F-1 Academic Program FAQs

Acceptance to a particular school will depend on the student’s prior grades, English level and a few other factors the school may have. We encourage students list additional school choices in case they would not get accepted. Most students do get accepted to their first school choice.

We will do our best to place the student in their number 1 choice, we do recommend that a student provides 3 of their top choices so that we can efficiently work to apply to their second and third choice if for whatever reason they are not accepted to their first choice.

Students can attend private school in the US on an F-1 Visa for as many years as they would like. They can start in middle school and continue throughout High School, College or Universities. If the F-1 Visa expires, the student would simply need to re-apply for an F1 Visa and the school they will be attending will issue an I-20.

Students can attend designated F-1 public schools for 1 year. Should the student wish to continue High School in the US after this year, we can help transfer to one of our Private schools.

Yes, if the school allows and the student(s) meet the requirements, they will be allowed to graduate and earn a diploma.

Most schools do not offer a diploma for students who come to the USA during their senior year. In rare instances it might be a possibility.

Yes, if the schools/counties allow sports participation for international students.

Yes, students will generally return to their home country during summer break however it is not required. Students that do stay during the summer will have additional fees to cover the cost of Insurance and the additional months with their host family.

Occasionally, the schools that we work with may require additional documentation or an application that is created by the school. In these cases, we will provide the school documentation to be completed.

During your time abroad, your support system will consist of your host family, local coordinator, school personnel, in-country office staff, and of course the ICES office in America. The local coordinator will be in contact with you, your host family, and your school regularly to ensure that you are making the most of your experience abroad. They will be your first point-of-contact for any issues with the host family or school. In addition, the in-country office will have English-speaking staff who can assist you with any questions or issues that go beyond the local coordinator’s abilities. The ICES office (including our 24-hour emergency line) is available to you and your parents throughout your experience.

Please consult the most recent Pricing Guide for a list of available program start/end dates and application deadlines, as these differ by school. Many schools have rolling admission and can accept late applications.