For Students and Families
From Wondering About An Exchange to Preparing to Go
A reciprocal exchange involves much more than the student who travels.
Your family will welcome another child into your home while trusting another family to do the same for yours.
That means choosing an exchange is a family decision.
EFI provides information, preparation and support at every stage so students and parents understand what the experience requires, what to expect and how to prepare for both sides of the exchange.
Whether you are just beginning to imagine an exchange or already preparing for departure, EFI is here to help your family understand what comes next and feel ready for each stage along the way.
1.
Consider the Right Age
Is My Child the Right Age?
EFI offers exchanges for students ages 8–17.
An exchange can look very different for a 9-year-old than it does for a 16-year-old, and different ages bring different strengths to the experience.
Younger students may approach language, play and family life differently from teenagers, while older students may have greater independence and opportunities for school, friendships and deeper language development.
There is no single “best” age for an exchange.
2.
Is My Child and Family Ready?
Eligibility & Readiness
Is Your Child and Family Ready for Exchange?
Being the right age is only part of being ready for an exchange.
EFI students do not need to be outgoing, fluent in another language or completely independent. They do need to be motivated to participate, willing to become part of another family, open to unfamiliar experiences and ready to communicate and keep trying when things are difficult.
Readiness also looks different at different ages. We do not expect the same independence from a 9-year-old as we do from a 16-year-old. EFI considers each student individually, looking at age-appropriate maturity, adaptability, communication, motivation and ability to engage in the experience.
And because EFI is reciprocal, readiness extends to the whole family. Parents and household members must be prepared for both sides of the exchange: supporting their child as they become part of another family and later welcoming their exchange partner into their own.
3.
Understand What Hosting Requires
Hosting an Exchange Student
Reciprocal exchange means your family will become the host family too.
Hosting is much more than providing a room and meals.
It means welcoming another child into your everyday life, helping them adjust, including them in activities and family plans, supporting their language development and creating the kind of experience you would hope another family creates for your own child.
You do not need a perfect home or expensive vacations.
You do need time, patience, inclusion and effort.
4.
Ready to Begin?
How to Apply
If your family has explored what an EFI exchange involves and is ready to take the next step, the application process is where it begins.
Start with a short pre-application to let us know you are interested. EFI will then send you the Guide to Apply, which walks you through the full application, interviews, preparation and matching process.
You do not need to have every detail figured out before you start. We will guide you through the process from application to match and preparation for exchange.
5.
Preparing for Exchange
A Strong Exchange Starts With Good Preparation
Living with another family, communicating in another language and finding your place in a new school and culture takes more than packing a suitcase.
EFI prepares students and parents for the experience ahead, from understanding immersion and family life to navigating adjustment, communication and the responsibilities of reciprocal exchange. Both families prepare around the same core expectations, with personal guidance from EFI along the way.
The goal is not to make exchange perfectly predictable. It is to help students and families begin to be informed, prepared and ready for both the opportunities and challenges ahead.
6.
Family Meetings
Learn. Prepare. Connect.
Family Meetings bring together students and families at every stage of exchange, from those just beginning to explore EFI to students preparing to travel, current exchange students and experienced host families.
Hear firsthand experiences, ask questions and learn what living an exchange is really like. For applying families, Family Meetings are an important and required part of preparation. For those still considering an exchange, they are a chance to meet the EFI community and learn from families who are already experiencing it.
7.
Student & Family FAQs
Have Questions? Start Here.
Exchanges come with plenty of practical questions. Who travels first? What does hosting involve? How does school work? What about phones, language immersion, travel, costs or homesickness?
Our FAQs provide straightforward answers to the questions students and families ask most, so you can better understand what to expect before, during and after an EFI exchange.
Not Sure Where to Start?
We're Just Exploring
We're Interested but Unsure
We Want to Understand the Program
We're Ready
You Don't Have to Figure It Out Alone
Every student and family is different.
If you are unsure whether your child is ready, which program might fit, when to apply or how an exchange could work around your family and school schedule, talk to EFI.
A short conversation can help you understand the options and decide on the right next step.
