Who Is the Exchange Program For?

Exchange Program exists not only for the purpose of intercultural communication and education but also for broadening the horizons of young individuals. By becoming an Exchange Student you provide yourself with an opportunity to see the United States from a local’s perspective and study along with living a life of American teenager. This is much more than any hands-on learning because your day to day routine becomes your learning environment and all the new people you meet become your teachers.
Moving far away from your family at a young age is a big decision, and even with all the benefits the Exchange gives you, there is always room for worries. However, worries and fears are different, and worrying should not stop you from making your dreams come true. The most common things to make teenagers doubt about taking part in Exchange Program are:

• «I have only taken English at school, my skills are not good enough»
• «I have never travelled on my own before»
• «I have never spoken to a native English speaker before»

Do any of these sound relatable? If so, we encourage you to read the article below! We promise, none of these concerns could be a reason for you to miss your chance to become an Exchange Student.
To become a part of High School Program there are just 3 general requirements:

• Your age is between 14.5 and 18.5
• Your English level is Intermediate (B1) or higher
• Your school GPA is not lower than a «C+» equivalent

That is all regarding the formal criteria. What matters much more is your motivation to become a part of American community, gain experience and share what you know as a representative of your own country and culture. This is not limited to speaking another language and living on another continent. Being a part of Cultural Exchange means integrating yourself in the new culture and learning the new ways of thinking and living not by watching people around you but by trying all the new yourself.
If you want to learn the diversity in a society, see what non-judgemental thinking is like in real life, and how to define tolerance, the Exchange Program is exactly what lets you do it while living with an American family and attending a public High School. Exchange Student is not a guest, a visitor, or a tourist. As soon as you enter the US, you are a part of a community, a part of your Host Family and your school. Exchange Year is not a vacation, it is a whole little life you live in a year, and it is much more exciting.
There is no list of requirements every Exchange Student must fulfill in order to be eligible. However, there is a set of personal qualities that are really helpful for you to have a successful Exchange Year.

In the US everything is different: the language, the traffic laws, the way people make friends and teach Maths. It should not scare you but you should be ready to adjust to “the new normal”. It is going to be challenging sometimes but the only way you grow as a person is through overcoming the challenges. It is also the way Cultural Exchange works: you experience things that are different from what you are used to, you process them, and they become your “new normal”. “The old” and “the new” do not cancel each other out, they coexist, making you an open minded person whose thinking is not narrow or one-sided.

Adjustment process is more than getting used to the new circumstances of your life. It means discovering the new, processing it, and making your own point about it. It also means finding a place for yourself in the new system, or society. While adjusting to the “American reality” your main goal is to be open to the new but at the same time pay attention to what your feelings and thoughts are.
You should be ready to change under the influence of learning something, but maintain your personal boundaries. There is a chance you would learn some things about communication, responsibility, and control by facing the difference of behavior in the US compared to your home country. As an example, American teenagers are rarely as independent as we could imagine. That means you might experience lack of independence and feel like your Host Family is overprotective. However, you should not try to establish your own rules or argue about the way of conduct. You have come to experience what is the life there like, not to teach the Americans “the right way” to do things.

Becoming an Exchange Student and moving away from your family is a big decision, and such a decision comes with a lot of responsibility. From the moment you leave your home country, you are 100% responsible for yourself. This includes what you say, do, or wear, as well as how you build connections, follow the rules, and manage your own finances. You are in charge for everything, and it is both cool and serious.
Developing the listed qualities can be really helpful for anyone who has ever thought about becoming an Exchange Student, as well as for anyone who has not. During the Program these qualities make it easier to adjust to the new environment and feel more confident. In day to day life they help you be a better version of yourself.
The important point is there are no real obstacles for you to follow your dream to study in the United States – those you see are your own fears and concerns. Good news is your English level does not have to be super high for you to make friends, and your flight to the US, even if it is your first time ever travelling abroad, is going to be an adventure, not a disaster.