Can I request a certain city or region in the country I wish to stay abroad in?
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 I get a passport and visa?
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.
Is there any financial aid for programs?
CIEE has a limited number of merit-based partial scholarships for high school programs. The application for this aid must be turned in by the date stated on the site. Sample fundraising letters and projects are also available.
Will my college allow me to defer my 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.
My parents are concerned that I'll lose interest in going to college if I take an interim year.
For most students who have participated in The 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.
I'm worried about being a year older than the others when I get to college.
These days students matriculate at different ages. You'll find that there will be many students taking a year out. Soon, students who go directly to college will be the odd ones out.
I'm interested in Gap year travel. Will I be able to travel during my CIEE Gap Year Abroad Program?
Backpacking through a country may be enticing if you are only interested in tourism. But to understand a community you must spend time in it. Living and working alongside the people in your host country will maximize the richness of your international experience. CIEE's Gap year opportunities, including the Gap year volunteer work provide the chance to get to know a country, its people, and challenges, in a way that is otherwise difficult to come by. Gap year travel is part of your experience during weekends and other self-directed trips.
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 by email (link to the ‘contact a past participant page') or visit our current and perspective students on Facebook (link to ‘join us on facebook' page).
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 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 gapyear@ciee.org or by telephone at 800.448.9944
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