Can You Study Abroad More Than Once While in High School?
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Studying abroad is a beautiful and rewarding experience that offers countless benefits for your education, future career, and personal growth.
Only about 2% of high school students participate in study abroad, so if you’ve already done it, you’re ahead of the game!
If you're considering doing a second high school study abroad program, we recommend you keep the following tips in mind.
Choose a Different Environment (Location, Location, Location!)
Perhaps you are a student early in your high school career, and you have already completed a summer abroad program. Back at home, you are reaping the benefits of your experience. But you want to do it again. And you certainly can!
Consider the different types of high school study abroad programs available to you.
You may want an entire semester of immersion to solidify your language skills. You may wonder: Can you study abroad twice in the same country? Or perhaps you wonder about other locations you can discover, maybe with a different kind of accommodation or a different geographic region.
Here are a couple example scenarios to help you approach your second high school study abroad program:
- Imagine that for your first study abroad experience, you spent four weeks in Paris, France and focused on improving your French language skills. After returning home, you worry that you are losing your newly gained French skills despite taking classes in school every day. In this case, it might be a good idea for you to spend a high school semester abroad in Toulouse, France. If you see yourself developing a career that utilizes French language skills or have plans to move to France, a longer-term study abroad program could be ideal.
- Now, imagine you are studying two languages in high school, and you don’t yet know how important French will be for your future. In this case, you may decide that a Spanish language program in Argentina will provide more variety, making you a more well-rounded student ready for whatever college brings.
Connect Your Personal Goals to the Program Goals
Your question of can you study abroad multiple times in high school is normal after returning from program. You’ve probably caught the traveling bug!
Yet high school study abroad is much more than just an opportunity to travel.
By participating in more than one study abroad program, you can gain even more language proficiency, independence, a deeper and broader global perspective, and more diverse friendships. These are qualities college admissions officers and employers seek!
Read a blog from one of our alumni where she talks about the reasons she decided to go on a second high school summer abroad!
Don't Ignore the Challenges Posed by Studying Abroad Multiple Times
Studying abroad can be a considerable expense, so pursuing multiple high school study abroad programs could pose a real financial challenge. You could apply for a Global Navigator Scholarship if you haven’t accepted an award in previous years. However, you may need to fundraise through various activities to fund your multiple study abroad experiences.
High school graduation requirements and college application deadlines are also important. For some students, focusing on these may take precedence over a second study abroad program.
Remember, if you don’t end up studying abroad again in high school, you can study abroad in college and even spend your first year of college abroad while gaining college credits.
Make It Happen!
Can you study abroad more than once in high school? Yes, absolutely. Think about the tips above and weigh out the pros and cons. If you decide to go for it, you can make it happen.
You'll get to gain new skills, make lots of new friends, and use what you learned from your last study abroad trip to plan an even better adventure this time!