Hello Guys! I have been absent from this forum for quite a while (Holidays are hectic >~<) To freshen everyone’s memory I applied for Korean summer only. I had my interview today and I think it went really well! My interview was about 45 - 50 minutes. I didn’t get any of the questions like fighting with host mom or the teacher messing up. All my questions were just about my personality and home life. There wasn’t that many questions but I got the interviewer to talk about himself so that made the whole thing longer. My interviewer wasn’t born in America so his English wasn’t the best but I had him clarify when I didn’t understand and it didn’t cause any issues.
@screenname16
Thanks for clarifying! I can definitely help you! But before I do, I need to know - what grade are you in rn?
@lovinglife01 I’m in 12th 
Does anyone know when final notifications will come out? NSLI-Y website says by April 30th, but that’s WAY late for seniors trying to do a gap year, with all enrollment decisions for Uni due May 1st. Especially trying to figure out scholarships and whatnot, that’s cutting it super close. Have decisions been released any earlier in the past?
I have heard of some people even getting their notifications in early March! 
But usually the first people to know are those who applied for Russian summer, Russian year, Hindi summer, and Hindi year, because those countries require an extensive visa process… But seeing as they completely changed how they gave out semi-finalist notifications, I wouldn’t be surprised if they also did finalist notifications WAY different this year… I also think that all notifications will be out by April 30, most defiantly all finalist notifications should be out by beginning of April (but don’t take my word on it, just a guess!).
Hi guys, I am a semi finalist for NSLIY and my interview is coming up. My preferences were Arabic (summer), Turkish (summer), Persian (summer). I have a few questions and if you can answer them that would be super awesoe!
- And tips for the interview?
- Do most people get their top choice?
- What was the typical day during the program?
- How much language learning and improvement did you get (how far did you advance in the program?)
- Did you participate in the fast during Rammadan? If you didn’t was it because it was frowned upon to do so?
- Were there options for attending Church?
- What was Morrocco/Jordan/Oman/Turkey/Tajikistan like?
- Was there a lot of freedom?
- What sort of activities did you do with your group?
- Did your host family seak English?
- For Arabic, do they ask you which country you want to be placed in? If not how do they decide?
Thanks a million!
@student1818
Hmmm… I will try to answer the questions to the best of my ability…
- Be honest, be yourself, and be polite. It is really just having a conversation with a person that you have never met! AND YOU GET TO TALK ABOUT WHAT YOU LOVE!!!
- Most people do, but there are exceptions! Oftentimes people who put Tajik down as their second (or third, like you) get accepted for Persian summer.
- I don’t really know for sure, but you will have four hours of language classes, and hour or two (or three) or homework at night, afternoon activities pretty much every day, and spending lots of time with your host family!
- I have heard that most people come back being AT LEAST conversationally fluent, sometimes more!
- no clue… sorry…
- I don’t really know, but I think that it is just up to your host family, not NSLI-Y.
- Check out some blogs! But since I haven’t been there, I don’t know…
- Summer programs are really packed, but you will have some freedom (depends on your host family though).
- It really depends on your city and country.
- Usually if you have host siblings, they will be learning English in school, so they will know some. I have heard that they love to practice with you!
- Again, sorry I don’t really know…
I hope this helps a teeny tiny bit… They aren’t the best answers, but hopefully other people will help you out also! If you have any other questions, let me know!
@writeallnight I was thinking the same thing! I’m a senior this year and I’m really wondering
a) how the timing will work out with hearing back from NSLIY and then having to make college decisions
and
b) since we’ll already have gradutated, will we be repeating our senior year? I’m sure it’ll be AMAZING no matter what because we’re in another country, but I wish I had a better idea of what we’d be doing
Also, shoutout to all the seniors taking gap years!
Does anyone know if you get to choose which program you go to though? My first choice was China (Academic Year) but as I’m reading more about the arabic program, I’m having second thoughts about which is really my first choice…
@fromUSA2Russia Thank you so much for the response! I actually just finished my interview earlier today and I think it went really well. She was at my house for nearly three hours and she seemed very impressed. Now I just have to wait! I’m super excited and even if I don’t get in, the interviewer told me about some opportunities I can sign up for with AFS.
Hi everyone! I just had my interview this afternoon! I think it went very well, but I am not going to give myself false hope. My interviewer was very nice, but she was not very loquacious, so my interview was only 45 minutes in length, including the 15 minutes of small talk after the actual interview.
Questions I was asked:
- How would you feel if your family was too busy to discuss the exciting events of your day and how would you handle the situation?
- How would you feel being away from your family for six weeks, and how would you keep in touch with them?
- Describe a time when you tried something new.
- Recall a time where you experienced disappointment and how did you handle that?
- Remember a situation where you heard something you did not want to hear. How did you deal with that?
My interview was very by-the-book and scripted, so I advise you all to try and sneak in some of your credentials and personal interests within the questions. That being said, take your time answering! Don’t just blurt out anything that comes to mind; it won’t be the most effective answer. Also, be prepared to make small talk beyond the scope of the interview, as it is likely you’ll be waiting for your ride or something.
Good luck to everyone!
Apparently I incorrectly wrote down my secondary email, which NSLI-Y sent my interviewing team, which bounced back and didn’t get to me. So, I got a lovely call today and my interview is on friday!!
@katewithak
Awesome! Good luck!!!
I applied for a full year in Korea and I have my interview on the 15th. Everyone I know says I’m a screw in for the scholarship since I have already had 4 years of a language, participate in NJROTC, have a 4.5 GPA, and plan to use the language in my future career in the navy. Do you think all of this helps my chances a lot and do you have any reccomnedations for the interview?
@JustinH
Welcome!
Hmmm… Because we are applying for NSLI-Y, I don’t think that there is such thing as a “screw” in the program. I do think that you have a GREAT chance of getting accepted, but NSLI-Y can work in strange ways… (Like we all thought Evan was going to be a for sure semi-finalist…) A lot also depends on your applications essays, even though I am pretty sure that yours are amazing…
As for the interview, prepare some stories of when you showed a certain character trait that NSLI-Y is looking for (maturity, quick thinking, kind, etc). Also, since the interview DEFINITELY feels more like a conversation, just make yourself sound interesting (while being completely honest, of course!!!) and different from the other 1,300 semi-finalists!
Good luck!
Hi!
Welcome to the NSLI-Y 2015-2016 CC forum!
NSLI-Y rejects even the best of the best sometimes, so don’t sweat it either way. Did you apply for any other government scholarships like YES or CBYX as well?
Sorry if I came off cocky I’m super nervous about getting accepted and I was just saying what my friends told me. I also applied for Congress-Budenstag Youth Exchange which is for a full year in Germany. Should I wear formal or semi-formal to the interview?
@JustinH
You’re fine! Everyone at my interview was wearing pretty formal clothes, and I just wore a black skirt with a nice purple sweater…
I have some answers for the questions that weren’t answered by the lovely @fromUSA2Russia
I participated in a lot of the online webinars that NSLI-Y did which talked about the experiences of past alumni. Though I’m not an alumni nor am I applying for that language choice, this is what I have found out.
(5. The applicants that went to Turkey and Oman were not required to Fast during Ramadan. Some of their host families did though so some of them had to cook their own food if the host family couldn’t prepare it for them before hand. One of the alumni said that in Oman they ring bells to signal sundown and sunrise so everyone knew when to stop eating.
(6. There is a part of the NSLI-Y application that asked if you were able to attend services with the family that may not be the same of your own. If you said no then they probably tried to place you in a home with a less religious family or one that will know before hand that you are uncomfortable participating. Basically if you said yes and your host family invites you, I think the most respectful thing is to attend the worship service with them.
(11. The NSLI-Y program is about learning a language. You choose the language you want to learn, not the location you want to study in so NSLI-Y will probably not ask you but rather inform you on where they have placed you because they have to find safe host families for you which may be easier to find in other places at that time.
Okay so I hope I have helped you out!! I have been researching NSLI-Y for two years before I could actually apply so I know a lot of things XD Hope this helps!!~ ^^
@katewithak
well I wish you the best of luck!!!~ :))
@EmmaPotts
I can really tell that two years of researching pays off! My mom always jokes around about how I could work for NSLI-Y because I know so much about the program… I think that she would most defiantly say the same thing about you!!!