High School in Switzerland

Eligibility Requirements

Participants must be between 15,5 and 18 years old on the day of departure.

The AFS Program

After your host parents greet you with traditional hospitality, it shouldn’t be long before you feel at home in their open, friendly community. By going to a local high school, you’ll be totally immersed in a new language and customs, and what you learn during the day will be reinforced at night when you spend time with your host family. This is your chance to break out of your comfort zone and join in this diverse and ever-evolving culture.

Your high school

Switzerland has one of the top education systems in the world, and you can expect your classmates to be highly motivated and engaged students. You’ll most likely attend a Matura school, an academically competitive high school that prepares students for university studies. A typical day might start around 8 am and end around 6 pm.  Most schools have classes until noon on Wednesday, leaving the rest of the day free for skiing, hiking, or spending time with your host family and friends.

If you’re in the German-speaking region, you’ll be given an online Rosetta Stone course, and you’ll be able to take an intensive language course during the first five weeks of your stay. If you’re in the French-speaking region, you should come with some existing knowledge of French, and will get some French lessons at a local level.

For more information on fees and scholarships.

Returning Home

“Life-changing” is hard to describe, yet it’s nearly always the first thing that AFSers say when asked about their experience abroad.
“Transformed” is another one. When you return home, if you’re like most AFSers, you’ll bring with you a sense of accomplishment unlike any other. You’ll have gained maturity and independence, discovered new passions, and feel like you can do anything you set your mind to. That transformation isn’t visible only to you, though – others see it as well. AFSers gain critical skills for college and careers, ranging from language fluency to intercultural competence and critical reasoning. “Life-changing” means it’s only the beginning.