Daughter wants to spend 6 months at an American highschool - thoughts?
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@Klaus said in Daughter wants to spend 6 months at an American highschool - thoughts?:
I think it would be nice if it would be in or close to a bigger city. A place that would be interesting to a teenager looking for inspiration.
Yeap, my school district checks all those boxes.
Anyway, it's still early and you and your daughter are just starting to look into possibilities. Quite likely your perspectives will change over the next year or two. Will be happy to engage again when the time gets closer.
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@Axtremus said in Daughter wants to spend 6 months at an American highschool - thoughts?:
@Jolly said in Daughter wants to spend 6 months at an American highschool - thoughts?:
... would a private high school be more academically suitable?
More suitable for what? If you mean "academically challenging," the local high schools here have AP ("advanced placement") classes galore; this is the sort of public school district where even if you want your kids to go to elite Ivy League universities, you still send them to the local public high schools. Families move here for the public school district.
If you're crossing the Atlantic for just a semester and not pursuing a specific course of study or a specific academic/technical program, I suspect your priority would be on getting the different cultural experience rather that getting somewhat better academic instruction. A public school would give you the more "normal" American high school experience.
I understand good public high schools. My niece and nephew went to one of the top five in the country (at the time). I went to a pretty decent one, even if it was rural.
Sadly, good public high schools are not as easy to find as they used to be.
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I think what she'll actually learn at that highschool is not of the highest importance. The environment, the people, the novelty, the inspiration - that's what counts. But I think it would still be good if it is a decent or good high school, because that correlates with many other important things.
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@Klaus said in Daughter wants to spend 6 months at an American highschool - thoughts?:
She doesn't really understand yet that there is a difference between Boston and rural bible belt.
Jesus.
You've knocked around the States some. What part did you like (people, climate, topography, etc)?
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I've been to the coasts much more than to the "inner" states, but I found likeable things basically everywhere (with the exception of Winnemucca, NV). With regard to nature, I'd say the North-West is my favorite region. I'd be happy to talk about that more, but that's not so relevant for what's a good place for my daughter.
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LuFins is more current than me, but I thought Fairfax County, Virginia was a great place to send my daughter to high school. Large new schools with lot of programs including AP courses, sports and activities. The suburbs are safe places to live and work.
It would also be a good place for a visitor to visit with the Capital right next door, and most of the east coast within driving range.
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Is she thinking of a foreign exchange student program? How much choice is one given in those programs?
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By the way, I was only joking with my earlier post. The local schools only make ~ 5% of girls into boys, so odds are she’ll be fine.
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based on our experience with foreign exchange programs, the host families generally do it for the money rather than for the opportunity to give an enriching home to a young student. I would take Ax up on his offer rather than get placed with a random host family.
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@LuFins-Dad said in Daughter wants to spend 6 months at an American highschool - thoughts?:
By the way, I was only joking with my earlier post. The local schools only make ~ 5% of girls into boys, so odds are she’ll be fine.
LOL
And very generous @Axtremus
To answer your question, all logistics aside (location, living, language) I think it's a really great idea. If more Americans spoke German I'd say the reverse would be great, too. We see that a bit more in college here, with a semester abroad being somewhat common.
BTW, at 15 (or regardless of nationality), you may want to consider somehow a place that she could get to/from via electric scooter or something for daily transportation without a drivers license. That also brings weather into play... stay away from Minnesota, so she doesn't have to deal with the stupid cold as much.
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Just throwing it out here, but plenty of kids of affluent Canadians here spend part of their high school in Europe. I’d say next to zero Canadians would want to spend any high school time in the U.S., even in NYC, Boston, LA . Come to Canada! Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, .. this would be an adventure imo.
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I understand that in Canada it’s a solid 15% chance that your daughter will become a fine young man…
Me/rry/Christmas
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@LuFins-Dad said in Daughter wants to spend 6 months at an American highschool - thoughts?:
I understand that in Canada it’s a solid 15% chance that your daughter will become a fine young man…
Not if she attends a Catholic school in Alberta or Quebec. In any event, Canada would be a good choice as well so long as it would be in a publically funded Catholic school. Better teachers and better administered.
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I can understand wanting the novelty of it, but I'd suggest a summer trip for a few weeks instead, especially if she's more interested in the culture of being an American teen. Perhaps there are programs available in a particular area of study she's interested in? I started my HS education in an excellent school in England and ended it at a fairly decent school not far from Washington, DC. The amount of (what felt like) dumbing down I came across was shocking. I came back to the US mid-9th grade. Social opportunities will be abundant. The opportunity to travel and see new things will be amazing! But the education itself will most likely be lacking.
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