Bradley Said:

Who's been a foreign exchange student in high school?

We Answered:

I've not been an exchange student, but I've hosted 12 of them and been a program representative for many years as well -- in other words, one of the ones who did a lot of those interviews!

One thing about going to France, or a French speaking country; most require 2 years of high school French! Most other countries don't have a language requirement.

Having your language teacher's recommendation is a great start.

For a lot of information from those who have gone before, look at http://www.exchangestudentworld.com/
This site is written by exchange students and covers everything from the initial idea to returning home after the experience.

Ken Said:

how do i become a foreign exchange student while in high school?

We Answered:

Hi,
The first thing you need to do is find an organization. That's not easy, there are over 100 of them, and many of those not very reliable!
I always recommend the top three premier organizations -- AFS, YFU and Rotary (run by Rotary -- the club). Rotary is the cheapest, but most competitive.

The next step is to contact an organization. I've put both YFU and AFS at the bottom for you. For Rotary, find a club member in your town (check with the Chamber of Commerce). They will get you in touch with a local representative.

Now you apply. You can apply to more than one, but you'll pay a non-refundable application fee each time. Make sure you tell the truth on your application and host family letter as those will be used to place you with a host family.

If you are interested in scholarships, you'll also need to apply soon -- maybe as soon as Oct. 1 for some!

I could type tons more, but you'll find most of the info you need at this website, an on-line forum and information center for exchange students (don't worry, it doesn't sell anything!).
http://www.exchangestudentworld.com/
http://www.yfu.org/
http://www.afs.org/afs_or/home

Good Luck!