American reality check: no, you can’t be an exchange student to England

Dream of the UK? Time for a reality check.

Once or twice a week, I see 14-year-old girls on Yahoo Answers with the same pipe dream: OMG, I LOVE accents and I LOVE HARRY POTTER and I TOTALLY WATCH *insert show here* and I LOVE *insert actor/famous person name here* so OBVIOUSLY, I must be an ~~**~~EXCHANGE STUDENT~~**~~ to the U.K. (full disclosure – this was almost exactly my thought process when I was 15!)

Reality Check: Studying abroad in the UK is difficult, if not impossible if you’re an American. Most of the big organizations do not offer U.S. to U.K. – none of the top, reputable organizations do (AFS, CIEE, YFU). Basically, they can’t get visas, so they don’t offer the option. This makes complete sense – any EU citizen can enter the UK and attend school if they want (so EU countries to UK exchanges are alive and well), plus US schools systems really aren’t compatible with the UK system. If you have a glut of students from all over the EU, you’re not going to give visas to Americans (it’s difficult for Americans to emigrate to the UK, period).

Did you know that most American high school students are 1-2 years behind UK secondary school in educational credits? This is why it is also difficult for Americans to go to the UK for university. Not only is it incredibly expensive to do this, but if you don’t have a significant number of AP or IB credits, graduating with a American high school degree will not qualify you for entrance into a UK university. It’s similar for your dream of being an exchange student.

Compulsory (aka: mandatory) education in the UK ends at 15 or 16, around what we consider the 10th grade. After that, students take their GCSEs to qualify for upper secondary school (the equivalent of US 11th/12th grade). Once/if they qualify for upper school, students pick focus subjects which they will take their A levels in. A levels are university entrance exams, and how well you do determines which universities will accept you. Most UK students don’t go on to A levels and university, only the top students do. Sound complicated? It is. So you want to go abroad junior year? You probably don’t qualify for upper secondary school, hence why you can’t be an exchange student. Most European school systems are similar to the UK system, and students from other countries (such as in Asia) attending IB international school programs can easily go into the UK school system and seemlessly transfer credits. You can’t.

The bottom line is, you can’t be an exchange student to the UK because U.S. agencies don’t offer the UK as a destination country. Could you, theoretically, apply directly to a UK school and go there? Sure, but if you are accepted, get ready to fork over at least $20,000, if not more. Hope you’re wealthy!

Sometimes your dreams just need a slight... adjustment

But still, you want to be an ~~**~~exchange student~~**~~ to England. It’s possible you genuinely are a candidate for exchange but need to reassess your destination country. Ask yourself these questions:

• why do you want to be an exchange student?
• why do you want to do an exchange to an English speaking country?
• are your reasons inspired by a celebrity, book, TV show or movie?

If your answers are “because it sounds fun!,” “because I don’t want to go somewhere unfamiliar and have to learn another language,” and “yes,” then you probably aren’t really prepared to be an exchange student, or you just aren’t ready yet.

Being an exchange student is absolutely worth it, but you have to be mature, ready for adventure and open to new experiences. If you’re only interested in the UK, you really need to examine why you want to go. Many many teenagers have a fantasy of going to the UK for school — I did too — but it’s not realistic. Being an exchange student can be challenging, especially emotionally, and most students go to a country where they don’t speak the language and customs are vastly different. If the UK, or London, is your dream destination, wait until college. Semester study abroad programs to London are incredibly common, and the UK is a lot more fun when you are 20 or 21!

Hopefully, if someone on Yahoo Answers (or me, on this blog) don’t “kill your dream,” your parents will. When I was 15, I asked my mom if I could go to the UK. She said no — she asked me similar questions as above, and closed the discussion. A year later, I approached her about a scholarship program to Germany. She said yes immediately. I was shocked. She saw that going abroad wasn’t just a passing fancy, but something I was really interested in, and the scholarship was an opportunity of a lifetime.

I’ve seen dodgy UK exchange websites pop up. These “programs” are dangerous, and most likely scams. You should only travel with reputable organizations in good standing with CSIET.  Reputable organizations are required by law and regulation to screen host families, have a local representative within short driving distance to you in case of emergency, etc.

I hope this has helped some eager young Americans get a sense of perspective. Know that I have been where you’ve been, and with a little adjustment of perspective and patience, everything worked out. My junior year of high school I went to Germany, it changed my life, and in college, I spent a semester in London. The UK is worth the wait (and also hella expensive!) 🙂