Foreign Exchange Student - Yes or No?

[BYUMizzou]

For the last 3 years, the lady who coordinates the local foreign exchange student program has asked us to host a foreign student. The last two years, we've turned her down, but are on the fence this year. Our oldest two daughters will be a Junior and Freshman in HS. If we host one, it will be a girl who will also be a Junior so that her activities mesh with my oldest daughter.

There are still questions about whether we want to bring in a teenager who's a complete stranger into our home for 10 months. What say ye, CUF? Yea or Nay?

There are basically three options. There are very few European choices, and none that we're really excited about.

There are a large number of south American/Mexican girls. Most of them are Brazilian, with a few from Mexico. The coordinator says that you have to be careful about the south Americans because they tend to like to party.

There are also a large number of Asian girls. The coordinator says you very rarely have trouble with the students from Taiwan, China, Japan and Korea because they are locked in on being good students. We have concerns, however, how an Asian student would fit in given the fact that our kids are heavily into sports and are practicing and traveling year round to different sports activities.

[wuapinmon]

I've only known people who hosted kids from Japan, and there was never a problem.

As to the likelihood of partying, most South Americans I know who are young right now (my former students) really really really enjoy their alcohol. fwiw

[CJF]

There are also a large number of Asian girls. The coordinator says you very rarely have trouble with the students from Taiwan, China, Japan and Korea because they are locked in on being good students. We have concerns, however, how an Asian student would fit in given the fact that our kids are heavily into sports and are practicing and traveling year round to different sports activities.

Asians don't like sports?

[LiveCoug]

When I was a senior in high school, my family took in a German kid for 10 months. Nice guy, a little weird, but nice. One day, after cross country practice, he was so thirsty he stopped by the grocery store to pick up something to drink. Gatorade, maybe? Powerade? Bottle of water? Nope, Good ole Denis picked up a 32 ounce bottle of prune juice and downed the sucker on the spot.

[fusnik]

I never knew a cool family with cool kids that took in a foreign exchange student, fwiw.

[LiveCoug]

I never knew a cool family with cool kids that took in a foreign exchange student, fwiw.

Apparently you just missed reading the post above you.

[fusnik]

Apparently you just missed reading the post above you.

Don't know your family.

[BYUMizzou]

Asians don't like sports?

I'm not saying that. The coordinator lady, who's been doing this for 30 years, says that it's more likely to get someone highly interested in athletics if we choose a south American/Mexican/European.

[BYUMizzou]

I've only known people who hosted kids from Japan, and there was never a problem.

As to the likelihood of partying, most South Americans I know who are young right now (my former students) really really really enjoy their alcohol. fwiw

The majority of the girls (over 50%) who are available are from Brazil. We really haven't looked at any of them for this reason.

[Jeff Lebowski]

There are also a large number of Asian girls. The coordinator says you very rarely have trouble with the students from Taiwan, China, Japan and Korea because they are locked in on being good students. We have concerns, however, how an Asian student would fit in given the fact that our kids are heavily into sports and are practicing and traveling year round to different sports activities.

Our high school won the state championship last year in girls volleyball, in part due to an outstanding exchange student from Japan.

[HuskyFreeNorthwest]

Our high school won the state championship last year in girls volleyball, in part due to an outstanding exchange student from Japan.

International recruiting for HS? They do take sports seriously in Utah.

[byu71]

Good luck with your decision. I wonder if some parent in a foreign country wouldn't be just as afraid of sending a kid to an LDS family as an LDS family is in getting one.

We worry about them partying and they worry about them coming back weird.

[TripletDaddy]

I'm not saying that. The coordinator lady, who's been doing this for 30 years, says that it's more likely to get someone highly interested in athletics if we choose a south American/Mexican/European.

in all seriousness, What does this matter anyway? If your children are competing in tournaments, that probably means that they have above average skill sets in those sports and are quite dedicated. Is the idea that you will find the one kid that has dreamed of coming to America to spend all of his time traveling around to sit and watch your kids play sports? Or is the expectation that you find the one magical kid that not only plays the same sports as your kids, but plays them at the same level?

I can't tell if you are shopping for an exchange student or opening up your home to one.

[The_Tick]

We had 3 foriegn exchange students live with us when I was a kid.

Dude from Brasil...Ricardo...really cool dude. He was my favorite. No problems at all and was fairly religious. Non LDS.

Dude from Japan...Shin...weird. Not a bad weird, I just didn't know anything about Asian culture so he seemed weird. He was a nerd though. I knew that for sure.

Girl from Japan...don't remember her name. She was nice.

I say go for it.

[HuskyFreeNorthwest]

We had 3 foriegn exchange students live with us when I was a kid.

So far we know that fusnik thinks Live and Tick are not cool.