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Since I wrote it in late 2016, my article giving advice on student exchange interviews has become the most popular page on this website.

Soon after I’d written it, about 200 people per week were logging on to get my advice on how to outperform the competition in their student exchange interviews.

This post aims to help those people even more, by giving 29 practice questions and answers of a kind that could be used in a student exchange interview.

Short disclaimer

Unfortunately, I can’t guarantee that the selection panel which interviews you will ask any of the questions which follow. Indeed, they might ask you a totally different bunch of questions.

What I can say is that these are the type of questions which a selection panel will probably ask you. Working your way through these questions will help you to think about the general topics which you’ll talk about in your interview.

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How to use this page

I’ve set this page up in a kind of question and answer format. The questions are given in bold text. My notes about how to answer are below each question in normal text.

To train up for your interview, I suggest that you do the following:

Begin by finding a quiet and private space where you can talk aloud.

Then, interview yourself. First, read out each question to yourself aloud. Then, close your laptop or put down your phone and answer the question out loud, as you would in an interview.

Answer all of the questions. Talk in complete sentences and answer each question as fulsomely as possible. Answering all of the questions should take you at least a couple of hours. By the time you’ve answered all 29 questions, you should be exhausted.

Is interviewing yourself in this way kooky? Sure. However, for whatever reason, you usually perform better in an interview if you’ve previously answered the questions the panel is asking you. Interviewing yourself should make you more confident and relaxed going into the interview. Try it.

Here we go:

Ice breakers

1 – Why are you interested in going on exchange?

Purpose: Mainly an ice-breaker to get you talking and ease your nerves, but could also be probing to ensure that you aren’t applying on a whim or under pressure from your parents.

Response: Be truthful and upfront about your reasons for applying.

Your background

2 – Please tell us about yourself.

Purpose: Ice-breaker and to get to know whether you’re the type of person whom the panel thinks would make a good exchange student

Response: Talk about your family, your school, and likes and dislikes. But don’t ramble – one or two minutes total should be fine.

3 – Have you lived overseas previously?

Purpose: Living overseas can be difficult due to homesickness, culture shock, feelings of isolation and so on. If you’ve already done it and lived to tell the tale, you most likely can do it again.

Response: If you’ve done it, tell the panel about it. It’s OK to admit that you were a bit homesick or had culture shock, provided that you explain and emphasise how you overcame those challenges.

4 – What is the longest period you’ve previously spent apart from your biological family? Did you suffer from any homesickness?

Purpose: Similar to question 3, the purpose of this question is to determine whether you can deal with being away from your family for extended periods.

Response: Again, if you’ve done it and had some homesickness, it’s OK to admit this, provided you can also talk about your strategies for dealing with the homesickness.

5 – What do you hope to get out of being an exchange student?

Purpose: Again, to determine whether you’re applying to go on exchange for good, positive reasons, and whether you’ve thought about the pluses and minuses of being on exchange.

Response: You most likely have a number of motivating factors, but try to focus on the ones which accord with the aims of the exchange program.

6 – Do you think you’d make a good exchange student? If so, why?

Purpose: To test your self-awareness and to give you an opportunity to “sell yourself” a bit, by talking about some of your positive attributes

Response: Generally, exchange organisations are looking for students who are resilient, motivated and willing to assimilate, so try to think of some situations in which you’ve demonstrated those qualities. Although you should talk about your positive qualities and why they’d make you a good candidate to go on exchange, be sure also to mention a new situation which you found difficult or which tested you, and what you did to overcome those difficulties.

Your attributes

7 – What are your greatest achievements? Please tell us about one.

Purpose: To find out some of your good qualities and what you’ve achieved in the past. Arguably, someone who has overcome a lot of challenges or achieved great things previously is more likely to be a successful exchange student

Response: If possible, try to think of an example in which you overcame a significant obstacle or really had to persevere and work hard to get an outcome, rather than something that you achieved because of natural talent. For example, being picked to play on the school football team is impressive, but a selection panel will likely be more impressed by the story about how you had a significant injury and had to really work hard to re-habilitate yourself, regain your fitness and be back on the team.

8 – What do you rate as your greatest personal strengths and weaknesses?

Purpose: To enable you to sell yourself, but also (more importantly) to let the panel see how self-aware and honest you are

Response: Don’t go too hard on your strengths, or you may come across as arrogant. Mention one or two of your weaknesses (to show that you’re aware of them) and what strategies you employ to overcome them. For example, say “I can sometimes be a bit shy around people I don’t know very well, but I make a really big effort to approach people and try to get to know them”.

9 – As an exchange student, you’d be an ambassador for your home country. Do you think you’d be a good ambassador for your home country? If yes, why?

Purpose: The “diplomacy” aspect of student exchange is very important. The panel wants to make sure that you’re aware of this aspect, and will be interested in hearing about any relevant previous experience.

Response: If you’ve previously lived overseas or had any “official” or representative role (school captain, sports team captain) mention this here.

10 – Have you ever broken the law? If yes, please give details.

Purpose: Breaking the laws of another country can have serious consequences, including imprisonment and (in the case of narcotics offenses in some countries) capital punishment. Exchange programs like to know that the people they are sending abroad are law-abiding.

Response: Answer honestly. If you have broken the law previously, be sure to talk about how regretful you are and how you’ve learned from the experience.

Background knowledge

11 – What can you tell us about Rotary/AFS/the exchange organisation you’re applying for?

Purpose: To check whether you’ve done your homework and how motivated and interested you are to go on exchange with the relevant exchange organisation

Response: Mention a few key facts

12 – What is the capital of your intended host country?

Purpose: To find out your level of interest in your intended host country, as well as the depth of your general knowledge, overall.

13 – What is the name of the currency of your intended host country?

Purpose: As above

14 – Who is the governor of your state and the mayor of your home town?

Purpose: To find out the depth of your general knowledge and how interested you are in current / civic affairs

15 – Name three big companies who are headquartered in your home country and/or your local area.

Purpose: To find out the depth of your general knowledge about your home country and/or town. People overseas can often ask questions about the economic or social aspects of your home country; exchange organisations like to know that the people they are sponsoring to go on exchange have at least some knowledge of these issues.

Resilience and judgement

16 – Exchange students usually encounter a range of situations which test their resilience. Please share an example of where you were in a difficult situation. What did you do to cope with the situation and/or get out of it?

Purpose: To enable you to demonstrate your ability to come with, and overcome, adversity

Response: If possible, give an example about a situation where you couldn’t fall back on your family or close friends, to demonstrate you’re capable of overcoming adversity by yourself (as will be the case when you’re on exchange)

17 – If you had a problem with your host family, what could you do to resolve it?

Purpose: To test the appropriateness of your judgement and your ability to solve problems appropriately

Response: If it were a small, day-to-day matter (for example, a host sibling taking your things without asking), you could raise the issue with your host parent or with the sibling directly. If it were a bigger issue (for example, your host family breaking the law), you would need to talk to someone in your exchange organisation.

18 – What would you do if a teacher at school in your host country asked you to do something that you didn’t feel comfortable doing?

Purpose: Again, to check that you are able to act appropriately in a difficult situation, and understand the role that your host family will play

Response: Your first port of call in relation to school issues is your host family – mention that you would talk to your host parents first

19 – What would you do if your host brother or sister showed a romantic interest in you? Assume that you find him or her very attractive.

Purpose: To check your judgement in a difficult situation

Response: The best rule is never to have a romantic relationship with a host sibling until your exchange is over. The reason is that if the relationship goes bad, you will be living together with your ex boy- or girlfriend and his or her parents – who will never be on your side. Can you say “awkward”? So, you will always have to say no to any such attention from your host siblings.

20 – Assume that cannabis had been decriminalised in your intended host country. If your host brother offered to share a joint with you, would you agree?

Purpose: To check your judgement in respect of behaviour which is not illegal, but which may not be a good idea

Response: Just say no. Even if consuming cannabis is not illegal, you are more likely to have impaired judgement and act dangerously or in an offensive way if you are under the influence.

School life

21 – Have you had any leadership roles at your current school?

22 – Are you involved in any co-curricular activities at school – for example, sport, band or debate club?

23 – What is your GPA/what are your grades like?

24 – What are your plans for life after school?

Purpose: These are all questions designed to find out information about your background and your suitability to be an exchange student. Generally, the more you can show that you are a diligent, good-citizen student who works hard, the more attractive you will be as a candidate.

Choice of host country

25 – Why are you interested in doing an exchange in your chosen country?

Purpose: To test your motivation for going to a particular country. Are there certain drivers or “pull factors” which make you interested in your first-choice country (for example, an interest in a particular language or part of that country’s culture)?

Response: Be honest. An exchange organisation may be slightly suspicious of a student who can’t say why he or she is interested in living in a particular country, so try to think of at least a couple of things which interest you about your intended host country

26 – Would you be willing to go to another country if you didn’t get an offer from this exchange organisation for your chosen country?

Purpose: Competition for certain countries (such as Spain and Germany) is typically very high. The purpose of this question is seeing whether you’d be open to going to another country if you don’t get your first choice.

Response: Be honest. If you have your heart set on going to Spain, don’t say that you’d be willing to go to Mexico – odds are that you’ll get sent to Mexico. It’s OK to say that you want to go to Spain, and if you aren’t offered Spain, you’ll try again with another organsation.

27 – Are you willing to learn the language which is spoken in your chosen host country? Have you already taken any steps to learn that language?

Purpose: Learning the language of your host country is a huge part of going on exchange. Every exchange organisation will want you to learn the language, and learn it well. Any steps you’ve already taken to learn a language should work in your favour.

Response: You need to confirm that you are willing to learn the language spoken in your host country, and that you will work hard at it.

28 – Would you have any problem with being placed in a small, isolated town in your host country, in a rural or remote area?

Purpose: Many people going on exchange imagine themselves going to, and living in, big cities. They imagine living in Los Angeles or New York in America, London in the UK, and Sydney in Australia. The truth is that you are more likely to be placed in a small town, which may be in a rural or isolated location. You need to understand and accept this before you progress too far through the application process.

Response: You need to confirm that you wouldn’t have any problems with this scenario.

29 – Do you have any plans to travel whilst you’re on exchange?

Purpose: Many intending exchange students believe that their times on exchange will be an opportunity to undertake a lot of independent travel. However, most high-school exchange students aren’t able to travel much at all. This is a bit of a trick question.

Response: You need to reply that you aren’t going overseas with the purpose of doing a lot of travel, but that if you have the opportunity to travel with your host family, it would be a nice bonus.

I wish you every success in your interview.

By the way – did you enjoy this article? Do you want more advice about how to prepare for your time on exchange, and hundreds of tips on how to succeed as a exchange student? My book How to have a Successful High School Exchange will help you to have the best exchange possible – and it only costs $3.99! Check it out here. 

Kind regards,

Matt

Switzerland is a fantastic place to undertake a high school exchange. I know, because I did one there myself, in Lucerne, in 1996.

Although more than twenty years have passed since then, all the things that made Switzerland an ideal exchange destination in 1996 are still there today.  Switzerland is still a wonderfully scenic country. The country is still safe, clean, efficient and well organised. Swiss people are still rational and sensible, but good-humoured and generous. (In fact, my Swiss host families contained some of the kindest and most caring people I’ve ever met).

If you are considering going on exchange, it’s hard to think of a better place to go than Switzerland.

Here’s everything you need to know if you’re planning to do a student exchange in Switzerland

One country, four languages

Switzerland has four official languages:

• French – which is spoken in the Western third of the country
• Italian – which is spoken in the southernmost canton (state), Ticino
• Rhaeto-Romanic dialect – which is spoken by limited numbers of people in the canton Graubuenden, and
• German – which is spoken in the rest of Switzerland

The majority of exchange students in Switzerland are hosted in cantons where either German or French is spoken.

French

If you’ve been learning French at school, there’s good news: the French spoken in Switzerland is very similar to the French spoken in France and which you’ve been learning in the classroom.

Some vocabulary is different – for example, the Swiss French word for eighty is huitante rather than the French word quatre-vingt. But you’ll quickly recognise words and phrases from your prior study.

German

If you’ve been learning German at school, there is mixed news: the situation in German-speaking cantons of Switzerland is more complex.

The mother tongue of Swiss living in these cantons is Swiss German, which is radically different from the German spoken in Germany and Austria (so-called “High German”). In fact, Germans and Austrians usually can’t understand Swiss German at all. Imagine the thickest Scottish brogue you’ve ever heard, double it, and you’ll be getting close to the way Swiss German sounds to speakers of High German.

As an exchange student in a German-speaking canton of Switzerland, you’ll be hearing Swiss German about 70% of the time. Your school lessons should be taught in High German, and news broadcasts are always in High German, but Swiss people talk to each other in Swiss German. When your host families and school friends speak to each other, and when they talk to strangers, they’ll speak Swiss German.

The fact that Swiss people converse in Swiss German, rather than High German, will make it more difficult for you to learn High German. That’s one of the very few drawbacks of undertaking an exchange in Switzerland.

High school in Switzerland

As an exchange student, you’ll attend a Swiss high school. Each of the 26 cantons in Switzerland has its own education system and there are subtle differences between all of those systems.

However, one common thread is that most cantons have streamed high schools – meaning that students go to different high schools depending upon whether they intend to study at university, or not. It’s most likely that you’ll attend high school attended by students who are bound for university – which are known as Gymnasiums or Kantonsschulen in the German-speaking parts of Switzerland, and lycees or colleges in French-speaking cantons.

Subject choice

High school students in Switzerland study a wide range of compulsory subjects. Even in the final two years of school, it’s normal to study 12 or 13 subjects, which can include multiple languages (including English and Latin), philosophy and multiple science subjects. Teachers teach to a high standard, and have high expectations of students.

As an exchange student, you may have some latitude to sit out some of these subjects, or to attend twice as many classes in particular subjects. If you’re particularly interested in art or music, for example, but haven’t studied philosophy before, you may be able to pick up an extra line of art or music while the rest of your class takes philosophy class.

Attire

Most schools in Switzerland don’t require their students to wear a uniform.

One interesting thing I noted was that most students tended to wear the same thing all week – they’d change their t-shirt but keep wearing the same jeans and sweater from Monday to Friday. So, don’t fret about the need to bring dozens of different outfits to wear to school – four or five sets of jeans and sweaters should be fine.

Extra-curricular activities

Swiss schools offer very few clubs, sports or other co-curricular activities. Instead, most people pursue such interests through local clubs which are known as Vereine in German. There are a large number of Vereine in most areas, offering everything from cycling to pistol shooting to choir singing, so it should be easy for your host family to help you find a Verein to suit your interests.

Social etiquette

There is a bit of a social divide in Switzerland. In general, residents of the German-speaking cantons are more socially conservative, and people in the French-speaking cantons are more liberal.

However, there are a number of common social norms and etiquette that you need to be aware of, as follows:

• Swiss people are proud to be Swiss and are protective of their culture and national identity. Take care to avoid criticising habits or things about the country you don’t like.
• The Swiss are extremely punctual. It is considered rude to be late and especially rude to make other people late (for example, when you and your host family are invited to dinner at another family’s house, and you take so much time getting ready that you delay your host family’s departure and make them arrive late).
• Don’t swear – particularly around your host parents, teachers, and other authority figures. People on exchange in the German speaking parts of Switzerland need to be wary of the word Scheisse. It’s milder than the equivalent English word – in fact, it’s probably closer to crap – and is used more often in daily conversation by native German speakers. However, it is still too impolite to use in front of your host parents or other authority figures.
• Also, Swiss people are relatively devout, so avoid exclamations like “God!” or “Jesus!”, and avoid being flippant about religion or religious people.
• In the German-speaking cantons of Switzerland, it’s considered polite to greet people with their names, if you know them. If you see your friend Urs in the street, for example, you need to say “Hoi Urs” (“Hi Urs”), rather than just saying “Hoi”. Some exchange students go for an entire year without realising this, but it’s enough to cause offence.
• The three main languages in Switzerland – German, French and Italian – all have formal and informal ways of addressing other people. Make sure that you always use the formal when you’re addressing others, unless they are children, members of your immediate host family or schoolmates. Using informal language to address others, such as teachers, shop assistants or adult friends of your host family, can cause real offence.

Money management

Switzerland is famous for its banking sector, and Swiss retail banks are modern and well-organised. Your host parents or exchange organisation will organise a bank account for you.

ATMs are widespread throughout Switzerland, and all major banks offer internet banking. Most Swiss banks also offer accounts which have a Maestro card linked to them. Maestro – owned by MasterCard – is a payment method which works like a credit card, but allows you to use funds from your savings account to pay for purchases, rather than bank credit.

Cost of living in Switzerland

Switzerland is an expensive country in which to live. The cost of living in Switzerland is on par with Japan, Scandinavia and Australia, and is considerably more expensive than the cost of living in the remainder of Europe, North America and South Africa.

When you factor in exchange rates, Switzerland is a hugely expensive place to live.

Thankfully, your host family will help you meet most of your food expenses, and your exchange organisation may help you to meet some of your costs of living. For example, my sponsoring Rotary club in Switzerland used to pay for my monthly bus and train pass.

When you’re out and about, some basic foodstuffs are relatively cheap – such as milk, bread, cheese and chocolate. The two biggest supermarket chains in Switzerland – Migros and Coop – are a good place to grab lunch or a snack at a reasonable price.

Migros and Coop are also probably the best places to buy essentials like shampoo, toothpaste and deodorant. German discount supermarkets Aldi and Lidl have also recently opened in Switzerland, and are a good option for buying your food and toiletries.

What to bring

For some reason, name-brand clothing like Nike or Levis can be very hard to find in Switzerland. When you do find it, the eye-watering prices can put it out of your price-range, anyway. Likewise, cold-weather gear (such as long coats and thermal longs) can be expensive. Stock up on such items before you leave home, or be prepared to give your Amazon account a good workout.

Having said that, there is a mid-priced department store chain in Switzerland called Manor which is a great place to shop for (non-brand name) clothing. Manor sells its own brands and these are generally stylish, last very well, and (by Swiss standards) are reasonably priced. My wife has a pair of winter gloves and some socks which she bought at Manor in Lucerne in 2009, all of which are still going strong after years of wear.

Electronics (iPods, phones, cameras) are generally expensive in Switzerland. Again, you’re better off bringing your own electronic gear rather than planning to buy in Switzerland.

Getting around

Most exchange students in Switzerland – like most Swiss people – travel using a combination of train and velo (bike).

The Swiss train system is legendary for being fast, clean, efficient, and punctual. Be warned – it is really punctual. If your train leaves at 11.02am, it will leave at 11.02am on the dot and not a second later. You need to be on board. The train network is extensive and will take you to nearly every corner of the country.

For the trip to school or other local journeys, your Swiss host family will probably provide you with a bike. Switzerland has a well-developed network of bike paths and secondary roads which make cycling quite safe and enjoyable. Although Switzerland has a relatively low crime rate, you need to lock your bike up at school and at the train station when you aren’t using it.

Swiss food

Swiss cuisine is delicious and readily palatable for people with Western tastes. As in many other European countries, lunch is the main meal of the day for Swiss people.

Main meals consist of foods such as pasta, schnitzels, pastries, potato dishes (including the noted national specialty, Roesti), and salads. Although Switzerland is most famous for its chocolate and cheese, the fresh bread and yogurt are just as addictive. You have been warned!

Swiss culture

Sport

The Swiss participate in a wide variety of sports. In summer, cycling, swimming and tennis are very popular. Cycling in particular is an ideal sport for exchange students: it’s free, a great way to see Switzerland, and Switzerland has a huge network of safe, well-maintained and signposted bike paths.

In winter, nearly everyone in Switzerland heads to the alps for skiing and snowboarding. Nowhere in Switzerland is more than a couple of hours from a skiing area, and nearly every exchange student ends up going to the snow with his or her host family for at least a couple of days. If you do end up doing snow sports, your host family will be almost certain to have ski or snowboard gear which you can borrow, so there is no need to worry about bringing any of this from home.

Music

Young Swiss people listen to the same kinds of music as audiences in most western nations. Basically, it’s a mix of pop, rock, R’n’B and hip-hop. Most of the songs which are popular in the US and UK will also make it to the radio in Switzerland. Swiss radio also plays German-language songs from Germany and Austria, and French-language music from France.

I found the live music scene to be a little under-developed when I lived in Switzerland. Hopefully, things have improved in the meantime.

Communications

Internet

Switzerland generally has outstanding internet infrastructure. It’s virtually certain that your host family or families will have a good, fast connection that you can use.

Mobile telephones

Switzerland also has excellent cell phone options – numerous providers offering full geographic coverage at low prices. Your host family should be able to help you get connected within your first couple of days in Switzerland.

Climate

Switzerland’s climate is similar to the Northeastern United States. Summers can be surprisingly hot and, due to the large number of lakes and rivers in the country, very humid.

Winter is relatively cold – with daytime temperatures close to zero for months on end – but with a small diurnal range. Nighttime temperatures in the Swiss winter are usually nowhere near as cold as, say, Canada or Scandinavia.

Something that takes some getting used to is a wintertime phenomenon called Hochnebel – basically, a layer of cloud which sits 7-800 metres above sea level and which persists for weeks and weeks on end without interruption. You can easily go for a month or more in Winter without seeing the sun.

Risks and hazards

Overall, Switzerland is a very safe country. Crime rates are extremely low – even by European standards – and there are relatively few natural hazards which you need to be wary of.

Even so, you need to exercise prudence and caution as you would in any other country. In particular:

• Don’t hitchhike or walk alone by yourself by the side of the road at night time.
• When heading out at night – and particularly when waiting at train stations – try to ensure that you’re with at least one other person at all times.
• If you are going to be drinking alcohol – particularly larger amounts – make sure that you have a friend with you and a way of contacting your host parents if you get into trouble.
• When riding your bike after dark – be it coming home from school in Winter, or travelling home from a party late at night – make sure to use a light, and keep off the road if possible.

If you have any questions about going on exchange to Switzerland, please leave them in the comments below. And if you’re planning to go to Switzerland as an exchange student, my book How to Have a Successful High School Exchange contains lessons and advice from my own time in Switzerland which will help to ensure that your exchange is a success.

Good luck,

Matt