While CIEE requested that we do not inform others of the specifics, I thought I might list some general advice for the selection event:
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I have always been fascinated by foreign languages and cultures; eighth grade French class created a spark in me that has not burn out since. These are the subjects that I study for fun, as I crave knowing more about how people live and communicate all around the world.
As I began high school, I started researching foreign exchange opportunities. My French teacher recommended programs that I couldn't even dream of affording. I stumbled upon the CBYX program, having missed the deadline, but setting a reminder for the next year. Before I continue with my story, let me tell you a little bit about this wonderful program. The Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange is a full scholarship granted by the U.S. Department of State to 250 students each year to live and attend high school in Germany. The program is divided into five regions, each headed by a different partner organization. My region, the southeast, is ran by CIEE, so the selection process may vary from other regions. The initial application, released in the fall of each year, consist of teacher recommendations, personal essays, a "letter to your host family", as well as transcripts and other general information. Thinking that my chances of receiving the scholarship were slim, I turned my application in with few expectations. About a month later, I had almost forgotten that I had applied at all. I received an email notifying me of my selection as a semi-finalist. This meant that I would head to Atlanta in March for an in-person interview. I was ecstatic, and my chances of getting accepted were looking better. CIEE had two selection events, about fifty students attended mine. The other semi-finalists were amazing, and I loved thinking that they might be some of my best friends next year. Fear sunk in as the minutes counted down to my interview. Walking out, I had no idea how it went. The rest of the event answered many of my questions about the program, and made me much more confident in leaving the country for a year. After I left Atlanta, I still had a month until selection calls were made. I was in an Art Honors Society meeting when I got a call from a Portland area code. I had been accepted!! I had a week to email CIEE with a confirmation of my participation in the program, which I did in a heartbeat. If you are a CBYX alum, or currently participating in the program, you will know the pain that is the secondary application. Forty pages of essay questions, transcripts, medical information, photos, passport information, etc. While this application does not affect your acceptance, it is important to turn it in on time so that CBYX can begin placing you with a host family. As a serial procrastinator, I can genuinely say that the secondary application should be started the second you receive it. Even though I began to work on it as soon as possible, I was still rushed to get it in to CIEE by the deadline; my mom and I ran into the post office a minute before it closed. Now, it's June, and we're planning for my departure in August. Some people from my region have received their host families, but most (including myself) have not. The first month in Germany will be spent at a language camp with the other 49 selected students in a castle called Schloss Wittgenstein outside of small town Bad Laasphe. |