Dear host family,

my name is Vincent, and I am 15 years old. I am writing to you because I hope to go to the U.S.

on a student exchange program.

My family and I live in a fairly small city. It has a population of roughly 40,000

and is in the west of Germany. My family moved here when I was 3. Before that, we lived in a big city.

Our household consists of 5 members. My mother, and my father, both work as lawyers. I also have two older siblings.                                                                                            My younger brother also went on an exchange year to the United States. He came back this

summer. My sister studies Data Science and Artificial Intelligence in

the Netherlands. We live in a nice house at the bottom end of a hill. I have my own room, which

is separate from most of the other rooms.

I have to do some chores around the house, like vacuuming, washing dishes, mowing the lawn, or

unloading the dishwasher. To be fair, I am not always excited to do that. In these moments, it's a

pleasure to have a brother.

Our house is pretty close to school, so it only takes me around 10 to 15 minutes to get there by

foot. I also take my e-scooter, which is more often the case. After my summer holidays, I will be

attending 10th grade. My favorite subjects are Mathematics, Physical Education, and English.

Physical Education, in particular, is something I enjoy because I like doing something active and

not just sitting around.

I am also really into sports. When I was younger, I used to play soccer until the age of 13.

Occasionally, my friends and I still play at a nearby court, and I like to watch it on TV. After I

stopped playing soccer, I started boxing because one of my close friends is a really good boxer. I

really enjoyed it, but it was very time-consuming because the training took place about an hour

away. That's why I stopped. Now, I have recently started going to a local gym, which is also

pretty fun.

When I am not in school or doing sports, I usually hang out with my friends, do my homework

(only as much as I have to), or play games on my computer. I like a lot of games, mostly story-

based games or open-world games where you can build stuff. I also enjoy watching movies,

mainly Sci-Fi or comedy films. Especially Star Wars, which is something I can watch over and

over again.

I have already had some experience with exchange programs. I did a one-week exchange to

Spain, which was organized by my school. Even though it was only for a week, I was able to

practice some of my Spanish, which I’m learning at school. It was a really nice experience, and I

enjoyed it a lot. Next spring, I’ll go on a two-week exchange to China, which I am really looking

forward to. I have also traveled quite a bit because my parents love traveling, especially my

mother. I have already been to four continents (Africa, Asia, North America, and, last but

hopefully not least, Europe). My family and I have also been to the United States twice. The first

time, we went to California and made a round trip through Arizona, Utah, and Nevada. I enjoyed

Las Vegas very much. The second time, we visited the Midwest (mainly Michigan and Illinois),which

I also found really nice. We visited my father’s host family, whom he met when he was on

an exchange more than 30 years ago.

By coming to the U.S. as an exchange student, I hope to learn more about the country, see how

people live there, and experience how it’s different from life in Germany. I also want to meet new

people, create friendships, and share how I live in Germany. Another reason why I want to go to

the U.S. is to become more independent. Being so far away from home without my parents will

be a great opportunity for personal growth. Of course, I also want to improve my English, which

will not only help me improve my grades but also help me speak more fluently without an accent.

When I return from the U.S., I want to tell others about my experience and the culture and habits

I will hopefully get to know. I am sure that I’ll have a great time! I’m already looking forward to

meeting you.

Kind regards,

Vincent

Interested in hosting—whether 6-8 weeks or the entire school year?