High School in the United States – “Premium” – Ages 14-18

High School Immersion in the United States – Flexible programme

This programme is available to motivated students aged 14 to 18 who wish to experience a semester or academic year in an American High School, (Secondary school) and be a part of an American family’s day-to-day life. Although similar to our High School “Classic -15-18” programme, it offers greater flexibility in terms of schools, age and registration deadlines.

• Students can be between 14-18 (included), Grades 9-12
• Students can study on the Academic Exchange Programme AFTER they have completed a year on the J-1 program
• Application deadlines are later in the year
• Students can choose to be placed in a Public or a Private High School
• Students can earn a diploma in grade 12
• Students can pick a favourite Sport, Art, Subject or Language
• Students can have an English score as low as 205 ELTiS

The United States is a dynamic, diverse, and culturally enriching country. The country boasts such a range of different landscapes, cities, and activities and you will have the opportunity to experience it all on either a semester or academic year abroad. As an exchange student, you will be able to get up close and personal with a few of its key features: its multicultural diversity, breathtaking scenery, and warm, “can-do” people eager to share their lives and values. The hardest part will be saying goodbye at the end of your stay!

You may be placed in any state in the USA; however, most of our students are placed in the Midwest, America’s heartland. Host families usually live in medium-sized towns, making it easier for students to get involved with their local community and experience the American way of life.

Classes

Depending on your choice, you will attend a local Public or Private High School where you will be placed in the grade according to your age, academic achievements and English level.

Along with your American peers, you will be taking between 5 and 7 classes, of which three, English, Math and History, are compulsory. Some schools also make Science compulsory. If you decide to take the graduating exam (12th grade students only) you will also have to take other compulsory subjects.

Classes are held in the morning and extra curricular activities in the afternoon.

In most American high schools, students choose from a wide range of classes and electives: Calculus, Science, Physics, Biology, Foreign Languages, Psychology, Sociology, Literature, Drama, Poetry, Journalism, Speech, Media, Computer Science, etc…

This is a great way to study subjects previously unknown to you or to acquire a different perspective on topics you formerly studied in your home country. Some classes run for one semester, meaning you’ll be able to study a variety of subjects over the course of the academic year.

Extracurricular activities are an important part of the American school system and you will be able to choose from a wide variety of options: Field & Track, Football, Baseball, Tennis, Volleyball, Charity Club, Student Council, Fanfare, Speech Club,Year Book, etc.

Preference: when submitting an application, you will be able to indicate one of them among the following list:

Students who have both the age and level to enrol in Grade 12 can get a High School Diploma providing they mention it on their student application.

The American educational system

American students study for a minimum of 12 years (elementary, middle and high school). High School includes the final four years of secondary education:

• 9th Grade (Freshman)
• 10th Grade (Sophomore)
• 11th Grade (Junior)
• 12th Grade (Senior)

Students are required to take English and US History, which are mandatory subjects. They can choose three or four additional electives from the subjects offered at their school depending on their interests. Students can also choose to take part in sports or cultural events as well as school clubs and associations.

American Host Families

Host families are usually the highlight of the study abroad experience, helping their host students become fully used to and immersed into the American culture and feel part of the local community.

Our partner organization works with volunteer host families who are carefully screened and regularly inspected. Families are not compensated for hosting international students and take an active interest in choosing a student they can host and sharing their homes, lives and culture with.

While staying with a host family, the student will have a single or shared room depending on the placement. All stays are half board.

The Local Coordinators

The local coordinator is an experienced staff member who knows the host families well and is in regular contact with the students and their host parents throughout the programme. They regularly organize meetings to ensure that the stay is going smoothly, both with the host family as well as with the school. The local coordinator is always available for should there be any issue and will be the first point of contact upon the student’s arrival.

Orientation Meeting

Before departure

To make sure your stay goes smoothly and have all the information about the different aspects of the programme, you can attend an information and orientation meeting.

This is organised by Easy Languages Brussels in June. This is an opportunity for Easy Languages students to mingle, share questions and experiences and ask the EL team any questions they may have. Students from previous years are also invited to share their experiences. The final administrative formalities for your stay will also be completed during this meeting.

If you do not live in Belgium, you can meet our team in Paris or a phone meeting can also be arranged to explain all of the procedure so that your stay goes as smoothly as possible.

Upon arrival on site

A few days after your arrival, the local coordinator organizes an orientation meeting for all students under his/her responsibility.

Practical Information

Eligibility

To be eligible for this programme, you must:

• Be between 14 and 18 years old at the time of departure. (Students must be under 19 on the first day of school)
• Demonstrate intermediate English language proficiency (minimum 3 years of English classes or previous study abroad experience). Students must have passed the ELTIS test with a minimum score of 205 for August/September departures and 215 for January departures. Students can take this test at our offices in Brussels or Paris.
• Demonstrate a good academic record during the previous three school years prior to departure
• Demonstrate flexibility, maturity, adaptability, and readiness to face the challenges of living abroad and in a new culture

Enrolment procedures

Do you meet the requirements for this programme? Then follow these steps:

1. Submit the registration form as soon as possible.
2. You will then receive a pre-confirmation form and an application form to be completed. We will then ask you to pay a deposit of €100 in order to take a proficiency test and to provide us with your school results during the past 3 years. The interview fee is non-refundable and is deductible from the final cost if enrolment is confirmed.
3. We will then invite you to come to our office in Brussels or Paris for the full interview. You must come to our office with the first part of the application form filled in.
4. If the interview is successful, we will then ask you to pay a deposit (25% of the total amount, minimum €1,500) and to send us the relevant documents completed. These include recommendation letters from your teachers, your medical history and other information needed to process your booking. As soon as we receive all the documents and the deposit, we will send the application file to our partner.
5. The final decision is taken by our partner
6. Once your application is confirmed, our partner will start looking for a host family and a school.

Enrolment Deadlines

The deadline for handing in completed application forms is:

• December 31 for August departures
• November 25 for January departures

The booking forms must be completed and sent to our office in Brussels at least 3 weeks before the deadline. All late applications will incur an additional €250 fee.

Travel and Visa

Departure is scheduled in August for stays of one semester to one academic year. Departures are also scheduled for January for stays of one semester. Your family or local coordinator will welcome you at the airport upon arrival and take you back at the end of your stay.

Once enrolment is confirmed by our partner, we can coordinate your travel arrangements to the USA if requested. The ticket will include the least amount of changes possible. One free of charge change to the ticket may be made, once the return date is confirmed.

If you prefer to make your own travel arrangements, we will provide you with the relevant information necessary for your booking.

A student visa is required to take part in this programme (F-1 Exchange Visitor Visa). This visa is valid for the duration of your stay. We will provide you with the necessary documents to obtain the visa and help you with the visa process.

Health Insurance and Assistance

Students are covered by health insurance and assistance policy included in the programme prices, with a toll-free hotline accessible 24/7 in the USA.

For a full coverage, we recommend to subscribe to the insurance we offer as a perfectly adapted option to youth travel and stays abroad Insurance and guarantees