What would you do?

[ProudArmyWife]

Lillith:

O.K…that’s four go and four no…with a couple of suggestions of wait till college…and go with her…which wold be a great idea but I couldn’t leave my other children for a month…

Wait till college sounds good to me also!

AGGGHHH! I am really confused on this one!

Proud Army Wife…since your niece went with the People to Peolple program…do you know if more money was requested…such as Rob’s wife suggested?
Is it a legitimate program?

Let me e-mail my sister to get better information for you. I just know I sent her some money to help cover the cost for a birthday present and that she did get a part-time job, too. And saw all the great photos and stories.

 

[Steph700]

I went to Spain on a school sponsored trip when I was 17 and it changed my life. It gave me the courage I needed to study abroad in college- in London, the forsight to study international business, and to this day international travel is my greatest passion! It also taught me about the Catholic faith as I spent Easter in the most wonderful country in the world (that would be Spain- if you haven’t been you must go). After graduation I also lived abroad for a while. I really don’t think I would have been so keen and brave if I hadn’t had the experience of traveling abroad as a youth. International travel is far too rare among Americans. My parents first trip abroad was to come meet me in Europe for a vacation, they wished they had started traveling sooner too! Such an eye opener, what a wonderful culturally diverse world God has given us!

Check out the program for sure. But $5000 sounds like a steal.

 

[ack]

What is this about “college credits”? Be aware that college credits from high-school programs like these often won’t transfer. Usually, colleges will only transfer academic credit earned in high school if the concepts covered are similar to those of a course already in the college’s catalog.

This trip would probably give her the experiences to write an amazing essay…but other than that, I doubt that it would swing the admission committees either way. GPA, SAT scores, the quality of the high school, recommendation letters, and the essays are going to be the top considerations…

Do you know exactly what they’re going to be doing in Europe? Will the travel be structured to communicate a common academic or cultural theme that will be reinforced throughout the month, or will they be randomly wandering? A well-structured trip could be more enlightening than anything she could plan herself, but aimless sightseeing…you could do that at home…

I went to Mexico for a week in high school and I don’t remember a thing about it. Then I went back to Mexico in college and I got far more out of it…

Lillith:

…for college credits and it would look awesome on her college resume, and increase her odds at scholarships…

 

[surfinpure]

Is this a People to People trip? I went on one of those in high school.

 

[Forest-Pine]

My first inclination is GO! And go with her!

Then you said it is a month long and you have other kiddos to take care of. There is no way in this world I would let my 15 year old go to Europe for a month. No way.

Two stories to shape where my perspective is coming from:

I was chosen for a similar honor in high school. I would have been 17 and traveling with an established group (including my beloved, and strict, teacher) for 2 weeks. I was very mature. My parents wouldn’t let me. I regret it to this day.

On the other hand, I was allowed to go to summer camp every year for two weeks. It was only a few hours away, but overnights. I, keep in mind, was always the perfect child. The camp was well supervised. At least two, usually four-six, counselors present at all times. And they were on top of things, too, not the lazy type. There was drinking, sex, and goodness knows what else going on. This is from the same age as your daughter is. If those kids could get in so much trouble (and I, the perfect child, didn’t do anything so bad, but I got in my fair share of trouble around them), then think how much trouble a month away from home, with supervisors who do not share your same values, will be.

Having been in your daughter’s shoes and truly understanding the desire, there is no way on God’s green earth I would let her go. Start planning a high school graduation trip for the whole family (or depending on finances and ages, for you and daughter or you, husband, and daughter, or you, sister, and kids, or some such). Then you’ll have time to save (put it in a separate account starting now) and time for your daughter to go, and time to spend with her as well.

 

[Catholic90]

My son was invited to go to Australia with People to People a few years ago. He was 10!!

We did not let him go.

However, we DID take all of our kids (age 9-12) to England and then took the Chunnel to Paris for a day. THAT was a trip to remember. We saw and did so much TOGETHER. My DH and I have travelled extensively (Australia, Europe, England, Carribean) and love it. We hope to instill a love of travelling into our kids, also, and I think we’ve done that.

My 14 YO will be travelling to Washington DC with his 8th grade class this spring. My DH did something similar at that age and loved it.

 

[puzzleannie]

SIL went on a senior trip with his Catholic boys school, visited shrines and historic places in Germany, Italy and Poland (he and many of the students are Polish ancestry), ended up in Rome. anyhow, besides a private audience with the Pope, they were also in Berlin when the wall came down. No way to duplicate that experience and it was life-chaning for him. Were his parents nervous wrecks the whole time? Yes, but all consider it well worth it.

DD at the same time had a chance for a trip to Spain with her Spanish class, my mom who would have funded it said no because of terrorist threats, kidnappings, anti-American activity etc… A student tour plane leaving the same day, chartered by the same travel agency, was hijacked and the kids and teachers held for over a month before their release was negotiated.

No way to predict what will happen ahead of time. You just make your best informed judgement about the organization and people running the program, and your child. Personally 15 is too young in my opinion, but I am only judging by my own (extremely mature_ daughter.

 

[lifeisbeautiful]

Will she be able to go to Mass every Sunday? Is it co-ed? What are the chaperones like?

 

[newf]

Lillith:

My 15yr. old daughter has been invited to be a student ambassador…fourty children from around the United States would travel to Europe this summer…visiting Rome (St. Peter’s and a possible meeting with the Pope), Italy, France, and Germany…

It will cost us $5,000.00…France is scarey to me at this time (hopefully that will change)…just going overseas makes me a little nervous for her…but it is an oppurtunity…for college credits and it would look awesome on her college resume, and increase her odds at scholarships…

What would you do?

I sent my then 17 yr. old to Europe last Easter break. She traveled to Paris, Hamburg, Amsterdam, Oslo and I forget where else…she LOVED it. She is now in her first year of college and already figuring where she will study abroad. It was a fabulous experience.

Please keep in mind the drinking age is lower in Europe…and the kids do drink.

My opinion is that 15 yrs. old is a little young.

I also suggest you look into what colleges are really looking for when you are into the admission process. A trip is not a big deal. As someone else said, it’s the grades and the ACT and SAT scores along with other achievements in sports, music, work and other extra cirricular activities. And this depends on what school you want to get into, too. Different schools have different requirements.