key facts
- What: Scholarship to an American high school
- Age: Post-Year 13 students (scholars must be aged 18 when they take up the scholarship)
- Price: £600 + expenses (bursaries available)
- When: Two or three academic terms, August-May
- How: Apply using the application form below
in brief
The ESU’s Secondary School Exchange offers British students the opportunity to spend a gap year at an American high school at the end of Year 13. It’s a fantastic chance for students to spend time abroad broadening their horizons, making new friends and continuing their education free of exam pressures.
Alumni include singer-songwriter and musician KT Tunstall, comedian Dawn French, journalist and novelist Rosie Millard OBE and writer and director Dick Clement. Feedback is overwhelmingly positive, with students reporting increased confidence, a better understanding of diverse perspectives and the sheer joy of being fully immersed in another culture.
‘My year as an ESU Secondary School Scholar has been nothing but tremendous. The experience I gained as an ESU scholar has and will continue to play an important role in my life. ?The ESU organisation has changed my life drastically. I now have friends who live on the other side of the world offering me places to travel in Asia, Africa and America. I have teachers who have shown genuine interest and commitment in my progression as a student. Most importantly, I have friendships which I do believe will stand strong.’
Leo McBrien, SSE alumnus 2023-24
What students receive
- Scholarship (worth $60,000 to $80,000) to a private US high school
- Full board and lodging plus access to all of the school’s facilities and activities
- Opportunity for independent travel in the holidays
- Once-in-a-lifetime experience that builds self-confidence
- Exposure to other points of view and a different way of life
- The chance to study different subjects and subjects taught from a different perspective and to participate in new sports and pastimes
- Chance to take part in spring break, prom and graduation
- A more discussion-based approach to teaching, setting them up for university
- Positive life experience that is often a differentiating factor in university and job interviews
- Means-tested grants of up to £3,000 are available to applicants to cover additional costs
100% of SSE participants over the last two years strongly agree or agree that ‘The SSE has increased my confidence’
find out more
Questions?
If you have any questions or queries about the Secondary School Exchange please email education@esu.org
Please note that this scholarship is only open to British students, or individuals holding a British or Irish passport.
Registered charity number: 273136