Hi Alexis! Each exchange experience is unique, so it really depends. But traditionally you do not have an exchange week to a different city. However, students placed in the US do have the opportunity to take some additional trips to various cities with the permission of their parents, host family, and local volunteers. These group trips often carry an extra cost.

I hope this answers your question!

Hi!

Unfortunately our program for Japan is very strict on age and they only accept students who are 15-17yrs11months.

Sorry I couldn't be of more help! If you wanted to go abroad earlier, do let us know.

Fran

We don't have a minimum age for volunteering.

Thanks!

Great question! If you're interested in becoming an AFS volunteer to help hosted students here in the US, or to help get American students ready to go abroad, you can sign up to find out more information at http://www.afsusa.org/volunteer-with-afs/. The age ranges of our volunteers can vary widely!

If you're interested in doing volunteer work abroad, that would be considered a Community Service program. You can take a look at the programs AFS-USA offers at http://www.afsusa.org/study-abroad/. Our community service programs are listed under Gap Programs as well as Summer options.

Hi Dannie,

Unfortunately we do not have host families in the UK. We don't have an office there, and we found in the past that it was difficult to find volunteer host families in the UK. If you're interested in traveling to an English-speaking country, you should check out our programs in New Zealand, Ireland, Ghana, South Africa, and India. Good luck!

Yes, Japan does accept high school graduates, as long as you meet the age requirements of our program (17 years 11 months) at the time of program departure. As with any AFS program, graduates must be motivated to participate actively in school and extra-curricular activities and comply with the high expectations of Japanese high schools.

Any other questions, contact a Program Advisor in our office at 1-800-AFS-INFO ext. 1.

Hello!

Yes, our programs are first-come, first served. As long as students meet the minimum GPA requirements for our programs, i.e. have a 2.8 GPA (3.0 for GPA), then they would be eligible for our programs given that they meet the other Terms and Conditions of AFS Study Abroad.

Hope this helps!

Hi! If you do not receive a scholarship for any reason and you have applied for an AFS program already, you are able to pay the tuition using the money available to you. With the AFS application, there is an interview that you do have to go to regardless of how you are paying for your tuition. I hope this was helpful!

Hi! We do not have class specific requirements, however we do have a cumulative GPA requirement. We ask that you have a 2.8 for most programs, however Japan asks that you have a GPA of 3.0. I hope this was helpful!

Hi! It is possible to apply for certain programs as a graduate, however not every country will accept a high school graduate. The best way to see what countries will accept high school graduates is to check out our gap programs. The high school gap programs are identical to the high school programs, they are just open to accepting graduates. Some programs still do accept graduates even if they are not listed on the gap program page, so I highly recommend calling into 1.800.AFS.INFO ext. 1 to speak with a program advisor and see if the country you are considering will accept graduates!

I went on a gap year myself, and it was a great decision for me. It's a great time in your life to see the world! I would recommend looking into scholarships, financial aid, and fundraising to make it happen. Check out the resources available on our website: http://www.afsusa.org/study-abroad/scholarships/

If you have any additional questions, feel free to email me at anally@afsusa.org. Good luck with your decision!

Hi Lizzie,

The one page about personal info is the beginning of the application. Once you complete that, you will receive an email with login information for your full application. This full application will include a letter to your host family, medical forms, and teacher recommendations. If you have any additional questions, feel free to call 1.800.AFS.INFO ext 1.

Thanks for reaching out. You would need to contact a program advisor in order to get that information. Our programs fill on a first-come, first-serve basis, so make sure to get in touch with us as soon as possible! You can email us at afsinfo@afsusa.org or call 1-800-AFS INFO. Thanks!

Great question! Our age requirements are set by our partner countries, and they come up with these age limits in several different ways. One reason for age limits might be visa restrictions-- some countries can have limits for how old a student can be and still receive a J1 visa. Similarly, schools may not be willing to enroll students over a certain age, especially if this student would be older than his or her classmates. Since many schools place students in the second or third year of high school instead of the fourth, this can create an issue. Finally, countries implement restrictions because of placement difficulties they have faced in the past. AFS Spain has had trouble placing students who are close to or over 18, so they have chosen to only accept students who they can confidently place with a host family.

Hopefully this helped! If you have any additional questions, feel free to email afsinfo@afsusa.org or call 1.800.AFS.INFO ext 1.

Hi there. That's a great question! Unfortunately, you will be too old for the program to goes to Spain your Senior year. If you are just outside of the age range some programs are more flexible than others, but that is for students who are just a couple weeks outside of the range. Check out what programs we have available for you by checking here:

http://www.afsusa.org/study-abroad/high-school-abroad/

When browsing, please make sure to look at the age requirements and let us know if you are within a couple weeks of the range because we may be able to help on a case-by-case basis. You can call a Program Advisor at (800)AFS-INFO or by e-mail at afsinfo@afsusa.org.

When you are completing your AFS application you will be able to choose 3 program preferences. We try our best to place you in your top pick but if for one reason or another we can't, we will roll over your application to your 2nd choice - and if needed - your 3rd pick!

Remember, we fill programs on a rolling basis so it's first-come first-serve so the more popular programs and those with scholarship opportunities fill up quickly - often way before the final deadline. The most important part is definitely getting your application in early!

Hi there! Reach out to an Application Advisor ASAP. You can either call them at (800)AFS-INFO (press the number 1, then the number 2 when prompted) or you can e-mail them at myapplication@afsusa.org!

Thanks for reaching out. Our GPA cutoff is a 2.8, so you are well above that. Some of our programs do not accept graduates, so make sure that you have a second or third choice in case Turkey has this policy. Most importantly, get your application in early! This is the best way to secure a spot on program, because we review applications on a first-come, first-serve basis. Good luck!

Hi Sammy, thanks for reaching out. All of our scholarships are competitive, but as long as you spend time on your application and express how motivated you are to go on program, you have a great chance of getting the scholarship. Hope this helps!

Hi, thanks for reaching out. We do have a GPA requirement of 2.8 for our semester and year-long programs. For our summer programs and non-academic gap programs, we do ask that students have a passing GPA. AFS Iceland considers applicants who do not have a 2.8 GPA on a case-by-case basis, so if you are still interested in applying, you can choose Iceland as your first choice and have a second and third choice that we can send your application to if AFS Iceland does not accept you. You can also take some time to raise your GPA, and consider a gap-program. Hope this helps!