How do I talk to my parents about being an exchange student?

How to become a foreign exchange high school student?

• I'm only a freshman, but my high school offers the possibility for students to go study abroad for either a semester or a year, and I would love to do that. So how do I get involved in that? I know I should talk to my guidance counselor, but I want to talk to my parents first and be more knowledgeable about it first. I took French 1 in two parts in seventh and eighth grade (how my middle school did it was split between the two years), and then I'm currently in Honors French 2 this year. So I would want to go to France or other French speaking country. Of course an English speaking country like England would be fine too. So if you could provide me with any information on foreign exchange student programs for high school, or how I can bring up the subject with my parents, I would really appreciate it. Also, kudos to you for reading this far! Thanks!

• Answer:

  Hi there, I was a foreign exchange student, way back in 1984! What I did was exactly what you said, I went and talked to the guidance dept. They'll point you in the right direction, and of course tell your parents about it, because it might be expensive. My foreign exchange program was AFS (American Field Service) and they've been around for years. The process took a while and there was a lot of paperwork, reports and of course you'll need to apply for a passport if you don't already have one. They have a list of countries that are available. I don't know how the program works now after all these years, but we weren't allowed to choose, only to specify which countries we DIDN'T want to go to. Then they searched for available host families. I got to go to Costa Rica for a year. It's a wonderful experience that will change your life. I'm still returning back to my host country after all these years, and made friends of a lifetime. Best of luck.