School Immersion in Germany – 15-17 years – 3 months to 1 academic year
Discover our High School Programme in Germany, specially designed for motivated young students aged 15 to 18 who want a unique experience of school exchange and cultural immersion. By choosing this language stay in Germany, participants will be able to study from 3 months to 1 academic year in a German secondary school, while sharing the life of a warm host family. This German language programme offers an exceptional opportunity to develop your language skills and discover German culture on a daily basis.
Why Germany?
Germany is one of the world’s leading powers. Over the last few decades, it has shown exceptional dynamism in economic, cultural and artistic terms.
It is also a country of great diversity, combining modernity and tradition, cultural creativity and commercial dynamism. It is made up of 16 Länder, each with a high degree of autonomy. German is the most widely spoken language in Europe and has official status in 6 countries: Germany, Austria, Belgium, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg and Switzerland.
Placements can take place anywhere in Germany. For those who prefer to choose their region or a city placement rather than a placement in a rural area or a particular city, we offer 3 options at extra cost.
You attend a state secondary school(Realschule, Gesamtschule, Gymnasium), generally in 10th grade, with the last 3 years of school (11th, 12th and 13th) being preparatory classes for the abitur, the secondary school leaving examination.
The choice of school depends on where your family lives, your academic level and your language level. Schools are carefully selected to ensure that they offer young people the best possible cultural environment. The choice of class is the sole responsibility of the head teacher and cannot be negotiated. Schools generally do not accept foreign students in classes 11, 12 or 13, so our participants can attend classes with 15-16 year-olds, even if they are older.
In gymnasium, students generally take 12 subjects per year. Up to Year 11, subjects are compulsory. The most common subjects are German, English, French, history, geography, maths, physics, chemistry, biology, social sciences, physical education, art or music and computing. From Year 11 onwards, students must select their subjects according to their chosen subject (language, science, etc.).
German students attend fewer lessons than their Belgian or French neighbours. Classes last 45 minutes and are generally held from 8am to 3pm. The rest of the afternoon is usually free and can be devoted to sports or extra-curricular activities at school or in external clubs.
International students cannot take the Abitur exam which allows them to enter university, but they must obtain good marks in the various assessments.
Typical timetable (given as an example only)
| Timetable/Days | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday |
| 07:55-08:40 | Math | Social Sciences | English | Geography | History |
| 08:45-09:30 | Religion | Math | Geography | Geography | Math |
| 09:45-10:30 | Art | German | Chemistry | Math | Social Sciences |
| 10:35-11:20 | Art | History | Religion | French | English |
| 11:30-12:15 | German | French | French | German | EP |
| 12:20-13:05 | French | French | German | English | EP |
| 14:00-14:45 | Music | English | Chemistry |
Note: the subjects offered vary from school to school. Those listed above are common, but are not necessarily offered in all schools
Option 1: Regional choice
You can choose from the following 4 main regions:
Region EST
The Länder: Brandenburg, Thuringia, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt (including Berlin)
Ideal if you want to be as close as possible to Berlin or dynamic cities such as Dresden or Leipzig
North region
The Länder: Niedersachsen, Schleswig-Holstein, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (including Bremen and Hamburg)
Ideal for exploring the cities of Hamburg and Bremen. Close to Denmark, the Netherlands and Poland
Southern region
The Länder: Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg
Ideal if you want to live close to cities such as Munich, Stuttgart, Nuremberg or Heidelberg
WESTERN Region
The Länder: North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland, Hesse
Ideal for discovering the famous cities of Frankfurt, Cologne, Dortmund and Düsseldorf. Close to France, Belgium and Luxembourg
It is possible to choose a region at the time of registration, specifying 2 destinations in order of preference if the 1st choice is not available.
Option 2: choice of city
Suggested cities: Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, Cologne
Please note: places are extremely limited for this option, so it is important to register early.
The Abitur is awarded at the age of 18 (without completing Grade 13) in the following Länder: Baden-Württemberg, Lower Saxony, Bavaria, Berlin, Brandenburg, Bremen, Hamburg, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Saarland, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia. The Gesamtschule leads to a diploma from one of the other 3 types of school, depending on the direction chosen.
Primary school(Grundschule) lasts 4 years. Pupils are then allocated to the different types of secondary school(Gymnasium, Realschule, Hauptschule, Gesamtschule) according to their abilities. The Gymnasium offer a 12- or 13-year course of study that prepares students for university, the Realschule offer a 10-year course of study that focuses more on foreign languages, economics, technology or the social and health sciences, while the Hauptschule are vocational schools (9 years). The Gesamtschule (10-year course) combines the other three streams, for pupils who want to avoid an early start.
If they wish, Hauptschule graduates can continue their education at the Realschule, just as Realschule graduates can go on to the Gymnasium.
From Year 11 onwards, students have the right to replace certain compulsory subjects with electives based on their interests (foreign languages, natural sciences, etc.).
The education system is the responsibility of the Länder. There may therefore be variations from one Land to another, although a degree of uniformity is ensured by the “Standing Conference of the Länder Ministers of Education”, which has been set up for this purpose.
Host families are selected by the local correspondent on the basis of their genuine desire to welcome a young foreigner and share their culture with him or her through everyday life.
The local correspondent visits the family’s home and ensures that they can offer the participant a balanced environment.
Your stay can take place in a medium-sized city or a small town. Wherever it is, you’ll really experience the daily life of your German host family.
There is no such thing as a typical family, each one is unique and reflects the society and way of life in this country. Host families come from many different backgrounds. They are not necessarily traditional families with father, mother and children. They may be single parents with or without children, or parents whose children no longer live at home. But they all share the same motivation: to open their doors to a foreign student and share their way of life and culture.
Students have a single or shared room, depending on the host family. All meals are included, with the exception of meals taken outside the home, such as meals taken in the school canteen during the week.
Communication and exchange are key to the success of this stay, as are open-mindedness and the desire to adapt to another way of life.
Our partner has a network of local correspondents throughout Germany. These are experienced people who are used to working with young people, who may themselves have had a high school experience abroad, who know the host families and who stay in regular contact with the students.
The local correspondent is therefore your key contact on the ground. A few days after your arrival, he or she will organise an orientation meeting to give you all the practical information you need. They will be in regular contact with you throughout your stay to answer your questions and make sure that everything runs smoothly. The local correspondent can act quickly in the event of a problem.
Finally, you will be given an emergency number so that you can contact someone locally at any time if you need to.
When you arrive, you will be welcomed by your family or by the local correspondent.
Online German courses
It is in the participants’ interest to have sufficient knowledge of German to enable them to participate actively in family and school life. This is why our German partner is offering online German courses for students whose level of German is below B1/B2. These courses will run for 10 weeks, with 4 lessons of 45 minutes per week.
Students will have the opportunity to review basic grammar and vocabulary, learn useful expressions and take part in quizzes and games. During the course, students will practise listening, speaking, reading and writing. Some of the topics covered will be
- German culture
- Life with a host family
- School life
- Daily habits
- and much more!
Students who do not wish to take part in these courses will have an individual interview with our German partner to assess their language level.
Orientation – 3 days / 2 nights (stays starting in August only)
An orientation course is offered in August. It will enable you to prepare for the experience and get to know the other participants in the programme who come from all over the world.
It takes place in Manheim and includes workshops in the morning (cultural differences, school life, customs, communication, etc.) and a tour of the city in the afternoon. Accommodation is in a youth hostel, in a room shared with another foreign student, and full board is provided
Day 1: Arrival at Frankfurt airport and transfer to the youth hostel. Settle in while waiting for all the students. Welcome evening
Day 2: Morning workshops. Afternoon visit to the city of Manheim. Barbecue at Luisenpark
Day 3: Departure to the place of stay (transfer to the host family included in the price of the orientation course)
Dates 2024-2025
The year is divided into 2 school terms. The school calendar, duration and dates of holidays vary from state to state, but holiday periods are generally organised as follows:
- July / August : 6 weeks of summer holidays
- October: 1 or 2 weeks autumn holiday
- December: 2 or 3 weeks of Christmas holidays
- February: 1 week of winter holidays
- April: 2 or more weeks of Easter/Spring holidays
- May: some public holidays
Dates of stay :
- School year: 24/08/24 to 21/06/25
- School term: 24/08/24 to 12/01/25 or 25/01/25 to 21/06/25
- 3 months: 24/08/24 to 22/11/24
Orientation course in Manheim: 22/08/24 to 24/08/24
Prices 2024-2025
| Tuition, accommodation & meals, administrative costs | |
|---|---|
| Duration | Price |
| 3 months | € 7.195 |
| 1 school semester (5 months) | € 8.650 |
| 1 school year (10 months) | € 10.195 |
| Supplements | |
| Choice of region | € 700 |
| Choice of city (Hamburg, Munich or Cologne) | € 3.400 |
| Choice of city (Berlin) | € 4.500 |
| Online German course (10 weeks) | € 990 |
Our prices include:
- German and English level tests and pre-application interview
- Registration formalities at the school for the selected length of stay
- Accommodation with the host family, half board during the week and full board at weekends and during school holidays
- Assistance, support and follow-up from the local correspondent throughout the stay
- Regular contact and evaluation reports
- Official certificate of participation
- Transfers at the beginning and end of the stay from the designated station/airport to the host family
Not included:
- Return journey to destination
- Lunches during the week
- Local transport
- Books and school supplies
- Extra-curricular activities
- Pocket money (€200-300 per month)
- Online German courses (compulsory for students with a level of German below B1)
- Orientation course in Manheim
- Any additional costs associated with Covid (e.g. quarantine, tests, etc.)
- Optional insurance
- Visa fees, if applicable
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