For us, the United States of America is still a land of unlimited opportunities. The appeal of the unknown, the vast country with its many cultures and the most diverse people still holds enormous attraction for us Europeans. A gap year in the USA is still hugely popular among German students, but also among young adults. Who wouldn't want to spend a whole year far from home getting to know new cultures and people?

Why do a gap year in the USA?

The reasons why young people want to experience a gap year in the USA are of course as varied as the people themselves.
Here are some of the reasons:

1. Experiencing independence
Students in particular who have the chance to do a gap year in the USA wish for independence from their home for the first time. Moving to a foreign country for 12 months, to a family you don't know, takes courage. Still, the young people go back home stronger and with great self-confidence.
The students return to their school with new experiences and can look positively toward the future with their new insights.

2. Experiencing a different school system
A gap year in the USA is mostly done by students. But the school system in America is completely different from German classes. For the students it's a truly educational experience to get to know the American school system and have to prove themselves there.

Gap year in the USA

3. Improving language skills
Of course, the stay in the USA is first and foremost there to deepen the language skills acquired at home. Anyone who has spoken a foreign language day after day for a whole year can deepen that knowledge better than the few class hours at a German school allow. The student naturally benefits in school life, but also in the early stages of a career, from their solidified English skills.

What are the requirements for a year in the USA?

To be allowed into the land of dreams, young people have to meet a few requirements. Students must have turned 15 but may not be older than 18. In addition, both the German and the American school set some conditions that have to be met if the stay takes place as part of a student exchange.

For young people who are no longer required to attend school, an internship abroad can be a way to spend a year in the USA.
With a visa, there's also the option of visiting the country for a year as an au pair or on a work and travel trip.

What does such a long stay in the USA cost?
An exchange year in the USA costs students around $11,000. Depending on location and circumstances, though, the costs can climb to as much as $33,000.
With work and travel or as an au pair you get off cheaper, but you have to work on site to cover your living expenses.