~~***~~IMPORTANT INFO BELOW~~***~~ Hello guys!!~~ This video is basically my story on how I studied abroad in high school. If you are not in high school and/or not interested in studying abroad in Japan during high school, feel free to ignore this video!~ haha Sorry for the terrible Japanese, btw (ノдヽ) The organization I used: Greenheart Travel http://www.cci-exchange.com/travelabroad/program.aspx?id=666 The company also has other things you can do, like volunteer abroad and teach English abroad! Very cool :) *I did homestay with a family for 3 months, incl. tickets and everything (and I applied early, so discount) it was around $6000 I think. I forgot D: Year-long program is around $12,000...that's a realllly good deal! Other things worth considering: *Rotary Club nearby you may sponsor students to study abroad (i.e. look out for scholarship opportunities) *Another well-known organization: http://www.ciee.org/ *Some people take a GAP year, or a year off JUST for study abroad. I did not want to delay college, so my unique answer to the problem was graduating early and finding my own program. THIS MAY NOT BE FOR YOU (since I already graduated high school, I didn't have to worry about getting credit: you may have to depending on your situation). *There's also much shorter programs, around 2 weeks or what-not, but these tend to be more expensive, and you will learn more about the culture, but little improvement in language skill can be expected from this type of program *Before going on a study abroad, I recommend knowing some Japanese. Take advantage of any classes near you, even if they are at a community college and not your high school. Ideally one year of Japanese study before a study abroad, but regardless of what you know beforehand, you will know a lot more afterwards *Study abroad can be fun, but it's different than travel. You're LIVING in the country, thus it's not always "fun". But, trust me, it's definitely worth it, ups and downs! *always leave time to apply for the program. It's generally said you need to apply for your program almost a year before you go! You need to leave time for stuff like getting your passport and a student visa for Japan. Best of luck guys! ^ ^ Check out my blog: http://emilycebula.wordpress.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/TanoshiiEmi