Easy Languages

Program

How does it work?

This USA High School program, which is available to motivated students aged 15 to 18 who already speak reasonable English (A2 to C2 levels), provides the opportunity for students to spend one semester or one year in an American high school (the last 4 years of secondary education). Living with an American host family, students experience and learn the English language and American culture from a real-world perspective.

As an exchange student, participants live as an adoptive member of their host family. They go to school and discover all the aspects of the daily life of Americans, learning how they live, think, and relax. Students discover firsthand the history and traditions of the United States and acquire enriching personal experiences that cannot be taught from school books. The experience is, as a whole, a powerful linguistic, cultural, and personal enrichment that participants never forget.

The Premium Public High School Program is almost identical to our High School in the USA program, but it allows students the freedom of choice with geographical location, academic situation and extra-curricular activities; unlike the regular high school program, the Premium Public High School Program offers students the possibility to choose what part of the country they wish to be placed in. Our students enjoy full access to sports, clubs and academics in the schools including the possibility of obtaining a high school diploma (which is never guaranteed in the regular HS program).

Why USA?

The United States is such a huge nation that it's pretty difficult to see all of it, even in a lifetime. But even if you spend just a semester or a year there, you're sure to discover its many defining characteristics: a diverse culture, outstanding scenery, welcoming inhabitants always eager to share their thoughts - the hardest thing will be leaving!

To make sure your stay is as close as possible to your dreams, you have the chance to pick the region of the States you want to go to. Want a little warmth? Try Florida or California. For a cultural adventure, try Chicago, Massachusetts, or Washington. Or for something completely different, why not check out Oklahoma, Arkansas, or Arizona?

Warning! Students who will have already finished their secondary studies when they depart can only be paced in the region of Tacoma, Washington, or Arlington (Boston), Massachusetts.

Details

Young people in America study a minimum of 12 years (Primary + Secondary School), like the majority of Europe. You will be attending a local secondary school, aka "High School". This period of education typically covers the final four years of secondary school:

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

Exchange students often go to an American high school and take classes which correspond to their academic and linguistic levels. Those who have already attained their end-of-secondary-studies diploma will attend the final American year - Grade 12.

In many American schools, the choice of subjects to study is vast: psychology, sociology, literature, dramatic arts, pottery, journalism, architecture, speech, media, IT...

It's a truly unique opportunity to discover new subjects, or to perfect your skills in a domaine you already know. Some courses only last one semester, so you will therefore be able to start something new half way through the year.

Choice is equally important in sport and other cultural or social activities: football, tennis, swimming, athletics ("Track and Field"), basketball, volleyball, charity club, student council, fanfare, cheerleading, debating club, speech club, yearbook staff...

Your school will be an opportunity to blossom in - and explore -areas you don't yet know. It will also be, of course, that dreamed-of chance to integrate into American life, all while getting to know local people your age.

American host families

The host families are probably the most essential element of an exchange to the United States. They are the ones who help the students feel completely integrated and get the most out of their visit. Wherever the students are placed, they truly experience the daily American life at the heart of a welcoming host family.

For this reason, we select our families with great care. Our host families are all paid and choose to welcome exchange students because they wish to share their lifestyle and culture while learning about those of others. After undergoing a rigorous selection process, the families take an active role in choosing the student that they will welcome. Full board is included.

Our local representative

No matter where a student is placed, he or she is always near one of our local representatives who personally knows the host family and keeps in regular contact with students and families. This person meets with students occasionally and assures that their stay goes smoothly.

Our partner organisation in the United States is experienced, reliable, and an officially recognized agency in supervising exchange programs.

Medical Assistance Insurance

During your whole stay you will be covered with comprehensive medical insurance, with a toll free emergency number accessible everywhere in the USA. This insurance package is included in the program fees.

Destinations

This program allows you to choose a specific district, i.e. an area or a town in which you would like to study. The choice of school will be made by our local partner, according to availabilities, your academic level, and the date you submitted your file.

The schools are all public establishments, and chosen for the quality of their teaching. They can be small or large.

This is the (non-exhaustive) list of the different possible programs, by region:

Central states

• Colorado: Denver: The capital and the most populous city in the state, Denver is about 30km from the Rocky Mountains. The city is known for its pleasant pedestrianised town centre and its numerous parks, sports facilities, and cultural hot-spots. Fiche info Denver (PDF, 511K)
• Illinois: Chicago: with a population of nearly 3 million people, Chicago is the third largest city in the United States. Chicago has been classified as an alpha world city for its worldwide economic influence. Today, Chicago is a leading global city and a major transportation hub, as well as the business, financial, educational and cultural capital of the Midwest. Some Chicago high schools were ranked among the top 100 high schools in the U.S by Newsweek in 2008. Fiche info Chicago (PDF, 112.7K)
  
• Oklahoma: Cleveland: this small quaint town offers all the necessary amenities from downtown shopping and dining to beautiful parks and sports fields. The people of Oklahoma are known for their hospitality and friendliness which is often experienced by international students coming to the area. The school offers a very good academic programalongside all the classic sports and activities. Fiche info Cleveland (PDF, 118.4K)

• Arkansas: Lavaca: it is a quiet rural community with a population of 2,000 nestled in the heart of the Ozark Mountains. The nearest city is Fort Smith, Arkansas, a famous Old West Town considered to be an exciting travel destination. Students are encouraged to share their own culture at the same time as they are expected to be active in school to learn and live US culture and daily life. The school offers a lot of support to help students get acquainted within their new environment making friends and activating themselves during, as well as, after class. Fiche info Lavaca (PDF, 217.6K)

• Arizona: Phoenix (Peoria, Paradise Valley, Phoenix Union, or Deer Valley): Third largest city in the state of Arizona, Phoenix is the only city which borders the Sonoran desert, making it ideal for outdoor attractions. Fiche info Peoria (PDF, 440.7K)
  
  Fiche info Deer Valley (PDF, 213.5K)
  
  Fiche info Paradise Valley (PDF, 212.3K)
  
• Minnesota: St. Paul: the metropolitan area is home to approximately 2.8 million people. Residents enjoy the conveniences of urban city life in a beautiful, natural setting. Lakes, parks, and riverside trails are abundant throughout the metropolitan area. St Paul Preparatory School is a small private high school. It has an internationally-focused curriculum that equips students to become culturally literate by developing critical thinking and communication skills, as they gain a strong sense of personal and social responsibility.
  
  

East coast states

• Florida: Cape Canaveral (Brevard or Indian River): Situated only 55km east of Orlando, the region prides itself as the home of Kennedy Space Centre, and the largest collection of endangered wildlife and plants in the continental United States. Fiche info Brevard (PDF, 528.2K)
  
  Fiche info Indian River (PDF, 108.9K)
  
  Fiche info Hopkinton (PDF, 113.6K)
  Fiche info North Brookfield (PDF, 36.5K)
• Massachusetts: Boston (Arlington, Hopkinton, North Brookfield): Boston is one of America’s oldest cities, with a rich economic and social history. The programs on offer are in average-sized towns around 50km from Boston itself.
  Fiche info Arlington (PDF, 111.1K)
  
  
  

West coast states

• California: San Francisco (Alameda or Morgan Hill), Los Angeles (LA or Birmingham Charter): The San Francisco Bay Area is home to approximately 7.1 million people and one of the wealthiest regions in the United States. It hosts many cities and national parks. Los Angeles is known for its exceptional culture and its idyllic standard of living. The climate is an undeniable advantage for this region.
  
  Fiche info Alameda (PDF, 112.7K)
  
  Fiche info Morgan Hill (PDF, 109.5K)
  
  Fiche info Los Angeles (PDF, 111.5K)
  
  Fiche info Birmingham (PDF, 523.7K)
  
  

• Washington: Seattle or Tacoma: located at the foot of Mount Rainier and along the shores of Commencement Bay in Washington State, Tacoma is recognized as a livable and progressive international city. With a population of more than 201,700 residents, 66 miles of shoreline and many parks, the city ensures a very pleasant environment. Seattle is one of the most important cities of the US's Pacific coast, and functions as a specialised port for commerce, making it a significant industrial centre.
  
  Fiche info Tacoma (PDF, 112.3K)
  
  

Other destinations are available upon request, don't hesitate to contact us.

Info

Conditions of participation

• Must be aged between 15 and 18 and a half at time of departure
• Must have sufficient language skills to be able to communicate without too much difficulty (at least 3 years of English study, or langauge exchange experience); must have a SLEP test result of 50 or more (to be taken at our offices in Brussels or Paris)
• Must have attained good school results the last three years, in English as well as other subjects
• Must be able to justify motivation, maturity, and adaptability
  
  

Terms of enrolment

If you fulfil the participation conditions, then you should enrol as soon as possible.

You will then receive a preliminary confirmation and we will contact you for a telephone interview, during which we will evaluate your level of English. If your level seems adequate, we will invite you to pay an advance of 1000 € in order to confirm your enrolment and initiate the process.

Then we will ask you to take part in a second, more thorough interview in our offices in Paris or Brussels, where we will officially examine your level of English in a test of listening and reading comprehension (Second Level English Proficiency, or SLEP, test). If you are unable to come to our offices, we will endeavour to find a suitable solution for you taking the test elsewhere.

A fee of 70 € is payable on the day of this interview at the latest if an advance has not yet been paid. This fee is non-refundable and is deductible from the final balance in case of a definitive enrolment.

If the interview is favourable, we will then send you by post a folder to complete. This will require: letters of recommendation from your teachers, vaccination certificates, a letter addressed to your host family, and other documents necessary for the consideration of your application to the USA.

Please note that students who will have already graduated from secondary school when entering the program can only be placed in Tacoma District, in Washington.

Enrolment deadlines

The deadline for submitting the abovementioned folder is:

• 15th June if you are leaving in August
• 15th of December if you are leaving in January

The pre-enrolment forms must be completed and submitted to our offices in Brussels or Paris at least one month before the folder submission deadline.

Flight and beginning of program

Once your enrolment has been accepted and confirmed by our American partner organisation, we will book your return flight for the agreed dates (outbound is typically August for the full academic year and January for just one semester). Your host family or local correspondant will meet you at the airport and will take you back there at the end of your stay.

Prices & Dates

Dates 2012

• Academic year: August/September to June
• Academic semester: August/September to December OR January to June
  
  

Prices include:

• Roundtrip flight from Brussels or Paris
  
• Airport pickup and drop-off and transport to host family
• English level test and interview before candidature
• All documents necessary to obtain a visa for the school year
• Registration formalities at a high school for a semester or school year
• Supervision throughout the year by our regional coordinator
• Accommodation in a voluntary host family, including all meals and washing of clothes
• Personal assistance, constant support and advice by our local correspondent and American office
• Medical and health insurance
• American diploma (in some cases)
  
  

Prices do not include:

• Visa fees (around 300€)
• Use of school materials (depending on school)
• Pocket money - plan about 0 - 300 per month