Please be sure to apply for a multiple entry visa. This will allow you to re-enter the United States if you travel to Canada during your stay. At some point, you will be given a pink piece of paper, which is a copy of your IAP-66 visa application. Keep this pink piece of paper with your passport at all times!

Summer temperatures (May - September) can exceed 90 degrees F (32 degrees Celsius), and it can be quite humid. Winter temperatures are usually between 10 and 40 degrees F (-8 to +8 Celsius), but it can get even colder. We have quite a bit of rain in the fall and spring, and in winter there is usually snow on the ground from mid-December until early March. Warm coats, hats and gloves are essential. However, if you don't have these things, you can buy them here.

School clothes are usually casual. Girls wear sweaters, blouses, T-shirts or sweatshirts, jeans, slacks or shorts. Boys wear shirts, T-shirts, sweaters or sweatshirts, jeans, slacks or shorts. You should plan to bring at least one "dressy" outfit - for girls, a dress or skirt and blouse/sweater, for boys, slacks, a dress shirt, sports coat and tie - something appropriate to wear to the theater, a nice restaurant, a school concert, or religious services. Students who participate in school concerts are often required to wear black skirts or black slacks and a white blouse or shirt for performances. Some exchange students come only with jeans and T-shirts and sometimes resist "dressing up" for these occasions. However, it is important to recognize that jeans and T-shirts are not always appropriate, and that you should ask your Host Family about the right clothing to wear on different occasions.

Family and friends "back home" are anxious to hear from exchange students. However, it has been ATAD's experience that frequent communication (i.e. telephone calls, FAXes, e-mail, etc.) "home" works against the students' efforts to become part of life in their host country. Of course, you should call home soon after your arrival in Rochester, within the first day or two. From that point on, we urge that most of your communication with your family be by letter. Letters do take time to write; one suggestion is to write letters to your natural family. Your natural family can copy them and send copies to other relatives and friends. The experience of putting your thoughts and impressions in letters is helpful in many ways: you will be creating a written journal, your family can read your letters many times, and they can share your experiences with others.

This is probably the most frustrating aspect of American life for most exchange students. Most American suburbs do not have good public transit. American teenagers must rely on parents and each other for transportation. (Most Americans drive at age 16; exchange students are never allowed to drive.) This means that if an exchange student wants to go to a basketball game, to the shopping mall, to visit a friend, etc., s/he is going to need transportation - a parent, sibling, friend, or a friend's parent, who will drive. In most American households this means discussion, planning and phone calls. Everyone is busy. Many families live by the daily calendar on the wall or refrigerator with schedules of who has to go where and at what time. Planning ahead, discussion and a cooperative attitude are the keys to success in this difficult area.

As you know, you are considered to be a member of the family and as such will be provided a bed and study area, meals and every-day things, and activities that all family members enjoy together. You will be expected to pay for some things, however, such as:

It is best to discuss the issue of money openly in the beginning. Otherwise misunderstandings can arise. While it is true that some Host Families may pay for some of the things listed above, many Host Families cannot afford these things. Some Host Families may even choose not to take a trip, or to travel without the exchange student, because they cannot afford to bring the exchange student with them. What has worked the best for exchange students and their Host Families is for the exchange student to assume that s/he will pay for the kinds of things listed and that s/he volunteers right away to do so. In this way there is a clear understanding, and the family may offer to pay for some of these things if they can.

Before you leave your home country, be sure to determine how you will receive money from home during your stay in the United States. You may need money quickly for a trip or some other occasion.

School Placement: Most exchange students are considered either juniors (grade 11) or seniors (grade 12). This is entirely up to the school. Even if the student is placed as a junior, he or she is often included in some senior activities. Exchange students do not graduate from their American high school, and they do not receive a diploma.

ATAD requires most exchange students to take American Literature (usually a full-year course, often called English 11) and American History. We try to place students in the math and science courses closest to their ability level. It is not always possible to cover every course of study that you would have in your home country because our sequence of courses is somewhat different.

Our grading system is probably different from the system used in your home school, and there are even different systems at different schools. Some schools give number grades, up to 100, while others use letter grades, from A+ to F. If you have questions about transferring credits, discuss this with your home school before you leave your home country. It is not a good idea to try to continue academic work from your home school while you are in the United States.

All schools expect the exchange students to keep up with their assignments as best they can and to do their best work. In the beginning of the school year, many exchange students feel anxious because they are having difficulty understanding English; it may seem as if everyone is talking especially fast. After the first six or eight weeks, the language will be easier for you. If you are having a lot of difficulty with a course, you should speak with your Host Family, your school counselor and/or your ATAD Program Chair about it. With patience and help, you will be able to do well.

Organization: In most US high schools there is a wide variety of courses from which to choose. Some courses require previous courses (like math), others, like photography, do not. Even though you may be placed as a junior, or a senior, you will find students in your courses who are from different grades, and you will be with different students throughout your day. This system may be very different from your home high school, and it may seem confusing at first, but it gives you many opportunities to meet students from other grades and with a variety of interests.

School Activities: Remember that part of your experience in the United States is to participate in the life of an American high school student. This includes not only the academic life, but also the social life and the activities offered at your new high school. You may think that you don't have time for activities, but these activities are very important to a successful experience for you, and you are encouraged to participate in activities that interest you. There are many different sports and clubs offered throughout the school year in every high school. Skill levels range from beginners to very advanced. Playing on a team and joining a club early in the year are wonderful ways to make new friends who share your same interests. Singing in a chorus introduces you to many new students, is fun, and helps your English, too. Participation in the school plays and musicals, either on stage or behind the scenes, is another excellent way to learn new skills and to meet new friends. Attending athletic events, concerts, and plays at your school is also important and another way to do things with other students.

You must travel to and from your Host Family according to the arrangements made by ATAD; your stay cannot be extended. Please do not make arrangements for personal travel or travel alone during your stay in the United States. If you travel, you must be with your Host Family, or on a school or other sponsored trip. Your natural family should not plan to visit you while you are in the United States. (Please review the ATAD International Student Parent/Student Agreement.)

We would like to suggest some things you might like to prepare before you come to the US, to help you introduce yourself and your home country to your Host Family, your school, your new friends, and our community. Americans may know very little about your country, and some of what they think they know is wrong. Many people in many parts of the world have some idea of what the United States is like through seeing American films and television programs, and a lot of that is wrong, too!!

We would like to suggest that you bring with you photographs of:

A small photo album works well, the kind that has one picture at a time. What is also great is having these pictures as slides. Exchange students are sometimes asked to speak to schools and other groups, and having slides to show can be really helpful, although not necessary.

You might bring a traditional costume, maps, tapes of traditional and popular music, some travel brochures, and postcards - anything like this that you can show to help you describe what life is like where you live, especially the daily life. You might also bring a few recipes for foods you can cook for your Host Family and friends.