frequently asked questions

Can we select a certain city or region in the country abroad?

The best practice is to allow the foreign offices to find a family that is looking for a student that matches your profile. However, some of our programs allow regional preferences. These preferences are taken into consideration during the application and host family search, however it is not guaranteed. The family stay is the heart of any exchange, so finding the right family is our first priority and should be yours.

How do we get passports and visas?

Many students already have a passport, but they should make sure that it will not expire prior to their return date. Students who need new or renewal passports should apply at their local post office and allow six to eight weeks to get them. The post office has the list of documents and fees needed.

Visas are permits to spend more than three months in a country, and are specific to each country. CIEE will direct you to the web site of the closest consulate of the country you are visiting, but we cannot obtain the visa for you. We will provide you with proof of a family, a school and insurance, but you are responsible for getting the visa. You will have to turn your passport in to the consulate, and you will not be able to travel until the passport is returned to you with the visa inside. The rules for what you need to obtain the visa change frequently, and it will be up to you to keep current on what is needed, obtain other documents required and get these to the consulate yourself.

How often should we expect to hear from CIEE?

Before a student departs, there is regular communication for the 5 months preceding his/her departure. Close to the departure date, the communication is very frequent. If a student applies up to a year before departure, he/she will be interviewed, an interim invoice will be generated, and some communication will happen, but there may be some lapses of time before regular communication is again established. You will meet the Outbound Team by phone or email, and you are always free to call or email any of us with any questions. We hope that this web site will answer most of your concerns, and we will continually update it with new information.

For the most up to date pre-departure information and travel resources, visit our Current Participants section of our website.  You will need to log in to access the site. If you have been accepted to one of our programs and do not have this information, please contact us.

Is there any financial aid for programs?

CIEE has a limited number of merit-based partial scholarships for high school semester/academic year programs. The application for this aid must be turned in by the date stated on the site.

When will we find out the host family information?

You will be given family information in time to obtain your visa, and you and your family will have a chance to see the host family's application and to communicate with them by phone or email prior to departure. The exact date of this placement is impossible to predict, because so many factors go into making a good placement. If you have been accepted into a program, you will have a host family placement in time to obtain a visa and travel. That is a firm commitment from CIEE and its overseas partners.

When and where is the orientation?

Orientations usually take place in Boston one day before departure to Europe and Latin America. Orientations for Japan and Australia are generally on the west coast, in either Los Angeles or San Francisco. They consist of a full half day program of information about topics that students will need. The rest of the time is spent on sightseeing in the area, restaurants and evening activities. Students will be met at the airport and housed in hotels with other participants. CIEE staff will stay in the hotel with the students and will accompany them to their overseas check-in. They will be met at the other end by our program staff abroad and taken either to a central location for an in-country orientation or to their new community for a local orientation.

For the most up to date pre-departure information and travel resources, visit our Current Participants section of our website. You will need to log in to access the site. If you have been accepted to one of our programs and do not have this information, please contact us.

How can my child change the date of their return flights?

Every program has an end date, and the tickets will be purchased for that date. Our fare class is for students, so the availability of seats is limited on each date. Ticket dates are changeable for a fee, but this must be done well in advance of travel. Students must return on the same airline, with the same itinerary as originally booked. All changes are the responsibility of the student and his/her family directly with the airline.

Can we speak to former participants and their parents?

CIEE maintains a list of alumni students and families that are enthusiastic about talking to potential students and their families. Request to talk to a former participant‘s parents via email by filling out this form, or visit our current and perspective students on Facebook.

How will my son/daughter get money while abroad?

Most families open a checking account with their child and obtain a Visa debit card and ATM card for the student to use abroad. That will allow them to access money any time of day or night, any day of the week. Students are covered by iNext travel insurance, but if they have a medical need, they will often have to pay and then send their receipts to parents to be reimbursed. Medical costs abroad are a fraction of those in the U.S., so this should not be a major expense, and it is reimbursable in most cases. Check with the insurance company prior to confirm at the time of any doctor’s visits.

What about taking SAT's and AP Exams while abroad?

Many of the exams that are given in the U.S. are available abroad at designated test centers. Please visit the College Board web site at www.collegeboard.org for more information on taking these exams overseas and to findexam locations and dates. Please be aware that CIEE will not schedule these exams for you and that the SAT/AP exam test centers may not be in your host town/city. Transportation to and from test centers will be at the discretion of the participant.

Will the grades that my child receives abroad affect their high school grade point average?

Foreign grading systems are quite different, so evaluating them on the American grading scale is often difficult. The student's GPA should not be affected by the courses taken abroad. The student will need to obtain a grade report from their host school at the end of their semester/year and bring it back to their home high school. Please see School Credit for more information.

Will a college allow my son or daughter admission to take an Interim Year program?

Most colleges are amenable to deferring admission for students taking a Gap year abroad or Interim year program, and a number of highly selective colleges actually recommend that students consider a year off before starting classes as a means to mature emotionally and intellectually.

Will my child lose interest in going to college if they take an interim Gap Year Abroad after high school?

For most students who have participated in CIEE Gap year abroad programs, the opposite actually occurs. Gap year abroad students return from this experience with new visions of themselves and their course of study. The Gap year abroad experience enables students to put academic goals into perspective and gives them a better defined purpose.

My child is worried about being a year older than the others when they get to college if they take a Gap Year Abroad.

These days students matriculate at different ages. You'll find that there will be many students taking a year to do something meaningful before they begin their university studies.

Will my child be able to travel independently during their CIEE High School or Gap Year Abroad Program?

Backpacking through a country may be enticing for your child if they are only interested in tourism. But to understand a community one must spend time in it. Living, studying, speaking, and/or volunteering alongside the people in your host country will maximize the richness of your international experience. Going abroad with CIEE during your high school years offers students the chance to get to know a country, its people, and challenges, in a way that is otherwise difficult to come by. However, this doesn’t mean travel is completely out of the question – host families and program excursions (Gap Year Abroad only) will ensure your son or daughter sees their host country outside of the classroom!

What are some real-life gap year volunteer work or gap year projects examples?

Here are a few of the many examples:

• In Sevilla, Spain a student might volunteer with Amnesty International or the Red Cross
• In Valparaiso, Chile a student might work for a local public health organization
• In the Dominican Republic a student would very likely spend at least a week at a rural worksite run by the Peace Corps
• In Shanghai, China a student would be teaching English to the "floating migrant children" at a state run elementary school

What is a language immersion program?

Have you ever heard someone say "I can understand Spanish fine, I just can't speak it?" A language immersion program is usually designed to ensure that you can both speak and understand a foreign language. By forcing you to use whatever level of foreign language skills that you might possess - even if it is only one word - a language immersion program will surround you with a foreign language. You will use that language for everything, from discussing literature to finding the men's restroom. You might be tired at the end of a day of language immersion, but you will definitely be speaking more fluently than when you started.

Have a question? Contact CIEE at hsabraoad@ciee.org or by telephone at 800.448.9944