How can I find an exchange program?

Where can I find a foran exchange program in the US to go to Japan?

• I really want to go to school in japan but I cant find a foran exchange program in Indiana. I'm in 8th grade please help me. Thanks alot.

• Answer:

  Being an exchange student is like no other experience. I am a 5-time host mom and new volunteer with Youth For Understanding (YFU). I HIGHLY recommend YFU. When I have asked other exchange students why they chose YFU, they basically said because YFU gave them more bang for their buck. My biggest piece of advice is to travel with an organization listed with the Council for Standards on International Educational Travel (csiet.org). They routinely audit programs for quality. If you just want a simple recommendation and then want to research the program on your own, you can stop reading now and go to yfu-usa.org. The website has an incredible amount of information. You can also contact former exchange students to Japan. If you don't mind, though, I'll continue to write some more. I don't know of any program that will accept a student who isn't at least 15 at the time of the exchange. You mentioned that you are in 8th grade. I'm guessing that you aren't 15 yet. But that's OK - it's good to get a 'head start' on research and also on saving money for the exchange. YFU has summer, year, and semester programs to Japan. They don't require any previous language study, but I would guess that individual schools would require at least a year of Japanese study before they would accept you for a semester or year. There are scholarships available, especially to Japan. Previous Japanese study is required for some of them. The scholarships are competitive, but over 300 of the 500 students who go overseas with YFU have at least a partial scholarship. You will have to go through an application process. You will have to fill out a form (online, over the phone, fax, various options exist), submit a recommendation, give permission for your school to send your grades to YFU, and answer some written questions. You will also have an in-person interview. It's not an interrogation - we just want to make sure that we can find a good host family for you. It is wonderful that you are considering this. Talk to your parents and teachers, do some research, and good luck to you no matter what you choose. Feel free to email me with more specific questions. PS You'll get a price break (about 10%) if your family hosts an exchange student before you go. Edit: YFU routinely accepts kids who have been homeschooled. It's a bit more paperwork, but not it's not too bad.