient of the CBYX scholarship, so she chose to travel with YFU in order to take advantage of the fully-funded year in Germany. Unfortunately, I have very little positive to say about the organization and efficiency of YFU; however, the staff at the headquarters is somewhat better than our local volunteers. Communication is often last-minute, events tend to be disorganized, and conflicting information is often provided. If your child is choosing to travel through YFU, your mantra should include the word "flexibility," and you should be prepared with many deep breathing exercises. YFU is also run by volunteers in the host country, so experiences can vary greatly depending on the strength of the volunteers in the hosting country. 

Program Options: National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y)

One option for high school students who want to study abroad is the National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y). This program is sponsored by the US Department of State to promote critical languages not often taught in American high schools.

The Basics

Students choose their top three language (not country) choices. The choices are Arabic, Chinese, Hindi, Korean, Persian, Russian, and Turkish.
Summer and year-long options are available.
If your child is accepted, all expenses are paid by the program.
Students must be 15-18 years old at the time of travel.
Students do not need to speak or have studied any of those languages.
There is no guarantee that credits will transfer back to their home high school.

Application Process

Applications are generally due in mid-October of the year preceding the summer or academic year when your child would travel. This means they must begin the application process almost a whole year before traveling. You can sign up for application updates on the NSLI-Y website, but we never received any communication after doing that. Do not underestimate the time it will take your child to complete the application process. The application involves writing multiples essays, getting an official transcript, asking for two teacher recommendations, uploading pictures, and signing multiple forms. If your child is accepted as a semi-finalist, there is an extensive interview process, which took place in January. My daughter was interviewed alone and with me present. The interview is conducted by volunteers who are not evaluating your child but rather writing down his/her answers and submitting them for evaluation. Finalists are notified in late March or early April about their status.

My Overall Impression

My daughter was not chosen as a finalist for this program, so I cannot speak extensively about the quality of experience. From what we were able to gather from students who have gone, the acceptance rate for the year-long programs is higher than for the summer programs (more students are willing to give up a summer than a whole year). Also, certain languages have higher acceptance rates than others. Another trend we noticed is that students who say something similar to "I want to study Chinese because someday I want to be Secretary of State (or work in international diplomacy or translate for the CIA, etc)" seem to be more likely to be accepted. My daughter (at that time) wanted to be a music teacher and study music from different cultures. That career goal did not seem to be a compelling reason to need to learn a critical language. Your child needs a reason to want to learn that language, and "cultural competence or experience" is not sufficient.

Program Options: Rotary Youth Exchange

One high school study abroad option is through Rotary club, which has been doing high school exchanges since 1929. Currently, they have about 9000 high school students studying abroad. If you are unaware of how to contact your local Rotary club, start with the Rotary Youth Exchange home page. Rotary Youth Exchanges are completely run by Rotarian volunteers. Depending on the strength of your local organization, individual experiences with Rotary Youth Exchanges may vary greatly across the USA and abroad.

The Basics

Rotary tries to place your child with 3 families in the same school district over the course of one year.
Cost for one year (2016-2017) was $6000, which included airfare, living expenses, and a small monthly stipend.
Students must pick several top choice destinations and are not guaranteed placement in any of those countries.

The Application Process

Applications for our local club were due in October. Do not underestimate the time it will take for your child to complete this application! In addition to several essays, your child will need to write a letter to their prospective host families, provide pictures showing a spectrum of their activities, get two teacher recommendations, have an official transcript sent, provide a doctor's exam, provide a dentist's exam, provide a copy of his/her passport, sign multiple papers, and complete an interview with the local Rotary representative. Parents also have to write a letter to prospective host families and sign multiple forms. At the end of November, applicants and their parents are invited to attend an informational event, where you can ask questions, meet international students currently studying in America, meet American students who recently returned from studying abroad, and complete an additional interview.

My Overall Impression

Our local Rotary Youth Exchange program is strong. The volunteers are experienced; the events were well-organized, informative, and efficient. Students who have gone abroad through Rotary rave about their experiences, and parents seem satisfied with the organization. The price is the best available, and Rotarians in other countries tend to be professionals and leaders in their communities. Some exchange students appreciated staying with different families; others felt it was disruptive. The acceptance rate is high, and small scholarships may be available.

We had just one issue dealing with the Rotary Youth Exchange -- before applying, we asked if they would accept my daughter if her vaccinations are not complete (if you are unfamiliar with Rotary, one of their goals is the eradication of polio through vaccinations). They said they had no problem with that. She wanted to go to several countries in Europe that do not have mandatory vaccination laws, so we knew that going to school would not be an issue. The Rotary Youth Exchange accepted her into the program and then rejected her when they could not find a placement. If your child is not fully vaccinated (for whatever reason), be aware this may be an issue. I wish they had known that upfront; it would have saved us a lot of time in the application process.