Foreign Exchange Student Part 2

Well, I received the email with the attached documents and just as I had suspected it was all there in writing…

Interview and application handling fee (committee costs);

Two student weekends (space rental, food, room, transportation costs, activities for student & committee); Student/Parent orientation (space rental, materials and food); copies and postage, committee resources, training and supplies.                      

Due at Time of Interview:                                                      $ 1600.00

So this was the part she was referring to about not being refundable. Of course if we all take off on two weekend get-a-ways, there would be no money left to refund.

After going over the documents, I took a day to think about it and after talking with my daughter, I decided to send the lady an email:

Good afternoon (name here),

I have spoken with my daughter at great lengths regarding your program and she has decided to not participate. She doesn’t meet the requirements of being 1/3 of her class as she has only a 3.0 and doesn’t need the extra stress of worrying about that right now. Currently she is an A student and hopefully will remain that way throughout the school year. 

Together, we have decided that she will be going overseas for a year to Greece. This way she can become fluent in her primary language and learn more about her culture. As previously mentioned, she has been going back every summer for the last two years. She already has the experience of being a U.S. Ambassador as an American being in a foreign country. She has spent her time networking while there and has make connections with very important people that could help her along the way. 

I wanted to thank you for all your help in providing this information and taking the time out of your busy schedule to talk with us. 

I couldn’t have been more professional even though I had a sick feeling of what I had just read about where the initial money would be going.

One thing that really got me the first time we had spoken to this woman was when she wanted my daughter’s GPA saying that she must be a 4.0 (1/3 top of her class) to qualify for the program. I clearly told her that my daughter was a 3.0 according to the school and the woman said she could wait until the end of the first quarter and take a look at her report card. Of course this would be after the initial amount of $1600 would be paid. Talk about being strung along.

Her reply to my email:

Well I am sorry to hear that your daughter won’t be joining us, because she sounds excited about it and it would be fun. Of course you have the means and relationships to give her so much more as a family unit and that is exciting too!

I wish her luck in all she does. The UNM global studies program is also excellent for study abroad. If you have any other questions I am happy to chat again.

Now that I have come up with the idea to send my daughter overseas for a year to her home country, I will run it by her to see what she says.