I’m not sure if this is the right place to post, I am somewhat new to this forum. Anyways, I am a rising ninth grader and I am wondering what would be the best year to study abroad in high school. I have had my eye on government-funded scholarship programs such as CBYX and YES Abroad since I have an interest in those cultures and I don’t have a lot of money for travel, but they are academic-year long programs. I’m going to end it here before this gets too rambley. What would be the best year to study abroad during the school year?
Well, CBYX is for college students and YES Abroad is already booked for next school year, so if you absolutely must go, then sophomore year. Although, no offense, you seem a bit naive.
Thank you for your input. Although, it seems that you have mistaken the different programs in which CBYX consists of. The Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange (CBYX) consists of the CBYX for Young Professionals program, but also a separate division for high school students ages 15 - 18 and 6 months. And, no offense taken! I too would agree that I am rather naïve : )
CBYX and YES have very specific age requirements. How old are you know and what month is your birthday?
@wannabegenius, @492015, please don’t post identifying info like birthdays online. OP can check the age requirements and see if s/he qualifies without the assistance of strangers on the internet.
My daughter was advised to go her sophomore year, so she studied in Spain the second half of that year. She went through CIEE and had a wonderful experience. She met a German student there who will be staying with us in Maine for three weeks this summer. She also stays in contact with her Spanish friends.
@austinmshauri : Sorry, didn’t feel asking for a month and year was too much information. As the OP stated, s/he is a rising ninth grader and therefore that only offers a range of so many months/years. But thanks for the reminder.
OP-From the CBYX website, “Between the ages of 15 years and 18 years and 6 months at the start of the program.” Programs begin July-September. Do you qualify your sophomore, junior, senior, post-senior years? It would help others to offer advice if they knew the years you could even qualify to go.
I vote sophomore year. My daughter spent her junior year in Australia through CIEE and loved it, but there were some issues with college applications. For example, her friends in the USA took a lot of AP courses junior year, which weren’t offered in AU. So her college applications showed only 4 AP classes, because that’s all she could fit in during senior year.
Also, she took the ACT in the spring before she left - at the end of sophomore year. She took it in the spring the next year after studying in AU. She got the exact same score. Schools abroad don’t “teach to the test” like they do in the USA. Had she stayed in the USA for junior year, and was taught more of the subjects typically on the ACT, I’m sure her ACT score would have gone up.
She also missed the chance to join the National Honor Society, and to take the tests required to become a National Merit Scholar. I imagine that securing leadership positions in student clubs would be harder too (would you vote for tennis captain a guy who missed a whole season?)
Finally, the Australian school calendar follows the calendar year. So when she arrived (in July, actually) it was the middle of the school year. After Christmas break, they began a new year.
To sum it up - don’t go abroad for the academics. Go for everything else. She loved it, would do it again (and is off to college in a different country) but junior year is hard. Do-able, but hard. I recommend sophomore year (or maybe one semester junior year). Good luck!
@jcwchicago Thank you for your interesting outlook. I didn’t factor in the possible impact studying abroad could have on the scores of the ACT!
@MaineLonghorn Thank you for your reply! Was your daughter able to receive credits for the classes she took whilst in Spain or did she have to make them up before/after her travels?
@492015 I will be qualified during sophomore, junior, senior, post-senior years. Do you think taking a gap year would be better than doing it during my sophomore year?
Thanks to everyone that has replied so far. Your responses have been helpful.
My daughter was able to transfer almost all of the credits. She is going to have to make up a semester of American history next year. She will take her health class online this summer.
If you’re worried about missing school, the NSLI-Y program has summer opportunities and is also state-sponsored. I would vote for either sophomore year or a gap year, which I think depends more on your college plans for later, so if you want to go straight to college or not. Good luck!