This existed way back in the early 90s! My friends did it.
Also, there was always the option to do any kind of study abroad - semester or year - depending on the program. I did a year abroad and it was the best experience -
FYI, I’m a professor, and it is much less typical for kids to do a whole year abroad now, which is a bummer, but as long as you plan and are willing to give up something, like a sport, anyone can pull it off for a semester.