HIGH SCHOOL

Your high school experience is awaiting you!

THE SCHOLARBOOK APPROACH

The perfect combination for your goals

The USA offers athletes at many high schools a unique environment in which they can optimally combine their athletic, academic and personal development.

Athletics

The professional conditions and great coaching catapult you to the next level of sport.

Academic

With a stay abroad and strong English language skills, you will impress every employer and also have the best chances of getting a scholarship at college.

Personal

The harmonious balance between sport and study gives you enough free time to explore the country and get to know new people and cultures.

Application

Start your High School
journey now!

Once completed, a high school expert will contact you to tell you more about our
unique approach and the journey to high school.

Free

Fast

Straightforward

Focus on sports development

We are the leading agency when it comes to high school sports focus

Since we focus on recruiting athletes, we have built up the greatest possible expertise in this area. Our partner schools are all boarding schools with a focus on the optimal combination of sport and school.

Partner schools that trust us

We are constantly in active contact with our partner schools and have a very good relationship thanks to this close contact.

Direct cooperation

We cooperate directly with schools, which is why we send athletes to the USA with a visa status that allows them to extend their stay at will, if desired. This extension can extend up to a high school degree and complete bachelor's degree in the USA.

Focus on the perfect match

Because of the close contact, we know the schools exactly and not only know what the schools are looking for, but also whether you will feel comfortable there. In the end, choosing a school is a perfect match between your wishes and the requirements of the school.

Some of our partner schools

Please choose your sport

There are 3 different sports seasons in high school — Fall, Winter, and Spring. It's normal to play a different sport every sports season in high school. For example, you can belong to the cross country team, in winter to the swimming team and in spring to the tennis team.

In which season a sport is offered depends on the respective state, as well as the conference and the school.

To find out more about your sport and, if necessary, to learn how you can practice a sport all year round, please click on the respective sport.

AFTER HIGH SCHOOL

The best conditions for studying in the USA

Best requirements for studying in the USA

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At our partner schools, you will get a first impression of how life on campus is possible with the combination of sport and academic education. It will be the same later on in college. We therefore call the high school experience a “College Light” experience, as you can “get a taste” of life on a US campus during this year abroad. Of course, as a high school athlete, you are already on the coaches' radar and have the best chance of getting a scholarship afterwards!

Our students study at these universities

Our students study at these universities

Application

Start your high school journey now!

Once completed, a high school expert will contact you to tell you more about our unique approach and the journey to high school.

Free

Fast

Straightforward

F.A.Q.

Frequently Asked Questions

What makes Scholarbook different from other providers of a high school stay?

Scholarbook works exclusively with athletes who want to live their dream USA even while still at school, but are not assured with current exchange organizations that they can continue their sport at a performance level. In contrast to these others
lengthen. During a stay through another agency, your child is forced to leave the USA after one school year. With Scholarbook, your child has complete freedom of choice as to what the future holds

What is an independent private school in the USA?

Private and independent schools in the USA, also known as “American Independent Schools,” “private,” or “prep” schools, are a group of the best academic schools in the USA. These schools were founded to optimally prepare students for university (prep = college prepatory). The schools are financed by school fees, private sponsors, graduates and parents, as well as foundations.

Characteristics of a U.S. Prep School:

  • Small class sizes, maximum 15 students

  • Elitist trained faculty

  • High academic standards

  • curriculum designed to the highest standards, particularly in the fields of art,
    Music, Sports, Debate, and Volunteer Work

  • Modern and high-class campuses and equipment

  • Character building is in the foreground

  • Safe campus life

  • Accredited by regional and national organizations

  • “School Spirit” — strong identification with the school through logo, songs
    and community presence

Will my child live with a host family?

Scholarbook works exclusively with boarding schools in the USA. We therefore do not place athletes in host families. Since cultural exchange is also important to schools for boarding school students, some schools offer so-called “homestay programs.” Through these programs, your child can spend weekends, holidays or, if desired by the local family, vacations with an American family. These programs are offered directly through schools. Scholarbook does not coordinate these programs and has no influence on whether such a program is offered by your preferred school.

Can I practice my sport in the USA all year round?

American high school sports are seasonal, i.e. each sport is offered in one of the three seasons in total. These are fall, winter and spring. In the sports of soccer (m/f), tennis (m/f), basketball (m/f), athletics and swimming, Scholarbook cooperates with schools that have affiliated clubs or sports academies to enable year-round training. This training can take place on campus or nearby. Clubs outside high schools charge fees, which are billed separately. Scholarbook has no influence on these additional fees. Sports Academies, or in English “Sport Academies”, are completely tailored to athletes and offer the opportunity to practice sports at a high-performance level. As the name suggests, these schools are either exclusively or primarily enrolled in competitive athletes who aim to practice their sport at college as well.

What is student exchange?

A student exchange happens when a family sends their athlete to the USA and they live with an American family and in return accepts an American student. Scholarbook does not offer student exchanges.

When is the right time to go abroad?

The German school is in demand here. It is best to talk to the school principal early on about the possibility of a stay abroad. On average, most athletes go to the USA in 10th or 11th grade. It also depends on whether your child's school offers the Abitur after 12 or 13 years. In general, high schools in the USA recommend spending time in the 9th or 10th grade, as these are not among the final years at the American school and therefore the academic requirements are not quite as high.

Does my child have to repeat the class in Germany after the year abroad or can they have their benefits credited?

This decision is made by the school in Germany. Before you go abroad, we recommend that you clarify with the contact persons at school whether and under what circumstances a repeat year can be avoided.

What is the process after conclusion of the contract?

After signing the contract, your child's personal advisor (in Scholarbook, this is the athlete advisor) will get in touch and explain the next steps in detail. After compiling the application documents, we will introduce you to suitable schools in the USA. As soon as you and your child have made a decision on one of the options presented, Scholarbook submits the application (s). After acceptance at the school and conclusion of the school contract (official enrollment), we start applying for the visa and check off all further steps. All you have to do is put your child on the plane.

Will my child definitely get a place at an American school?

If, after completing the application, your child receives positive feedback from us and all information provided by you is truthful, Scholarbook guarantees that your child will be offered a school place in the USA.

Can I visit my child in the USA?

It is of course possible for you to visit your child in the USA. However, athletes tend to settle in more slowly if they are visited by their parents during their stay.

Can the year abroad be ended early?

We hope you encourage your child not to give up after the first negative experience. Apart from that, it is possible to cancel your stay abroad at any time.

How much does a school year cost us via Scholarbook?

Scholarbook charges the placement fees at a U.S. high school and the service that you book through Scholarbook. The U.S. High School will bill you directly for the school fees, the so-called “boarding tuition.” You can also read more about US high school fees under point 17 “Additional fees.”

Agency fees: Scholarbook will guide you through the administrative process until your child arrives on campus. In this process, Scholarbook covers a large part of the fees that must be charged additionally by other agencies (e.g. application costs, visa costs, test registration costs). The exact fees Scholarbook covers can be found in your service contract. With Scholarbook, you therefore have full transparency when it comes to placement costs.

School costs: Scholarbook does not organize the stays abroad itself, but cooperates directly with private schools in the USA. As an “educational consultant”, Scholarbook advises and helps with school selection, sporting and academic issues, as well as administrative steps. Scholarbook thus ensures that the school meets the athlete's level of achievement and that our athletes are preferred in the academic application process. Due to the fact that your son/daughter will be a full student at the U.S. High School, Scholarbook gives you the option to flexibly extend your stay up to high school graduation. This is not possible with exchange organizations, as participants must leave the USA after one school year. The final school costs are based on the applicant's academic, sporting and financial application.

Financial aid/support for schools in the USA

All private American high schools have their own funding programs (Financial Aid Programs), which are very heterogeneous. In particular, financially well-endowed schools are able to provide generous financial aid to families in need, based on the income of their legal guardians. In order to apply for Financial Aid, a special application is required, which looks at the family's income and expenditure in order to determine the need of the family and thus the amount of the subsidy. The amount of the subsidy is determined by the school and can usually be appealed once. Scholarbook supports you as much as possible with this application, but has no influence on the amount.

Is there any other funding for an exchange year in the USA?

In Germany, there is that Foreign Bafög. There are also private Scholarship provider, to which you can apply for financial support. The application for foreign BAföG and scholarships via third-party providers falls outside of Scholarbook's service offering.

Are there scholarships at private boarding schools in the USA?

Merit-based scholarships, or in English “academic scholarships,” are only awarded very sporadically at private high schools. Typically a maximum of US$500-5,000.

What is the timeline of the application process?

End of August — February: Application and interview seasonIn this time window, the academic application (application profile, essays, certificates, letters of recommendation), the financial application (Financial Aid Application), as well as all other documents (language test, placement or admission test, passport and birth certificate) are submitted.

The deadline for applications is set individually by each school. For some schools, the deadline for applications is 31.12. of the previous year; for other schools, this date is between mid-January and mid-February.

March: All schools send their acceptance letters to families.

April/May: All students have accepted their places at the schools and have paid a deposit to the school to confirm their place.

From April/May: Even at this stage, latecomers can still get places at schools. However, the selection is extremely limited and we can no longer guarantee that the school offers the athlete's optimal sporting level and can provide financial support.

May-July: Preparation for departure and the new conditions on site. Fill out all forms and documents for the school (e.g. vaccination certificate, placement test, course selection).

August: How to get to the USA. The school year normally runs from mid/end of August to mid/end of May.Scholarbook does not offer an information session within the USA. Scholarbook athletes travel directly to schools. As a rule, there are no lessons in the first few days at the new school, but students take part in the so-called “New Student Orientation”. Transportation from the airport to the school is organized directly by the school.

Can there be any further costs for the school to come to us?

Yes, there are additional school fees that you should expect for each school year.
The amount of the boarding tuition, which you will see on your school contract, includes private school fees and living expenses (accommodation and food in the school's own canteen).
In order to be able to better calculate the costs incurred outside the boarding tuition, we have compiled a list of the most common fees. The fees charged by the school of your choice may differ from this list.

We recommend that you calculate $1,800-2,500 per school year for the listed points.

International Student Fee — Covers health insurance and administrative fees for international students
Accident Insurance — Accident insurance
Health Services Fee — Fee to be able to see the campus's own doctor or nurse at any time
Technology Fee — Technology fee for computers, tablets or Internet
school uniform — If a school requires a school uniform, the school has an online shop where you can choose from a wide selection of accepted clothing
Transportation Fee — Transportation from/to airport
Trips — School trips, mandatory trips
Book Deposit — Book fee, which is deposited in the campus's own bookstore. If the amount is not spent in full, it will be refunded.
Costs for elective courses — Not mandatory and can be influenced, as it depends on the choice of course
Athletic Fee — Sports fees; sports such as horse riding or snowboarding usually have a higher fee
Registration fees — SAT or ACT college admission test fee (not mandatory) yearbook — Not mandatory but can be purchased by any student
Room deposit — Deposit in case school property is destroyed

We recommend that you read through all of the school's information in detail and contact the school directly with any questions about fees. Scholarbook has no influence on the fees charged by schools.

How is my child supported in the USA?

Your child has a large number of local contacts at the school. The so-called academic advisors, guidance counsellor, dorm advisors or even dormitory families are always available. The Scholarbook Athlete Advisor can also be contacted at any time if there are any problems that cannot be discussed directly with the school.

Can my child extend their stay or stay at the American school for more than one school year?

Absolutely! This is one of the immense differences between Scholarbook and other agencies. With us, your child gets an F1 student visa for the USA, which, if desired, makes it possible to graduate from the American school and then transfer directly to a U.S. college.

Can my child go to the USA for just half a school year?

Since your child will be part of a sports team, the expectation is that your child will support the team throughout the school year (August to May). Of course, you can cancel your child's stay early at any time. In this case, the school may still charge you the fees for the entire school year. Scholarbook therefore only places athletes who enroll at the school for the entire school year.

Can my child transfer directly to a U.S. college after high school?

Yes, as long as students have an American high school degree, they can transfer directly from high school to a college in the USA. Alternatively, it is necessary to first take the Abitur or Matura, Fachabitur (including qualification for a university), a secondary school diploma with completed education or a secondary school diploma + the GED test in order to be able to study at a college in the USA.

With Scholarbook, you have a reliable partner at your disposal when preparing for a stay abroad in the USA who can look back on 12 years and over 3,500 successful placements, especially in the placement of athletes in the USA.

Most of our high school athletes choose to take this step into college because the high school years are a perfect preparation for college. Since the athletes are already in the USA, and in some sports it is also possible for college trainers to be able to see the athletes live, the conditions for sports scholarships are very good. In general, the costs of a college stay are significantly lower than the costs of a high school stay, as there are sports scholarships for college.