Eligibility
Program Description
Visa and Travel Documents
Getting There
AFS Orientations and Activities
Eligibility
To be eligible you must:
- Be between 15 years 0 months and 17 years 11 months old at the start of the program
- Have a minimum 2.8 cumulative GPA (on a 4.0 scale)
- Be in good mental, physical, and emotional health in accordance with the AFS Medical Evaluation Policy
- Have an open mind, willingness to be flexible, and the ability to adapt to new a culture, school, and environment
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Program Description
As with all AFS high school programs, you will be placed with a volunteer host family while attending a local host school. Learn about life in Costa Rica.
Students are placed throughout Costa Rica. Most placements (approx. 60%) are in suburban areas. 35% are classified as urban placements and the remaining 5% are rural.
Most students are placed in public schools. Uniforms are required and students are responsible for this cost (about $100).
The basic diet of most Costa Rican families includes rice, beans, corn, fruit, and vegetables. Costa Rican families consider meat consumption not only healthy but a basic part of their diet. For this reason, it is difficult to accommodate students with dietary restrictions. Applicants who require a vegetarian diet may not be accepted.
The ability to speak Spanish is not a prerequisite for the program but we strongly suggest that you learn as much as possible prior to departure.
Visa and Travel Documents
In order to participate in this program, you must have a U.S. passport that is valid for six months longer than your intended stay. Your passport will be sufficient for you to enter the country. However, in order to reside in Costa Rica you will need to apply for a student visa while abroad.
You will need to collect several documents to take with you in order to apply for the student visa while in Costa Rica. Required documents include a parental consent form which has been signed, notarized, and authenticated (stamped) by a Costa Rican consulate. Students must also have an original birth certificate translated and have both the original and translated document authenticated by a Costa Rican consulate. Be prepared to travel to your regional consulate if necessary.
The current visa processing fee is $87, not including the cost of obtaining, translating, notarizing, and mailing the required documents, nor the cost of traveling to the consulate. Please note that these fees and requirements are determined by the consulates and are subject to change.
AFS USA will provide you with detailed visa application instructions in the months prior to your departure. If you were born outside of the United States or if one of your parents is estranged or living abroad, please notify your Student Services Advisor as this will make it difficult to collect the required documents.
Getting There
You and your fellow AFSers will fly together between Miami and San Jose, the capital city of Costa Rica. After you collect your luggage and pass through customs you will be met by AFS staff and volunteers and taken to the arrival orientation site in the outskirts of San Jose.
After the orientation, you will either be picked up by your host family or, if you are placed far from San Jose, you and the other students placed in your region will travel together by bus to your host community where you will be met by your host family.
AFS Orientations and Activities
In addition to the orientations that you will participate in domestically (the local Pre-Departure Orientation, Culture Trek, and the Gateway Orientation), you and your fellow AFSers will have several orientations while abroad.
The first orientation will take place upon your arrival in San Jose. This will be a 2 day orientation that is intended to prepare you for your first weeks abroad. This will be an international orientation and your opportunity to meet participants from around the world. In addition to covering the rules and safety tips, there will be an emphasis on approaching your experience from an intercultural learning perspective.
About 10 weeks in to your stay, you will have another orientation, once again organized at the national level and held outside of San Jose. This will last for 2 days and will focus on cultural and school adjustment. You will also meet with AFS staff and volunteers to evaluate your first few weeks and be offered guidance to make the transition as smooth as possible.
If you are participating in a year program, you will also be offered a 2 day mid-stay orientation about 5 months in to your stay. Once again, this will be a time to meet with staff and volunteers, evaluate the first half of your experience, and gain more tips to aid your cultural adjustment.
Finally, there will be an evaluation camp in the weeks prior to departure. This is your chance to reflect on your experience and to share with other AFSers. You will also prepare for the cultural readjustment that is a part of returning home.
In addition to the orientations, many local chapters organize activities for students and host families throughout the year. These will vary from chapter to chapter but may include parties or excursions to other cities or regions in Costa Rica. Unlike the orientations, these activities are optional and are at the student’s expense.