Study Abroad: Boarding School or Host Family

Studying Abroad

In recent years, studying abroad has become an international trend with more and more parents sending their children to study in foreign countries. If in 2001, there were only 2.1 million students going abroad, the number more than doubled in 2017, standing at 4.6 million students.

In addition, students are going abroad at a younger age. For those under the age of 18, most host countries require them to have accommodation arrangements and guarantors.

Parents of minors commonly face the task of choosing between either boarding schools or host families. From the perspective of international students, there are things parents should first consider regarding both types of settings as outlined in this article.

What Is a Boarding School?

The boarding school model has its origin dated back centuries ago, and it has spread across the world with varying functions and philosophies. In the United States, most boarding schools aim at high school students aged from 14 to 18 to prepare them for college and university.

Typically, a boarding school has residential components for students to live on campus, as opposed to day schools where students go home after classes. Most schools allow boarding students to go home on weekends or over holidays.

While some boarding schools design extensive curricula beyond the classroom, some boarding schools are just purely residential. Similarly, some boarding schools are only for boarding students, while others permit a significant portion of day students.

What Is a Host Family?

A host family is a family that invites and hosts international students as a family member while they study abroad. Depending on the program, most host families get paid for hosting the students.

While there are minimum requirements for what the host family must provide—often including a private, fully-furnished room, meals, Internet connection, and other support—the provision can be flexible and varied depending on the family and the relationships between the family and the student.

Boarding School vs. Host Family: Things to Consider

• Tuition, fees, and accommodation
• College admission rate
• Supervision
• Safety
• Learning activities beyond the classroom
• Access to sports/recreational facilities
• Personal growth opportunities

Tuition and Fees

Boarding schools are often more expensive; the tuition and fees plus room and board can range from $20,000 to over $65,000 per year. Most prestigious, high-ranking schools cost over $50,000 per year. Although schools offer a wide range of scholarships and financial aid, international students are often not qualified for financial aid, and scholarships are very competitive.

On the other hand, the cost when living with a host family can be more flexible. If students attend public schools and live in low-cost areas, parents can expect to pay as low as $15,000 per year.

Supervision: Boarding School

For parents of international students who live countries apart, the safety of their children is the top priority. The boarding school campus should consist of safe areas with designated police, security staff, and proper surveillance equipment. In addition, students will be monitored closely 24/7 by qualified staff to ensure their safety and well-being.

Generally, boarding students live in dormitories, which are assigned to a team of resident faculty members who provide round-the-clock assistance to the students. Each dorm also has a team of student proctors or residential assistants to help students with their problems.

Moreover, by agreeing to attend the school and stay on campus, students have to follow a code of conduct, which is meant to facilitate co-living and co-learning in dormitories. Students have to obtain permission if they want to leave campus or carry out certain activities.

Recommended

Emily Dickinson’s "So has a Daisy vanished"

Obviously, there will be misconduct and mischief among teenage students, but there will also be disciplinary penalties to enforce boundaries.

Nonetheless, there are several criticisms against boarding schools citing sociological and psychological issues. For example, some parents feel like their children are totally institutionalized with little or no freedom when living full-time on campus with 24/7 supervision.

Moreover, students might be completely detached from the real world and from their original culture and background, thus gaining false impressions of reality, and becoming lacking in real-life skills and wisdom. Some boarding schools are accused of perpetuating the status quo and entitlement and manipulating students' both physical and emotional lives.

Supervision: Host Family

If students choose homestay instead, they will be supervised by both the schools during school hours and the host parents outside the classroom. Sometimes the tasks will be overlapped, but sometimes there will be gaps when the students are left on their own.

Each host family will have different rules to set boundaries and maintain discipline. Since host parents also hold other jobs and obligations, they might not be able to dedicate all their time to monitoring and supporting the students.

Safety

The recent increasing occurrence of mass shootings and violence adds more concerns for parents. In the first six months of 2018, there were 134 mass shooting incidents in the United States with 23 school shootings, frightening parents whose children live on the school premises.

In response, many schools have reinforced their security system, installing more metal and weapon detective machines, and setting up safety guidelines and protocols. Yet, students should exercise common sense and do safety checks to protect themselves even when traveling on campus.

College Admission Rate

Most of the college preparation and application must be conducted individually. Thus, all students, regardless of where they attend high schools, must work hard, sharpening their academic knowledge and social skills, earning high GPAs and standardized test scores, and participating in a wide range of extracurricular activities/projects to become eligible for their top choice universities/ colleges.

Fortunately, most schools offer AP classes, college-preparatory workshops, and college consultation/counselors to help students prepare and learn more information about the process. In addition, the majority of high school teachers are very helpful and willing to help students with their college applications.

Many schools, including boarding, public, and private schools, also establish an extensive alumni network that generously supports and facilitates their next cohort to settle down at a certain college.

Boarding students might have an advantage in that they basically live the same life as college students, away from their families; therefore, their transition to college life will be much easier. On the other hand, many foreign students still keep the relationship and receive tremendous support from their host parents even after they leave for college.

As for living with a host family, parents might worry about possible abuse or character mismatch. As the host family selection process is careful and sophisticated, emphasizing fitness between students and host families, the unfortunate events are negligible.

However, if the students feel uncomfortable with the host family, it is very important that they and their family communicate the issue to the program coordinators and request a change of host.

Learning Beyond the Classroom: Boarding School

Many boarding schools create opportunities for students to learn outside class hours. Since students live together and in close proximity to teachers, they can continue their academic discussions beyond classrooms. Dorms often have designated study hours from 8 pm to 10 pm, and common study rooms.

Facilities including libraries, labs, and computer rooms are available for students to use at all times. Furthermore, boarders are encouraged and sometimes required to participate in many extracurricular activities. These activities can include music and sporting events, shopping, meals, and organized out-of-town trips.

Moreover, there are often many clubs and organizations on campus for students to join and socialize. Through these activities, students gain leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills.

However, if the students have special penchants for activities or sports that are not offered by the school, it will be very difficult for the students to find opportunities to pursue their interests.

Learning Beyond the Classroom: Host Family

When living with a host family, students have to take full responsibility for their studies after school. The host family can give students some extra help if possible, but generally, students have to complete their schoolwork on their own or go to school to seek assistance. However, living with a host family is a great way to learn about the new country’s culture, norms, behaviors, and especially languages.

Preparing meals, watching television, shopping, or just simply observing the role-sharing in the family can give students a glimpse of the family structure and values. Regarding learning new languages, people in a host family speak the authentic local language, so students have a good chance of learning real idioms, phrases, and expressions that the teachers/professors rarely use to talk to their students.

Access to Extensive Sports/Recreational Facilities

Most boarding schools are well-equipped with recreational, gym, and sports facilities. These amenities are often open to boarders so they can use freely in their free time. What makes them more interesting is that they can take part in these activities together with their classmates or roommates, which encourages more regular and efficient usage.

The schools or student organizations also host various fun games or tournaments to attract more students to participate and find talents for the school’s sports team.

Conspicuously, these facilities are not always available at home. Some host families have yards, gardens, entertainment facilities, and swimming pools available for the family and the host students to enjoy during free time. Nevertheless, if foreign students want to get access to a gym or other amenities after class, they can sign up for some local fitness or sports clubs.

In addition, the host parents can take the students or give them permission to stay in school outside class hours to participate in extracurricular activities or use the school facilities.

Personal Growth Opportunities

Living in boarding schools means the students are on their own, away from their family and their familiar upbringing setting and culture. Although many schools offer mentors and advisors to closely supervise the students academically and emotionally and try to establish a home-away-from-home atmosphere at dormitories, students maintain their autonomy and freedom.