If you want to become an exchange student, you should read, as much as possible, information on the program that you want to follow. You also ought to satisfy all your doubts and answer all questions about the exchange year by asking the contacts that you can find in the programs or someone that has already tried this experience. To take part in the program of one year, semester or quarter, you have to pass a selection. In general, you need to meet some requirements: You need to be between 15-18 years old, there’s not a minimum level about the knowledge of the language of the host country (actually, you go there to learn that) but at least you have to have A2 level in order to have an interview (where they check your knowledge, your skills and see if you’re suitable to this experience). You can choose your host country, for example you can go to the USA, UK, Australia but also to francophone destinations like France or Reunion, German/Spanish/Portuguese-speaking countries etc… Afterwards, while you attend a high school abroad, you live with a host family, that has to have an interview, in which some operators verify if the family meets their requirements. In fact, the employees have to inspect their residence and to make sure that the conditions of the house meet the requirements to accommodate an extra person. If your parents are state employees or pensioners and you have good grades, you can apply for a scholarship to the INPS that can economically help you to sustain the costs of your stay. To sum up: once you’ve convinced your parents, you have to: -contact an agency and choose the program that suits you the most -pass the selection (it’s quite rare getting rejected by an agency) -enroll to the program and complete the application (used for the bureaucracy and to find you a host family). -wait for the placement and then it’s time to leave!
