B.K.
Hi K.. Having an exchange student can either be really great, or really really bad. The first thing you have to consider is what group you are getting your student through. Are they a national group that is estabilished and has a support system in place? Have they been active for a long peroid of time with a strong success rate? What kind of process do you as the "host family" have to go through? If it's a quickie interview with a push to get you to sign up...run away! Each family as well as student should be fully vetted and cleared...and that takes more than an hour interview! You also need to consider your school district...do they have an exchange student program in place and are willing to have an exchange student? Not all school districts do...and if they don't will they assign you a contact to answer all your questions and work as an advocate for the student? Will your student be able to partisapate in all the senior year activities and be able to be in the yearbook? (As well as purchase one?) Will your school provide lunches for your student or will you be responsible for it? (Some schools will, some won't) What kind of health insurance will the student have? Will the student have all the required shots for school prior to comming to the states? If not will they have the funds to get the shots once they get here? How will the student be required to handle their money once here in the US and how will you be held accountable? How much money will they have to spend while they are here and will they be allowed to hold any kind of part time job to add to their income or not?
Then you get into questions about the student, will their be a language issue? Be prepared to find out that your student's perception of english will be ENGLISH not American...which are two very different languages in today's world. Does the student make friends easily? What kind of household is the student comming from (an only child from a single parent home may not do well in your big family even if they think/want to try.) If they will be sharing a room with one of your children you need to consider if they have ever experienced that as well. You also may need to be flexiable there...and be prepared to switch things around if your student doesn't hit it off with their roommate. IF your student is not involved in lots of school activities at home, then don't expect them to be any different here...in fact they may become more isolated with the language barrier.
Every member of your family has to really want to do this...it changes everything in your family & household. You also have to be prepared for different ideas about bathing, eating, religion, and respect for parents. It will also change your household budjet alot more than you may expect so money should be a consideration.
We have had three very different experiences with three students through two different programs. One was amazing, one was okay and the third was awful. So you must be very carefull and consider absolutly everything you can before making your final decision. So don't make it quickly, and don't allow anyone to force you to decide quickly...if they do then your probably going to have problems down the road. Best wishes.
