High School in the USA by Southwestern Advantage

HIGH SCHOOL

IN THE

USA

YOUR EXCHANGE ADVENTURE IN THE USA STARTS HERE!

Why Become an Exchange Student? W

Living with a host family W

07 What does the HSUSA program include?

Frequently Asked Questions

ARE YOU GLOBAL READY? The experience of studying abroad is unique, as it allows students access to high-quality educational programs in a safe and culturally diverse learning environment. HIGH SCHOOL IN THE USA is a complete cultural experience. With HSUSA, we incorporate international students into a classroom with local students who have a friendly nature with newcomers. They also live with a carefully selected local family that provides a safe and welcoming home. HSUSA is for young people with a high English speaking and comprehension level, who are largely independent, flexible, disciplined, responsible, and capable of adapting. Living a full school year in the USA

Be mentored with the LEAD program

HIGH SCHOOL IN THE USA leads the student exchange industry to help students prepare for their exchange with our DOUBLE THUMBS UP preparation modules - seven video modules for students helping them understand the challenges and joys of assimilating into a new culture. You’ll become dual-cultural! As a US Department of State designated sponsor, we take the time and care to guide you through the process all the way to obtaining your necessary travel visa. HIGH SCHOOL IN THE USA provides a 3-level layer of support while you’re in the United States. Your host family will care and support you throughout the year as the first layer. Our Local Coordinators are the second layer of support. The HSUSA staff is the third layer of support, giving you 24/7 support during your entire school year visit. Our home office is located in Nashville, TN and you are always welcome to visit or contact us with any questions you may have. We are looking forward to helping you with your life-changing Exchange Experience in the USA.

The 3-layer support system

14 Are You Set to Embark on your new Adventure?

DAVE CAUSER President https://www.highschoolintheusa.com/

WHY BECOME AN EXCHANGE STUDENT? HIGH SCHOOL IN THE USA is a fantastic experience to becoming ‘GLOBAL READY’ with life-long rewards.

HIGH SCHOOL IN THE USA is for young people with a high English speaking and comprehension level, who are largely independent, flexible, disciplined, responsible, and capable of adapting.

ADVENTURE A year abroad allows you to develop your cultural openness, your independence, your maturity, your self-confidence, your ability to adapt, your ability to solve problems, your sense of leadership, and much more.

FRIENDSHIPS You will make friends with other American teenagers. Social life may be different from your home city, but you’ll be able to make rich friendships with local students that are fun and supportive.

HOME IN THE USA You will gain a second family with your host family, your family away from home. As an exchange student, you will not only learn English, but you will also become familiar with the culture, customs and traditions of your host country

BE GLOBAL READY Students often use their exchange year as a stepping stone to further their studies abroad, gain a competitive advantage at university, and start an international career.

‘Being an exchange student changed my life. I was a shy person before, and was barely going outside my comfort zone. It changed once I got to the US, in particular when I met my host mom, Linda and started to work with her! Today, I am a Project Manager in a leading worldwide shipping company based in France. Thanks to my exchange year and my work with Linda, I am now managing different teams from all over the world. I am 25, and already lived in 5 cities in 3 different countries. That exchange year made me the person I am today, and I am so grateful for that.’ Manon Esch, from France

LIVING A FULL SCHOOL YEAR IN THE USA There is nothing more iconic than going to high school in America: popular school dance at prom night, yellow school buses, graduation ceremony, school sports , clubs, and much more...

ATTENDING AN AMERICAN HIGH SCHOOL High school in the U.S. will be different than in your home country. Open your mind to this educational opportunity! You may take more classes—up to seven or eight at a time. You could participate in team sports such as basketball or extracurricular activities such as theater and debate. You will probably also experience, possibly for the first time, what we call school spirit! Your school may have a mascot, school colors, pep rallies, football games, and dances. American students love to get involved and show their spirit. Join in on the fun and excitement!

DID YOU KNOW?

The U.S. is the

FOURTH LARGEST COUNTRY BY AREA IN THE WORLD — only China, Canada, and Russia are larger.

The U.S. is made up of

50 STATES ( each with its own lifestyle, & government) 1 federal district & 14 territories

A TYPICAL DAY IN A US HIGH SCHOOL - Students arrive between seven and nine in the morning and leave school between two and four in the afternoon. - Four to eight 45 to 90 minute class periods, broken up by around five minutes to get to the next class (schools may hold classes daily for a shorter time (traditional scheduling) or alternate days for an extended session (block scheduling). - A lunch break (some schools permit students to leave campus to eat, though most hold lunches onsite). - Homework amount differs depending on the school’s purpose and culture. - Extracurricular sports team activities* right after school (sometimes track, field, and swim sports hold practices in the early morning before the school day starts) *the better the school district, the larger the variety of extracurricular clubs and activities offered

6:30 A.M.

Up- Breakfast-Shower-Travel

7:30 A.M.

Homeroom*

8:00 A.M.

1st Class

9:00 A.M.

2nd Class

10:00 A.M.

3rd Class

11:00 A.M.

4th Class

12:00 P.M.

Lunch Break

12:30 P.M.

5th Class

1:30 P.M.

Study Hall

2:00 P.M.

6th Class

3:00-5:00 P.M.

Extracurricular Activities Optional: clubs or sports

5:30 P.M.

Home, Eat

6:00 P.M.

Homework

8:00 P.M.

Dinner, chores (dishes/tidying Up) & Shower

8:30 P.M.

Family Time

10:45 P.M.

Bedtime

* a classroom in which a group of students assembles daily with the same teacher before dispersing to other classes

The U.S. is the

The Continental U.S. spans

— after China, & India with 330 million inhabitants

— with additional time zones in Hawaii, Puerto Rico and the various Islands

THIRD MOST POPULOUS COUNTRY IN THE WORLD

OVER FIVE TIME ZONES

Lake Superior is the

LARGEST OF THE GREAT LAKES

— and is considered the largest freshwater lake by area in the world 6

LIVING WITH A HOST FAMILLY American host families are far more diverse than the stereotypes you see on TV and in movies. They come from all walks of life. We match students with host families based on personality traits, hobbies, curricular or extracurricular interests, family make-up, and more. That way you feel less like a guest and more like a member of the family. Host families are carefully selected to ensure they are open-minded, welcoming, and warm people looking forward to welcoming an international student into their home and their lives, learning about your culture and sharing their traditions. You will enjoy many opportunities to explore your community with your host family and the friends you make at school. On the weekend, imagine eating out at a local restaurant with your friends or walking a local nature trail with your host family. During school breaks, imagine taking a road trip or visiting local landmarks. We consider the relationship between a student and host family to be the most important relationship of your exchange year. The preparation we give you before your exchange largely relates to helping you understand American families and how you can understand them and treat them well. Remember, they want to get as much out of the experience as you!

“I asked my host family if I would be able to play American football When I stayed here. They contacted the football coach and when I arrived I was able to join the team, start practice and dress out for the games. That was the most fun I had done in my life. I really enjoyed my time with the Moberly family. I had two younger brothers who were both as crazy about sports as I was. They asked me if I wanted to go along to their trip to the Bahamas for Christmas and I said I’d love it. It was awesome!.“ 7

Tim Prince, from The Netherlands

Pam Edelman, Orange-Virginia

Hosted George, from Bulgaria Host School: Orange County High School, Orange (VA)

We have hosted many times before from all over the world. We even ended up helping one of our exchange students come back to America and he’s like one of our family now. We enjoy opening up our home to these students and letting them be part of our family. It gives us a chance to get to know them and learn about another culture. We even ended up helping one of our exchange students come back to America.

Patty Carrubba, Palmyra- Virginia

Hosted Fatma, from Egypt Host School: Fluvanna County High School, Palmyra (VA)

Hosting has been phenomenal! Fatma has added a lot of excitement to our lives. We wanted to give her a real American experience so we took trips to Florida to Disney World, to New York to see a Broadway show and many other local trips in Virginia.

Kim Moberly, Inwood-West Virginia

Hosted Tim, from The Nederlands Host School: Musselman High School, Inwood (WV)

We asked Steve [our Local Coordinator] to find us a guy who liked sports because we are a sports family. Tim, from the Netherlands, clicked right along with our family last year. While he was here, he got to go along with us on our Christmas trip to the Bahamas and really had a great time. I think he really enjoyed the American holidays.

Amy Eytchinson, Brentwood-Tennessee Hosted Karen, from Egypt Host School: Ravenwood high school, Brentwood (TN)

Karen was a wonderful addition to our family. She got involved with lots of things like field hockey, a school play, and loved the travels we did around America. We went to the Grand Canyon, we saw the ocean and my daughter loved having a new sister. It was a great experience for all of us. We keep in touch with Karen and can’t wait to see her again, either over there in Egypt or when she comes back to United States.

PROGRAM

BE MENTORED WITH THE

Applying principles of personal accountability, emotional strength, education, and servant leadership to any educational or professional path is a common trait among individuals who have been successful. And we believe that it takes a little more than classroom knowledge alone to achieve our goals in life.

E EMOTIONAL INTELIGENCE

HOW? WHAT 9

LIFE SKILLS

DIFFERENCE IN YOUR COMMUNITY

ACADEMICS

6 MONTHS PROGRAM FREE ACCESS Leadership Lessons, Success Principles, Applications

- 72 Pages Lead Growth Book - Full Access to Southwestern Advantage Global Academy - DISC Personality Assessment - Monthly Webinars ft. successful athletes & business leaders - Lessons on Leadership - Access to LEAD Network - Monthly Communication

“Over my (Southwestern) years I gained skills that helped me tremendously in university and when building my professional career: proactivity, self-discipline, goal setting and positive attitude.”

“Truly, this is the greatest personal achievement and leadership development program on the planet... I’ve been in business 30-something years... and I’ve always come back to what I learned at Southwestern.”

DITA PRIKRYLOVA (CZ)

JON YARBROUGH (US)

FORBES 30 UNDER 30

FORBES 400 MEMBER

Software engineer, entrepreneur founder of Czechitas

American billionaire & Founder of Video Gaming Technologies

CERTIFICATION & LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION The majority of recruiters or admissions officers at four-year colleges, especially private schools, seek to gain a sense of the applicant as a “whole person”. Since they rarely meet the applicant in person, the recommendation letters, along with the person’s own personal cover letter or essay, play a huge role in illuminating their intellectual and personal qualities.

WRITTEN BY DR. RALPH BRIGHAM Former President of NACE 9,600 COLLEGE PROFESSIONALS 3,300 UNIVERSITY RECRUITERS 300+ BUSINESSES

WHAT IS INCLUDED IN THE

PROGRAM?

Every HIGH SCHOOL IN THE USA student will have a genuine American high school experience, live with a caring host family, and benefit from industry-leading support. CHECK WITH YOUR LOCAL REPRESENTATIVE FOR PRICING

Pre-Departure Cultural Assimilation

Guaranteed Enrollment in

HSUSA leads the student exchange industry in helping students prepare for their exchange with our seven video modules for students helping them understand the challenges and joys of assimilating to a new culture.

Participating High Schools are carefully handpicked by our experienced expert staff to ensure it provides the educational opportunities and support to succeed.

Visa Application Support

Carefully Selected Host family

As an official designated visa sponsor by the US Department of State, we will issue & provide all the documents and guidance you need to get through the J-1 visa application process. Our program includes the SEVIS fees and English Language Fees.

Host families are volunteers who want to have the positive experience of caring for an exchange student and who have gone through our extensive application and selection process. They provide room, board and basic transportation.

Program Orientation

A local mentor / coordinator

Every High School USA student who begins their program in August has the opportunity to join us in your new home communities for our kick-off orientation. You will meet other international students and get a full & comprehensive introduction to life in the U.S.

These experts will be guiding you through the High School USA application process and preparing you for the departure: everything from filling out the forms to providing in-country orientations. Once in the USA, they will act as the second layer of support after your host.

Earn a trip to Nashville

Be part of our LEAD program

HSUSA selects their top participants each year to attend their annual 3-day Leadership Summit in Nashville. The event regroups hundreds of University students around the themes of Leadership and Entrepreneurship

Our long experience at helping youth in developing skills for life showed us that it takes more than a classroom to achieve life-goals. This 6-month training on success principles is a proven life changer.

Medical Insurance

Program includes your return flight

HSUSA provides health insurance for all High School USA students. Our insurance is customized to the unique needs of international exchange students so you receive care should a medical issue arise.

Program does NOT include:

training with our Double Thumbs-Up

From issuing the relevant paperwork to guidance

once arrived in the U.S.A.

a welcoming and caring 2nd family

throughout the year

for the HSUSA High School Leadership Summit

throughout your stay in the U.S.A..

Attend High School in the USA

an approved US High School

be mentored throughout this 6-month program

from your closest International Airport

Cost of getting a passport, visa, or visa appointment in your country, Required immunizations, School fees for extra curricular activities.

Live with a US Family

24/7 three layer support system

THE 3 LAYER SUPPORT SYSTEM

ILY

LOC AL DINATOR OR CO

HOST F AM

The health, safety, and well-being of our students is our top priority. Through a coordinated effort between our regional teams, HSUSA office staff, and host families, we ensure every student is safe and supported during their time in the U.S.

U S A S TA F F

LAYER LAYER11

YOUR YOUR HOST HOSTFAMILY FAMILY

LAYER 2

YOUR LOCAL COORDINATOR

We exceed the host family selection requirements of the U.S. Department of State with a very strict vetting process for our host families. HSUSA selects open-minded, welcoming families who wish to invite a new member into their family and share cultures. We consider the relationship between a student and host family to be the most important of your exchange year as they become your second family. They will be there at each and every moment of your exchange year and will be your very first point of contact while in the U.S.A.

Same as with host families, we are very scrupulous with the local coordinators we work with to ensure top quality support for you. Your Local Coordinator is highly trained in intercultural communication, mediation, and support, and will be a mentor and friend to you, available 24/7. The Local Coordinator will welcome you to your host community, introduce you to your host family and complete regular supervision reports for your parents at home.

LAYER 3

THE

STAFF

Our dedicated support team in Nashville, TN is available by phone to support all program participants in the event of an emergency. 14

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS... How long will my exchange program last? Academic year exchanges last approximately 10 months. J-1 exchanges are limited to a maximum of one academic year in length.

May I play a sport or participate in an activity? USA high schools often conduct tryouts for sports and there are teams at varying skill levels. Your sport may or may not be popular at your high school and it may be available at the club level. While HSUSA can’t promise participation on a high school sports team, with few exceptions anyone can try out for the sports they carry. It’s common for students to participate in after school activities and an exceptional way for exchange students to make friends and participate in the USA high school experience.

Can I graduate from my high school abroad? Each host school and school district has its own requirements. Student can receive an official transcript of their grades at the completion of the school year by requesting one from their host school.

Will I receive credit for my school year in America with my home school? Your home school may or may not receive your credits. You’ll have to ask your home school.

Can I get my drivers license while I’m abroad? Exchange students aren’t allowed to drive while on their exchange program.

How are the placements with host families determined? HSUSA places a high value on finding the best possible family for each exchange student. When a family applies to host, we interview them in their home, check their references, and review the student’s application to make sure the student and family are a good match. We match by interests and major themes you have in common as well as making sure the home environment doesn’t conflict with allergies or lifestyle circumstances you may have.

Can I chose which city in the USA I’m placed? HSUSA doesn’t allow applicants to choose the location of their placement. Students are often inexperienced in knowing where a good place to live would be. For 99% of students, New York City is far better place to visit than live. Our experience shows that having a good host family and school match is a far superior factor to a successful exchange year than location.

What does the preparation look like? HSUSA leads the exchange program industry in training for cultural assimilation. We have seven video modules of training that you’ll process with our sending partners or our staff in our Nashville, TN USA office. We will also go through a 2 hour orientation with you before you leave and after you arrive in the USA. 15

ARE YOU SET TO EMBARK ON YOUR NEW ADVENTURE IN THE USA? 17

STEP 1 Get more information through our website, brochure or Social Media. Then, speak with your family. Listen from previous participants, hosts and make up your mind. If you feel fit for it, move to step 2!

STEP 2

STEP 3

Contact us through our website or Social Media with your contact information. Your local HSUSA representative will be in touch with you with all of the information you need to start your application.

Submit your application and supporting documents. We will process your application and reach out if any additional documentation is needed. Pack your favorite toothbrush, you are in! 18

Tim from The Netherlands and his ‘brother’ from the USA

Svenja from Germany Cheerleading for Prince Edward High School (VA)

Ilene from The Netherlands and her ‘sisters’ from the USA

Karen from Egypt and her ‘sister’ from the USA

Georgi from Bulgaria attending the leadership Summit in Nashville, TN

Mrs. Patty Carrubba greeting Fatma upon her arrival from Egypt

HIGH SCHOOL IN THE USA 2451 Atrium Way, Nashville TN 37214 United States of America +1-615-391-2924 https://www.highschoolintheusa.com/ info@highschoolintheusa.com

FIND US ON SOCIAL MEDIA @highschoolintheusa High School in the USA @highschoolintheusa