AFS Academic Policy
As an AFS participant, you must be committed to the academic portion of the program, even if you have already graduated in the USA. The terms of your participation in school are detailed in the Participation Agreement.
Academic Credit
Many AFSers are able to get academic credit for the time they spend in school abroad; however, that’s not the case for everyone. Because academic credit is typically a local decision determined by your school district in the U.S., rather than through AFS, the best advice we can give is to begin talking to your school early. Below are some steps to get you started.
Please remember that while AFS supports your efforts, you are entirely responsible for making arrangements to receive academic credit.
Before You Leave
- Meet with your high school counselor and ask whether they will grant you credit for your time abroad. Every school’s policy is different regarding the acceptance of credit for courses taken outside of your state (and country). AFS cannot guarantee that your high school will grant academic credit for the courses you complete while abroad.
- Create a study plan that outlines which credits must be taken here at home and which credits your high school will accept from abroad. Make sure to go over the plan together with your counselor, and both you and your school should keep a copy. Don’t forget to consider that you could take courses in a different sequence than the typical student and/or you could potentially take online courses before or after your exchange experience. AFS cannot guarantee that you will be provided with any specific courses that your U.S. high school requires. Please plan with your host school accordingly.
- Learn more about your Host School. After you’re accepted by AFS and placed with a host family, you’ll be able to learn more about schools in your host country. As your host school depends on where you are placed with a host family, you should be open to various school settings. Once you’re placed, you will be able to learn a bit more about your specific host school.
While You're Abroad
- Take classes for which you might be given credit. These usually include math, science, art, history, and world language. The classes that are harder to find abroad will be your U.S. history or government courses and English. (In non-English speaking countries, English is taught as a second language so you will most likely learn grammar, not literature, in an English course abroad). Keep in mind, however, that you may not be able to choose your courses while abroad.
- Keep detailed records of your school year abroad. List all of the courses taken and write a detailed description, in English, of each class. Bring home the syllabus of each class along with samples of your work including any quizzes, tests, and homework. Get a profile sheet of your host school, if one exists. Make sure that all of this is collected and in your possession before your host school closes for vacation. If you can take pictures of these syllabi and course descriptions, you can even send them to your school counselor for review while you are abroad.
- Ask your host school teachers to write a letter. Have a favorite teacher write a signed letter about your performance in their class. They may choose to write it in their native language if they do not know English and you can translate the statement.
- Bring home an official transcript, if possible. It is your responsibility to ask for an official transcript from your host school before you return home to the U.S. Make sure to share this request with your host school early and follow-up with them well before your departure from the country. AFS cannot help you once you have returned home. Be advised that depending on your enrollment status your host school may not be able to provide this.
- Complete the Getting School Credit Host School Form. To assist with the credit transfer process, we recommend students complete the Host School Form while abroad. This form records subjects taken, topics covered, course dates, and final grades for each class you are enrolled in at your host school. View and download the form HERE.
When You Come Home
- Send documentation of your coursework abroad to your high school in the U.S. When you get home, show your list of classes to your school, along with any supplemental materials you brought home with you.
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Earn college credit. To get college credit for your “new” language, take the CLEP (College Level Exemplary Placement) test soon after returning home. All colleges offer this test or know where it is given. For a summer abroad program, you could earn up to 8 credit hours and for the year or semester abroad program you could earn up to 15 credit hours. The amount of credit will vary from college to college.
- Certify your language skills. Take the post program language proficiency assessment offered by AFS (if you participated on a year or semester program). Otherwise, consider taking one of the available language proficiency tests on your own (AAPPL or STAMP 4S) after you return while your language skills are at their best. Most states will have a mechanism for you to qualify for the Seal of Biliteracy and/or the Global Seal of Biliteracy to provide a certificate of your level of language to be used on university and job applications.
Again, AFS cannot guarantee academic credit for courses you take while on program. It is your responsibility to check with your home school before you leave to determine if it will be possible for you to receive credit for your classes at the host school and if so, what your home school will need for you to do so. It is at your host school’s discretion what school documents they will be able to provide for your time on program. However, we believe that following the above recommendations can help to best position you to receive credit.
College Application Planning
If you are abroad during your senior year, and you plan on attending college the following fall, it may be necessary for your parents or guardian to help with the college application process. Plan ahead:
- Research, visit and decide on schools
- Request letters of recommendation
- Write and edit your essays where possible
- Make note of all due dates for your intended applications
- Take any standardized tests (SAT, ACT etc.)
Although standardized testing is available in certain locations overseas, previous AFS students have found that taking standardized tests abroad does not yield the best test results. In addition, complicated logistics of accessing the test site can be a major inconvenience for your host family.