So recently I've been jumping a lot from program to program.
I can't stay settled on one. I originally had my heart set on RYE (Rotary Youth Exchange) until many people started telling me that if I was intent on going only to Japan, then that would be a
horrible choice.
If you haven't heard the rumors about RYE, I'll tell you.
Rotary Youth Exchange is an organization/club. The people who host and work volunteer without pay, that's why the prices remain so low for exchange. In my district, it's $4,300 for the exchange, which includes round-trip airfare, hotel accomodation, health, travel, and liability insurance, versus CIEE ($24,000+), AFS ($12,000 [for a
semester]) and ASSE ($7,300).
So, what I was saying about Rotary... When doing the application, you have a "Top 4 countries" choice, and, well, obviously you choose the top 4 countries you want to go to in order. It's rare for somebody to recieve their top choice, which is what has me stressed out of my mind. They try to send you to your first country, but if they can't, they kind of... Just send you to whatever country is availible, or, if you seem only excited about one country (like me and Japan), then they won't send you there because they want you to be more "open-minded".
Going with RYE is risky, incredibly risky, but it's the only program my family and I can really afford.We're going to go through the application process, in fact, we're doing it right now, and it's almost completed. We'll be sending it in near the end of May or beginning of June. One reason that I
can trust RYE is because the rules vary from district to district. My mom called my RYE counselor directly and asked her how they choose their country, and her response was, "We try really hard to give you your first country. It depends on how many people from our district go. 8 out of 9 people wanted to go to France last year, but only 2 got to. We have one boy in Japan right now, and he's been the first person in years."
So she said I have a good chance of going! She also said that the sooner I turn in my application, the better the chance I have of going!
Why? You ask? Because if I get accepted by RYE Japan sooner, then I won't have to worry about my "spot" being taken, since there are only so many that can go to that country with Rotary. It's like the people who wait and camp outside stores when something comes out so they can get it first.
But, if they say no and can't send me to Japan, then I'm debating whether or not I should just go to the country they send me to, or if I should wait it out until my senior year and go with ASSE. I'm praying they'll send me to Japan. RYE is really the only way I'll be able to go on exchange, it seems. But I love Japan so much, I'm willing to wait my senior year and go with ASSE :)
