High School Group Program
Create the perfect trip for your entire class to enjoy!
Attend American School
Daily Activities
24/7 Local Support
All-Inclusive
1 - 3 weeks, available all year
San Francisco Bay Area
16+ years
Inquiry-based
Overview
Simply tell us what you are looking for and we’ll create your class tour to the San Francisco Bay Area.
The High School program allows your class to explore California and focus on the topic of choice, while attending a local American High School or language school. After-school activities ensure your students get to experience the best parts of California. Included in this completely adaptable program are scheduled tours & career counseling at California‘s top universities with teachers‘ experiences included. Together we’ll make any necessary adjustments until it fits your needs and expectations.
Education
Your group may attend a language school or high school.
Language School
School Hours: 9 AM - 1 PM, Monday - Friday (please inquire about intensive course)
Levels: Beginner - Advanced
Amenities: Free Wi-Fi, Books, Kitchen, Student Lounge
Having your students attend a language school is the best way to really help them improve their English while meeting people from other countries. Before your students start class they will undergo a brief level test. Based on their results each student will then be placed in a class that fits to their individual level. Classes focus on many different ways of learning English, from reading, to listening, to writing all the way to conversation and beyond. The school is located in the heart of the Silicon Valley, located close to several shops & restaurants. The English course is provided by Language Pacifica.
High School
School Hours: Varies based on school (usually 8AM - 3PM, Monday - Friday)
Subjects: 6 per day / choose prior to program start
Your students will attend one of our partner High Schools in the San Francisco Bay Area. The High School Curriculum will be open to the students, which means before they start school, they can choose 6 subjects out of the following courses: language, arts, math, social studies, science, two electives. They will go to a grade most fitting to their age. Students will go to school Monday through Friday, from 8AM to 3PM and follow all the same schedules and rules their American classmates follow. This option largely depends on the time of the year and the schools’ schedules.
Accommodation
We’ll gladly arrange one of these two accommodation types for you.
Homestay
Location: Within 10 mile radius of school
Meals: Half Board and weekend lunches
Transportation: Host families drive you and your students to school and back home
All students including two teachers will be accommodated in pre-approved host families that all have at least one of their children attend the same High School as your students. This ensures an immediate feeling of comfort and security and allows your students to get accustomed quickly. Living with a host family is a unique experience, because it involves you in the day-to-day ongoings within a traditional American family.
Hotel/Hostel
Location: Within 10 - 15 mile radius of school
Meals: Breakfast
Room Type: Shared
Transportation: Less than 60 min. of public transportation to school
Accommodation in a hotel is the quickest accommodation option to organize and thus allows for a short interim between booking this program and coming to the USA. We make sure the school can be reached within no more than 60 minutes of public transportation and that the hotel is in a very safe neighborhood. We also include you in the process of finding and booking the final hotel to make sure it fits your needs and expectations.
Activities
We create various daily activities for your group.
Daily Activity Package
Types of Activities: Sightseeing, amusement parks, cultural activities, weekend trips (Hollywood, Yosemite, Lake Tahoe etc.), professional sports games, guided tours, college tours & career counseling, museum visits and almost anything else you desire
Organizing and hosting activities is something we love doing. No matter what you are looking for, we will always create the right experiences. A perfect example for this is a group of 30 Danish students we were honored to host during April of 2019. They wanted to experience a real American High School and meet an American politician. So we arranged a day at Leadership High School, during which the Danish students got to join interactive activities with the American students, shadow them for a day of school and then have a Q&A session with the Neighborhood Liaison of the San Francisco Mayor’s Office along with some pizzas and cold drinks. Whatever it is you are looking for for your students, simply tell us and together we’ll create unforgettable experiences.
Other Information
How to join
1. Submit your information
2. Receive a sample program
3. Discuss and finalize the program together with our staff
4. Receive invoice & submit payment
5. Arrange visas and flight tickets
6. Prepare and come to the USA
Support
Throughout the entire program our staff is always available to help you and your group with any needs. We personally drive you to your activities, oversee them and take you back home afterwards.
Requirements
Your students should roughly be between 16 and 20 years old (for younger groups, please inquire).
Airfare & Visa
This program does not require a student visa, unless your group joins the intensive course at the language school. Otherwise, an ESTA or B2 visitor visa will suffice. We are happy to help you with the visa obtainment process and the purchase of your flight tickets.
Health Insurance
Health Insurance is provided through our partner, “International Student Insurance”. If you have any questions about the insurance, please contact us. Important: Upon request the health insurance can be adapted to your or your child’s individual needs (for an extra fee).
The San Francisco Bay Area
A Unique Place
What makes the Bay Area absolutely unique its diversity in inventions, lifestyles, events and most importantly cultures. It is the type of place where you can't walk down the street without hearing another language, making it easy to meet people from other countries and not only broaden your horizons but make friends from around the world. This diversity has allowed the Bay Area to be just as open-minded and forward-thinking in their world views as they are in their achievements in business and technology. This is why you will get to see all the newest inventions, trends and movements right here first. They Bay Area is a place where no idea is too crazy and no person too foreign - coming here will feel like coming home.
Things To Do And See
The Bay Area is a truly unique place. Despite its high population, it has a suburban feel to it, no matter where you are, which is mostly due to the many plazas, shops, parks and natural habitats found all over. The warm & comfortable temperatures all year and an easy-to-use public transportation system make exploring the Bay Area a real joy. It’s widely known for its cultural diversity, world-famous sights and of course the Silicon Valley, where companies like Apple, Google, Facebook, Airbnb, Tesla and countless are headquartered. There are a lot of great things to do and see here, including:
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Exploring its many and diverse restaurants (There are more than 3,500 restaurants open in San Francisco alone)
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Pursuing physical activities on your own or in one of the many public clubs (such as hiking, swimming, riding a bike, yoga and countless more) in beautiful parks, sports facilities and even downtowns
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Exploring its countless beautiful sights (e.g. the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, Treasure Island, Fisherman’s Wharf, Lake Merritt, Half Moon Bay, Stanford, UC Berkeley, Napa and the many world-renowned companies like Google, Apple and many more)
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Enjoying the Bay Area like a local with its many “Hidden Gems” - charming, quaint restaurants, parks, coffee shops, drum circles and other local highlights, that all represent different stories & cultures and are by far the best way to explore the Bay Area’s real lifestyle
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Taking trips to farther away destinations, like Santa Cruz, the 17 Mile Drive, Yosemite National Park, Lake Tahoe, Sacramento, Napa and Los Angeles. We’re happy to help you rent a car or simply drive you there ourselves depending on the program.
Trailer
Not what you're looking for?
Questions? Concerns? Requests? Just want to get to know us? Let's meet on Skype (or FaceTime) when you are free. Just send us a short message with your Skype (or FaceTime) account information via our contact page. We're looking forward to meeting you!
Join the Program
This program is inquiry-based.
Please tell us more about your group & travel plans and we create an entirely individual program just for you. Together with you, we will then adapt this program to your needs, finalize it and send you all materials.
Typical program inclusions:
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Accommodation in Hotel or Homestay
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School enrollment fees (with language school option)
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Daily Activities (incl. all fees)
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Transportation to & from all destinations
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Airport pick-up and drop-off
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Hotel Breakfast
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Health Insurance
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Local team present during activities and available at all times
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Local team helps with any other local services (such as finding a doctor when necessary, planning independent activities etc.)
Other fees:
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Airfare
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Visa Fees
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Money for shopping & food
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International transfer fee ($45 once)
Program fees include taxes.
Get A Free Quote
3 Good Reasons...
...to join this program
1. We provide local support for any requests or problems, such as finding a doctor, changing your course or anything else
2. Thanks to our vast knowledge of the Bay Area, we’ll help you explore the best attractions and events
3. Upon request we will assist you in transferring to a local college or university after your course
The entire program is organized, hosted and overseen by the Universal Studies team.
Universal Studies is a member of the International Education Consultants Association (IECA).