All participants in the Private School Program or Boarding School Program are required to follow the policies, guidelines, and academic requirements stated in their specific school’s Student Handbook. You are also responsible to follow and respect the policies outlined in this AFS-USA Hosted Participants online guide.
Your local AFS office will provide you with a private or boarding student handbook prior to your departure. Like other schools, private or boarding schools will have various classes, schedules, or homework policies. Please read U.S. American Schools to get to know schools in the U.S. but remember, your private or boarding school handbook will have pertinent information specifically related to your school.
Whether you attend a U.S. school that is small, large, public, private, or boarding - you are a member of the AFS community. You are required to participate in AFS-USA Orientations and are encouraged to participate in local social gatherings and events with fellow AFSers.
Together, you are all AFS ambassadors representing countries from around the world, within your host communities, and within your private or boarding schools.
Here are a few tips to help you prepare for your US arrival:
- Review Getting Started to familiarize yourself with 5 important steps before you travel.
- Go to Preparing for Arrival to help you organize and plan for your U.S. arrival.
- Be sure specific private or boarding school waivers are completed and signed. If you do not know if your U.S. private or boarding school requests additional forms, please contact your local AFS office.
- Refer to Additional Resources and Documents to read and complete.
- Visit Your First Days so you know what to expect upon arrival.
- Learn about Safety Tips