High School Immersion in the USA – Classic Plus Programme – 1 semester or 1 academic year

Our “Classic Plus” high school programme in the United States lasts one semester or one academic year and is open to motivated participants aged 15 to 18 and a half.

It offers real immersion in the American language and culture, by sharing the daily life of a host family and attending high school, just like an American student your own age!

  • 24-hour immersion in American language and culture
  • Experience authentic America by living the daily life of a host family
  • Discover a fundamentally different school system
  • Programme open to participants aged15 or over and 18 and a half before departure
  • A unique Lead Program for extra support during your stay
  • Mastery of English on a daily basis
  • Gain in maturity and confidence
  • Forge lasting, international friendships

The United States is such a vast country that it’s hard to cover it all, even in a lifetime! Immersing yourself in American culture for a semester or a school year with our high school programme will give you an insight into different facets of this immense country: a multi-cultural society, unforgettable landscapes, but above all warm-hearted people who are always willing to share their values. By immersing yourself in a different education system, you’ll be able to discover a different form of teaching, choose subjects that you wouldn’t have the opportunity to study here and get involved in various extra-curricular activities to enrich your stay and create lasting memories.

Stays can take place anywhere in the United States. Families can be located in small communities or in larger cities. Either way, you’ll be totally immersed in the language and culture of the country.

The United States and Canada are vast countries with great geographical distances. The car is the main means of travel and public transport networks are generally underdeveloped, with the exception of certain large cities. European exchange students, who are used to travelling by public transport, will have to adapt to this cultural difference and learn to plan their journeys according to the transport options available.

You will attend a public high school. In the United States, we don’t work by class but by year and by level. The course is therefore individualised. The level at which you study may differ from one subject to another, depending on your level in the chosen subject and your level of English. For example, you could take maths in 11th grade and history in 10th grade.

Some courses may be compulsory, such as history, science, maths and English.

In most American schools, the choice of subjects is vast: psychology, sociology, literature, drama, pottery, journalism, architectural design, speech, media, IT, etc.

It’s a unique opportunity to discover new fields or improve your skills in a subject you love. Some courses run for a whole semester, so you can change options in the middle of the year if you wish.

There’s just as much choice when it comes to extra-curricular activities: football, baseball, tennis, swimming, athletics, basketball, volleyball, charity club, student council, brass band, debate club, speech club, year book and so on.

The same student may take courses at different levels depending on the subjects chosen, for example: US History in 9th grade, Environmental Science in 11th grade and Geometry in 10th grade. The choice of class is made by the head of the school.

A typical day in the United States:

Schooling in the United States lasts 12 years, as it does in Europe: the High School covers the last 4 years of secondary school, from 9th grade to 12th grade. However, the school system and the way it works are very different from ours. We don’t operate by class, but by year and by level. The curriculum is therefore individualised. Students take each course at the level that corresponds to their level in that subject and their level of English.

There is no government-imposed syllabus, which is defined locally. Students take 4/5 subjects per semester. The choice of subjects is generally wide and varied: US history, English, Maths, Sciences, Debating, Speech, Pottery, Cooking, etc.

Classes start early in the morning (7.30am/8.00pm) and finish around 3pm, with the rest of the afternoon devoted to extra-curricular activities. The school year starts between the beginning of August and mid-September, depending on the school.

Our American partner distinguishes itself from other cultural exchange programmes by offering students the opportunity to take part in a personal development programme: LEAD.

This programme enables our students to follow life skills development courses, strengthen their academic skills through virtual tutoring and acquire leadership skills.

This keeps students engaged in short-term goals such as problem solving, communication, managing emotions, expectations, grades, relationships and cultural barriers. All students are allocated a LEAD mentor and a small working group with weekly exchanges, which is an additional factor for success in the programme.

Host families are volunteers. They are selected by the local correspondent for their genuine desire to welcome a young foreigner and share their culture with him or her through daily life. The local correspondent visits the families’ homes and ensures that they can offer the participant a balanced and warm environment.

There is no typical family profile. Each one is unique and reflects the society and way of life of the country you have chosen. Your host family may or may not have children; it may be a blended family or a single-parent family, a single person whose children no longer live at home, retired people or younger people. They may live in a large conurbation or a smaller town. It’s not the composition of the family or where they live that matters, but their willingness and motivation to share their culture with you.

From a practical point of view, you will havea single or shared room, depending on the placement, and will benefit from half board during the week and full board at weekends and during school holidays.

The local correspondent is an experienced person who knows the host families and stays in regular contact with the students and their American parents throughout the stay. He or she organises regular meetings and ensures that the stay goes well, both with the host family and at the school. As they are able to act quickly in the event of a problem, they remain your first point of contact on site.

The local correspondents work closely with our partner in the United States and have been looking after foreign students for many years, so they know how to react quickly and effectively if the need arises.

In addition to the local coordinator, you will receive extra support from a LEAD mentor every week.

Before you leave

To ensure that your stay goes as smoothly as possible and that you are informed about the different elements of the programme, you will take part in an orientation before your departure. It will be organised by your local coordinator.

On arrival

A few days after your arrival, the local coordinator will organise an orientation meeting for all the students for whom they are responsible.

  • You must be aged between 15 and 18 and a half at the time of departure:
    • for a departure in September 2025, participants’ date of birth must be between 1 March 2007 and 20 August 2010
    • for a departure in January 2026, the participants’ date of birth must be between 15 August 2007 and 20 January 2011
  • Have a language background that enables them to communicate without too many difficulties (minimum 5 years of English studies (3 years for students aged 15), or previous language stays): Compulsory ELTIS test with a minimum score of 216 for an August/September departure and 223 for a January departure (to be taken at our offices in Brussels or via Google Meet)
  • Good academic results over the last 3 years in English and other subjects
  • Demonstrate motivation, maturity and adaptability

Please note! French students in their final year of secondary school are not eligible for this programme. Strict J-1 visa regulations do not allow them to hold a secondary school leaving certificate before their departure.

Go while you’re still in secondary school (before entering the 6è in Belgium or the Terminale in France) and benefit from a discount on your Promo High School trip.

Promo Early Bird (2025-26):

  • Complete your application before 15/08/24 and benefit from a €300 discount on the school year programme.
  • Complete your application before 30/11/24 and benefit from a €150 discount on the school year programme.


Do you meet the conditions for participation?

  1. Fill in the pre-registration form as soon as possible.
  2. When we receive it, we’ll send you a provisional confirmation, including the total cost of the stay, a request for payment of €100 (for the language test and the motivation interview), and the full application form for the chosen programme. We will also ask you to send us a copy of your school reports for the last 3 years.
  3. We then invite you to come and take the language test and interview at our offices in Brussels or via Google Meet. The cost of this interview is payable on receipt of the pre-confirmation and is non-refundable, but can be deducted from the balance of your stay if you are definitively enrolled and accepted on the programme. Part 1 of the application form must be completed and brought with you to the interview.
  4. We will confirm the result no later than 8 days after our interview.
  5. If the interview is positive, we ask you to pay a deposit of 25% of the total cost of your stay (with a minimum of €1,800) and to complete all the elements of the application, which includes letters of recommendation from your teachers and other information needed for us to study your application on site. As soon as your application is complete and we have received payment of the deposit, we will forward it to our partner.
  6. Final acceptance to the programme is given by our partner.
  7. Once your application has been accepted, our partner begins the search for and selection of a host family and school.
  8. The process of finding and selecting a family can take a long time, so please be patient.

PAYMENT TERMS

The deadline for submitting complete applications is :

  • 30 April for an August departure
  • 15 October for a January departure

Pre-registration forms must be completed and sent by email at least 3 weeks before the application deadline.

Late registration fees will be charged for any applications that need to be processed urgently.

Too late to apply for this programme? Consider the High School Premium programme! With almost identical conditions, this programme allows you to submit your application by 15 June at the latest for an August departure, and by 25 November for a January departure.

Departure is generally scheduled for August (sometimes late July or early September, depending on the school and the placement date) for stays of between one semester and one academic year. A departure is also planned in January for semester-long stays. Your family or local correspondent will meet you at the airport and drive you back at the end of your stay.

Once your enrolment has been accepted and confirmed by our American partner and your visa application has been approved, we can book your travel to the United States, if you wish. The ticket booked includes as few stopovers as possible and can be changed.

In the event of a change, the airline’s change fees will apply (these vary depending on the airline, generally around €200), as will any difference in fare class.

If you prefer to book your trip yourself, we will provide you with all the information you need to make your reservation. Please note that you must arrive at your destination before 10 p.m.

An Exchange Visitor Visa (J1) is required to take part in this programme. It will be issued for the duration of your stay. We will provide you with all the documents you need to obtain it, and will help you with the formalities.

The ESTA form is also compulsory for all travellers to the United States. It must be completed at least 72 hours before departure by following this link.

Full medical insurance is included in the cost of your stay.

Dates 2025 – 2026

  • Academic year: August* to June (varies by school)
  • Academic semester: August* to December or January to June (varies by school)

*The dates for the start of the school year are set by the schools and can range from the end of July to mid-September. The dates of your stay are therefore fixed once you have received your placement.

Fares with flights subject to ticket prices at the time of booking

Fares 2025-2026

WPCS 42.0.3
Tuition room and board, all registration fees, transfers included
Programme durationNo flightsWith flights
Academic semester€ 13.495€ 15.395
Academic year€ 14.495€ 16.395

Our prices include :

  • An English level test and pre-application interview
  • A pre-application interview with our American partner
  • Tuition in a state school
  • The cost of finding a host family
  • Half-board accommodation with a host family during the school year
  • The LEAD Program
  • 2 orientations before departure and 1 on arrival
  • Assistance, support and follow-up throughout the stay
  • Regular contact and evaluation reports
  • An official certificate of attendance, including grades for courses taken, depending on the destination
  • Return transfer from the designated airport to the host family
  • All documents required to obtain a J-1 visa
  • Full medical insurance
  • Return flight, if chosen, from Brussels or Paris

Not included:

  • The return trip to the designated airport, depending on the option chosen
  • Visa fees (approximately USD 560)
  • Lunch at the school (approx. 3-5 $ per day)
  • Pocket money: between $250-300 per month
  • School fees for the use of books, lockers, labs, etc. (depending on the school, allow up to $400)
  • Cancellation insurance
  • Late registration fees, if applicable

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