Admissions
Welcome!
Whether you are a student, parent or teacher, we are delighted by your interest in learning more about SYA. We hope that your exploration of this site will give you a clear sense of what SYA has to offer, and help you to navigate the admissions process.
Since opening our first school in Spain in 1964, SYA has been offering students the opportunity to achieve mastery of a second language, gain familiarity with the beliefs and values of other cultures and learn the skills to meet the challenges of the global community. While the classroom is an important component of your SYA experience, immersion in the surrounding community is also essential. Every activity, from sharing a meal with your host family to scoring at a soccer match, to buying a train ticket is a valuable learning opportunity. At SYA, the world is truly your classroom.
To explore SYA’s program in the country where you would be interested in studying please click the country name in the left hand menu. There, you will find information on course offerings, the city, the travel program and extracurricular adventures.
SYA programs are designed to give you full academic credit at your home high school so you can stay on track for graduation without compromising your academic program.
Be sure to click “Request Information,” while visiting our website, then complete and submit the online inquiry form. We will promptly send you a full catalogue, application, information about financial aid, and a DVD about our program.
Finally, do not hesitate to contact us by email at admissions@sya.org or by phone at 978.725.6828, ext. 2. We look forward to getting to know you!
Eligibility
High school sophomores and juniors may apply to spend their junior or senior year abroad with SYA. Graduating high school seniors may apply to spend a gap year at SYA Vietnam.
Language requirements
Students interested in SYA France or Spain must be currently enrolled in French or Spanish level 2 or higher.
Students may attend SYA China, Italy, Japan, or Vietnam without prior language experience in Mandarin, Latin and Italian, Japanese or Vietnamese. Our language classes are designed to accommodate many different levels, from beginners to those with high proficiency.
Competitiveness
Each SYA school welcomes about 60 students per year. Recently, we have received about three applications for every two places in the program. We accept students whose strong academic records demonstrate that they would thrive in our rigorous program, while still having time to take advantage of life in their home stay families. But we also seek out students who can convey why they are interested in going abroad and what they would contribute to their host family and school communities. To assess these attributes, SYA looks at transcripts, test scores, admissions essays, and teacher’s recommendations. A student’s ability to pay is not taken into consideration in the admissions process—our need based financial aid is processed separately, and kept confidential from the admissions staff.