I'm planning to study abroad in my sophomore or junior year in high school. But the thing is that I haven't found the right program that has at least a good record of no sexual assault or any complaints whatsoever. Any good ones out there? I'm only a freshman btw. I'm looking at one right now called AYUSA but had some complaints so I don't know right now. Pls & thank you for some help!!!
Studying Abroad - 1 Answers
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I am a 5-time host mom and volunteer with Youth For Understanding (YFU). YFU, AFS, and Rotary are frequently called "the big 3" when it comes to exchanges - long histories and good reputations. Please forgive my bias towards YFU - it's the one with which I have direct experience. I am gaining indirect experience by corresponding with former students. When I have asked exchange students why they chose YFU, I get the following answers: (1) YFU gave them more bang for their buck and/or (2) someone they knew and trusted recommended YFU. 95% of the fees collected by YFU go for direct program costs (airline tickets, support in hosting country, etc.). YFU has been around for 59 years and has learned how to make exchanges successful. Which ever program you choose, make sure they are listed with the Council for Standards on International Educational Travel (csiet.org). They routinely audit programs for quality. One note about complaints against an exchange organization: As with most things in life, you have to evaluate complaints versus number of people who have been involved and try to determine the motives of those complaining. For example, YFU has had around 240,000 students go on exchange. If you try hard enough, you might be able to come up with a few that did not have a good experience. I personally know of one student who complained because she wasn't allowed to communicate with friends family "back home" every day, even though she had been told that she shouldn't have more than one email or phone call per week. You have to balance that with the experiences of dozens of former exchange students who have such great experiences that they go on to be volunteers or staff members for the exchange organization. A note about timing: I can't speak for any other programs, but the programs that go through YFU have an application deadline of April 1 if you want to go this coming school year. Additionally, the application deadlines for all scholarships have passed. If I may, I would like to cast a vote for going with Youth For Understanding (YFU). I've put several links below, including a link that you can use to contact former YFU American Overseas students. YFU does have programs to South Korea and Japan. Good luck to you no matter what you choose!
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