We have collected the most commonly asked questions below. Do not hesitate to call or email your EF office if you have any other questions, we will be happy to assist you.
Each host country has different deadlines, but in general you can apply between 15 to 5 months prior to departure. Please note that EF High School Year only accepts a limited number of students every year. Many of our destinations get fully booked prior to our application deadline, we therefore recommend you apply as early as possible. Do not hesitate to contact us, even if you are late. Sometimes we get late cancellations and we might be able to accept late applications.
You can apply today on our website! Your initial application is not binding. It is the first step that allows you to learn more about EF High School Year and see if this is the right program for you. When you have applied to our program we will invite you and your parents to a non-binding interview. After the interview, your local EF office will call you to let you know whether your application was successful. If so, you will fill out a complete application that we will use to match you with your host family.
It is your school at home that decides if you can earn credit for your exchange. Talk to your school principal or career advisor and ask what rules they have and what you have to do in order to get credit for subjects you may study overseas. Please keep in mind that not all subjects you study at home are available in your host country.
The ability to speak and understand the basic language of your host country is an advantage.
Yes, you will need a visa for most of our host countries. Your EF office will assist you to obtain the visa. Please note that the visa costs are not included in the program fee.
Yes, if EF has a local representative nearby and we can secure a school slot in the region, it is possible for you to stay with this family during your exchange. EF needs to be notified about this potential host family before your application is sent to your host country. Please note, that even if you know this family well, they have to go through the same screening process as all our host families. In teh USA, the family cannot be a relative of yours, due to visa regulations.
EF High School Year is an academic program and while most of our exchange students participate in sports at their high school or outside school, this is nothing we can guarentee.
In some host countries this is possible, though it can never be guarenteed.
EF offers region choice in host countries like the USA, UK, France and Germany. It is important to apply early if you are interested in making a region choice. Please note that region choice is not a guarantee. If EF cannot find a suitable host family in your chosen region, we will look for a family outside this region for you and will refund you the region choice fee.
EF International Academy comprises private international high schools offering different high school programs. Example campus locations are New york in the USA, Torquay and Oxford in England.
If you apply early to the program, you might be able to make the same region choice as your friend, but we cannot guarantee that you will be placed in the same town or high school. Remember, one purpose of a student exchange is to broaden your horizons: to meet new friends and experience new things. Successful exchange students are willing and eager to be independent.
As soon as you have submitted your complete application to EF, we will begin searching for a great host family for you. Usually our students get information about their placement between 2 months to 3 weeks prior to departure.
Experience tells us that despite thorough preparation for both the student and host family, communication difficulties and misunderstandings may arise. In some cases, cultural differences can be challenging before the family and student become familiar with each other. If this happens, the local EF representative's role is to support both parties in finding a solution that the relationship between the student and host family can continue. If conditions in the host family change so they are no longer able to continue hosting, or if there is a problem that cannot be worked out, EF will work on finding you a new host family. Finding a new host family usually takes from 3 to 8 weeks. Our first attempt is always to find a new family within the same school district.