Foreign Exchange?

[Fullmoon]

Hiya ^^

I really want to do this: International Academic Student Program - Study abroad, live with a Japanese family in Osaka, Japan my senior year of high school, right now I'm a freshman. I was wondering if anyone could give me advice about how to go about this, and to earn enough money for the full year's tuition. Also, what would be a good way to go about seeing if my school would accept it as a year so I'd get my high school credits, because no matter how badly I want to do this, I can't do it if it will keep me from gratuating. ^^;;; Last thing for now, what would be the best way to convince my parents to agree to it assuming the school would count it and I could earn all of the money or at least most of it?

Thanks. ^_^ Also, sorry if I'm asking stuff people have already asked, I tried surfing around on here to get some info but I wasn't having a huge amount of luck so I desided to make my own thread.

[samurai007]

Originally Posted by Fullmoon

Hiya ^^

I really want to do this: International Academic Student Program - Study abroad, live with a Japanese family in Osaka, Japan my senior year of high school, right now I'm a freshman. I was wondering if anyone could give me advice about how to go about this, and to earn enough money for the full year's tuition. Also, what would be a good way to go about seeing if my school would accept it as a year so I'd get my high school credits, because no matter how badly I want to do this, I can't do it if it will keep me from gratuating. ^^;;; Last thing for now, what would be the best way to convince my parents to agree to it assuming the school would count it and I could earn all of the money or at least most of it?

Thanks. ^_^ Also, sorry if I'm asking stuff people have already asked, I tried surfing around on here to get some info but I wasn't having a huge amount of luck so I desided to make my own thread.

Well, ask your parents first. If they say yes, then maybe they can help you with the finances too. If they say no, there's not too much point getting the money and asking the school. It's likely, though, they might give you a conditional yes, depending upon whether it counts for graduation. I believe foreign exchange years typically do count for graduation, assuming you can take any specific classes you need over there, or an equivalent. (For instance, if Calculus is a graduation requirement at your school, then if you took it overseas, it would probably still count. But if you took other classes instead, I don't know that the school would forgive the Calculus requirement.) So, I'd say go to your school's office and tell them you are looking into a foreign exchange program (bring along as much detail on the school as you can), and ask them who is best there to talk to to make sure you still graduate on time. (Different schools have different positions... my school had an Academic Advisor who handled such questions, but I don't know if your school does.)

[Harold]

In my school, the counselor handles such requests. Most legitimate programs make sure that your credit requirements are handled correctly.

If you don't mind, I'd like to recommend some other programs.

- YFU - Known for specializing in Japan and Germany trips. Offers summer, semester, and year. Many full and partial scholarships are given out to pay for the trip. I'm going with this program this summer.
- AFS - Much like YFU, but not specialized. However, they do offer the same program lengths above and can be payed by scholarship or through fundraising.
- Rotary Exchange - I don't know much about this program, but it's very popular and many foreign exchange students go through it every year. I haven't heard any bad about it. However, if you go on a year, they do switch your host families around a few times from what I've heard.
- ASSE - I haven't heard much about this program to be honest

A google search of the abbreviations should return results on each program

Money may or not be the problem here. I had a job last year, and I'm using my money that was left in the bank from it to pay for my trip. I got a partial scholarship, which only requires me to pay $2,000.00. I think the hardest part about going on exchange isn't the money but getting your parent's permission. It took me a good 2 months to get a %100 yes.

Also, one last tip. Registration for going this year is too late. However, registration for next year's programs (2009 summer, semester, and '09-'10 year) have not even started. It would be to your best interests to have everything laid out by this August. Registration usually starts in September and most year programs stop accepting applications late October.

[Fullmoon]

Originally Posted by samurai007

Well, ask your parents first. If they say yes, then maybe they can help you with the finances too. If they say no, there's not too much point getting the money and asking the school. It's likely, though, they might give you a conditional yes, depending upon whether it counts for graduation. I believe foreign exchange years typically do count for graduation, assuming you can take any specific classes you need over there, or an equivalent. (For instance, if Calculus is a graduation requirement at your school, then if you took it overseas, it would probably still count. But if you took other classes instead, I don't know that the school would forgive the Calculus requirement.) So, I'd say go to your school's office and tell them you are looking into a foreign exchange program (bring along as much detail on the school as you can), and ask them who is best there to talk to to make sure you still graduate on time. (Different schools have different positions... my school had an Academic Advisor who handled such questions, but I don't know if your school does.)

Well I spoke with my mom about it and she seems to be fine with it, but she said that she and my dad can't help me with the finances for it, and that I can't have my grandma help me either because for that kind of money it would go to my college-ness, and my grandma is already going to help me pay for college when I go to it. So the only way I might be able to earn the money is to ebay stuff off, work a part time job during the week days, babysit weekends, and work my ass off with odd jobs and things during the summer. Do you think that might get me enough money? Also, if I could find a scholorship thing and go that way to lower the cost, do you think they'd be willing to go for that school? Yeah..I'm kind of set on going to that school.. ^^;;
As for requirements, I don't need calculus to graduate, actually, I'm finishing out my required math credits a year early because I took my first required year of high school math when I was in the 8th grade.
As for discussing with the school, would maybe talking to my school's councelor who also handles classes and credits and whatnot and also my advisory teacher (who's also my semi-evil math teacher) be good?
Thanks for your help ^_^

[Fullmoon]

Originally Posted by Harold

In my school, the counselor handles such requests. Most legitimate programs make sure that your credit requirements are handled correctly.

If you don't mind, I'd like to recommend some other programs.

- YFU - Known for specializing in Japan and Germany trips. Offers summer, semester, and year. Many full and partial scholarships are given out to pay for the trip. I'm going with this program this summer.
- AFS - Much like YFU, but not specialized. However, they do offer the same program lengths above and can be payed by scholarship or through fundraising.
- Rotary Exchange - I don't know much about this program, but it's very popular and many foreign exchange students go through it every year. I haven't heard any bad about it. However, if you go on a year, they do switch your host families around a few times from what I've heard.
- ASSE - I haven't heard much about this program to be honest

A google search of the abbreviations should return results on each program

Money may or not be the problem here. I had a job last year, and I'm using my money that was left in the bank from it to pay for my trip. I got a partial scholarship, which only requires me to pay $2,000.00. I think the hardest part about going on exchange isn't the money but getting your parent's permission. It took me a good 2 months to get a %100 yes.

Also, one last tip. Registration for going this year is too late. However, registration for next year's programs (2009 summer, semester, and '09-'10 year) have not even started. It would be to your best interests to have everything laid out by this August. Registration usually starts in September and most year programs stop accepting applications late October.

Well I spoke with my mom about it and she seems okay with it, but my parents can't help me pay for it, and she doesn't want me to ask my grandma because she's going to help me with college. ((I wasn't planning on checking with grandma though, I'm trying to earn it on my own)). Those all sound like good programs as well. I'm pretty much set on the all girls high school in Osaka though. ^^;; And yeah, I had a feeling it would be too late to register this year. But I'm still a freshman, I want to do this senior year, so I need to go for the '10-'11 year. Do you think it would be possible to try to get a scholorship for that school? If so, what would be a good way to go about trying to get one? Any method that could make the cost a little cheaper would be loved. ^^ But yeah, on the earlier subject of parents, my mom thinks its kind of a pipe dream and that I would miss not spending senior year at my high school, but right now she's like "You can try to get the money for it if you'd like to" and whatnot because she knows that it's something I really want to do. Plus, she knows that I'd be safe over there because of the low crime rate and her bosses son lived in Japan for a while and has also told her about how safe it is there and whatnot.
Thank you for your help.

[Harold]

Originally Posted by Fullmoon

Well I spoke with my mom about it and she seems okay with it, but my parents can't help me pay for it, and she doesn't want me to ask my grandma because she's going to help me with college. ((I wasn't planning on checking with grandma though, I'm trying to earn it on my own)). Those all sound like good programs as well. I'm pretty much set on the all girls high school in Osaka though. ^^;; And yeah, I had a feeling it would be too late to register this year. But I'm still a freshman, I want to do this senior year, so I need to go for the '10-'11 year. Do you think it would be possible to try to get a scholorship for that school? If so, what would be a good way to go about trying to get one? Any method that could make the cost a little cheaper would be loved. ^^ But yeah, on the earlier subject of parents, my mom thinks its kind of a pipe dream and that I would miss not spending senior year at my high school, but right now she's like "You can try to get the money for it if you'd like to" and whatnot because she knows that it's something I really want to do. Plus, she knows that I'd be safe over there because of the low crime rate and her bosses son lived in Japan for a while and has also told her about how safe it is there and whatnot.
Thank you for your help.

Good luck with getting the money for that. 890,000円 ($8250) is a LOT of money. That's about how much an American teenager will make in a year with a job. You could ask local business to sponsor your trip.

Also, take into account that will need spending money when you're there.

[Fullmoon]

Originally Posted by Harold

Good luck with getting the money for that. 890,000円 ($8250) is a LOT of money. That's about how much an American teenager will make in a year with a job. You could ask local business to sponsor your trip.

Also, take into account that will need spending money when you're there.

I know that it is a lot of money, but I'm still going to try. And I understand that I'd also need spending money which is why I want to try to earn at least 10,000 dollars... ^^;; Only problem is I'd also need plane tickets and that stuff soooo...=/
I'm planning to work my butt off to earn the money. I'm trying to get an internship which will take care of my community service (school requirement) and it will also count as job experience so then I will have better luck with being hired. I don't know if any of the businesses here would be willing to sponser the trip because it's a small town and that would be a lot of money for a business here as well. ^^;;

[Harold]

Originally Posted by Fullmoon

I know that it is a lot of money, but I'm still going to try. And I understand that I'd also need spending money which is why I want to try to earn at least 10,000 dollars... ^^;; Only problem is I'd also need plane tickets and that stuff soooo...=/
I'm planning to work my butt off to earn the money. I'm trying to get an internship which will take care of my community service (school requirement) and it will also count as job experience so then I will have better luck with being hired. I don't know if any of the businesses here would be willing to sponser the trip because it's a small town and that would be a lot of money for a business here as well. ^^;;

That $8k doesn't cover the plane ticket? Are you serious? I really recommend the other programs. You'd be putting $3k at the most, and that usually includes spending money and the ticket.

I'm sure there's at least one business that would love to sponsor you. Even if it's 500 dollars. A grant is probably a better term to use.

[Fullmoon]

Originally Posted by Harold

That $8k doesn't cover the plane ticket? Are you serious? I really recommend the other programs. You'd be putting $3k at the most, and that usually includes spending money and the ticket.

I'm sure there's at least one business that would love to sponsor you. Even if it's 500 dollars. A grant is probably a better term to use.

Well I might be wrong, it's possible that it covers the plane ticket, but I don't think that it does. Most of the foreign exchange things I saw you had to buy your own plane ticket.

In my town you'd be more likely to have someone sponsor you if you're a well known name or related to everyone. ^^;; ((The town is very small and almost everyone is related so certain families are very well known. I moved here when I was 3 and still don't fully fit in, lol, and I'm not really like related to anyone here techincally, heck, if we were to get real techinical that would mean I'm not related to my own parents since I'm adopted...)) But anyways, thats why I'm not sure if I could get a business to sponsor me. Is a grant different from a scholarship?

[Harold]

A scholarship usually requires a significant accomplishment in order to be received. A grant usually does not.