I can say without reservation that studying abroad changed the whole course of my life. I was a junior in college, but not much different from high school, except more alcohol, haha. I’ve worked with a few kids who studied abroad for a year in high school, one was in Japan, two others in Europe, another in Israel. All of them loved their experience.
Does she want to do it? Is it THAT important to sacrifice fun and what might be a life changing experience for a great big maybe?
I honestly don’t think giving up life’s pleasures in pursuit of prestige is worth it. If anything, this past year should help people realize that life is short and we should get our enlightening experiences while we can.
I have never once in my life thought “I sure wish I had taken more APs in high school so I could have maybe applied to Yale, instead of attending CSULB and having a happy life and career.” My instinct is to let your daughter decide if the big maybe is worth missing out on a possibly life changing experience. And sure, maybe Yale will work out and lead to a happy life and career, but at what price?