So you’ve decided you want to become an exchange student! Maybe your parents are fully supportive and ready to help you make this a reality…great! Or maybe your situation is not so perfect. Do you parents think you’re dreaming an impossible dream?
You might consider first presenting them with all of the facts. A future AFSer named Kendra compiled an (amazingly thorough) 10 page packet that helped convince her father she was ready for a study abroad experience in Italy. Here’s what she included along with some personal examples from her packet:
• A colorful map of Italy
• A heartfelt letter to her father introducing the idea of study abroad:
“Dear Dad…I would like to participate in an AFS program. AFS is a highly respected exchange program that has been around for 60 years. This program allows teenagers to live in another country for a year. I want to participate in the year program to Italy in ‘08-‘09. Now I realize that this is going to be a big step for me, but I feel that I am ready for this particular step. I have put a lot of thorough and hard work into my decision and the packet of information that lies before you.”
• A list of pros and cons (and reasons why each of the cons wasn’t something to worry about):
Pro: “You will save on 22 months of car insurance, because I will not be getting my drivers license until I get back from Italy in July 2009.”
Con: “I will miss 1 year of school but we have a meeting scheduled with my guidance counselor and mom and I would love for you to come with us. She is very optimistic that we will be able to work something out.”
• Cost of me for one year in the USA
“I have come up with a basic list of every thing that I spend money on in 1 year. I know that this list is just a good guess at the prices. I believe that this is an accurate expense chart, but I am open to your suggestions.”
Kendra totaled up the amount of money her parents spent on one year of school (lunches, sports, fees), clothing, entertainment, food, utilities, personal items, etc.
• What I can contribute
Kendra then gave an estimate of how much she expects to contribute to the cost of her AFS program.
“As you know I have already applied for a job at a couple of places. I intend to keep a job up until the time I leave. This money could go for spending money and for paying for some of the trip. You and mom could decide what I should put the money towards.”
• What the U.S. Government has to say about Italy:
A copy of the Consular Information Sheet about Italy provided by the U.S. Government
You can find that info for all countries here.
• What AFS has to say about Italy:
Find program descriptions for all AFS countries here.Here are some other thoughts from AFS Students:
An AFSer to Panama named Elizabeth gives this advice:
“You might try letting your parents talk to the parents of someone else who is currently or has previously gone on an exchange program with AFS. You can work with AFS to get in contact with some parents of exchange students if there aren’t any in your area. That way your parents can talk out their worries with someone who has been in a similar situation as them. They can get all their worries, concerns, questions…out on the table and hopefully the parents they talk to can smooth out some of their concerns.”
Another AFSer named Kristen posted this on our bulletin board:
“Here’s my advice: Have you submitted the pre-app? If you send that in (w/the 75 dollars-from your own money), and take the initiative to fill out as much of the full app as possible, that will (hopefully) show your parents that you really are serious about AFS, considering you would have already paid money and gone to all the trouble of filling out a good hunk of the application. I would also contact your local AFS volunteer (call the 1-800 number and AFS will tell you who she/he is), and arrange a meeting with you, your parents, and the volunteer. That way you’ll have someone ‘reliable’ backing you up, and your parents will again realize that you’re serious (at this meeting I would bring the semi-completed full-app so it can be discussed as well). Just try and be willing to listen to your parents, but show them how truly important this is to you.”
Contact AFS: (800) AFS-INFO
Email: afsinfo@afs.org