United Studies

P.O. Box 22863
Hot Springs, AR 71903

Phone: 501-321-2000
Fax: 501-321-2001
E-mail: ayp@unitedstudies.org
Website: www.unitedstudies.org
Contact: Greg White, President; Danielle Allenbrand, Program Compliance Manager; Jacki Dyrholm, ARO & Applications

2026-2027 CSIET Certification Status: Full

Countries Served: Bolivia, Brazil, China, Czech Republic, Germany, italy, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Poland, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland, Vietnam

Number of 2025-2026 Participants: 96 J-1

Not-for-Profit Organization: Established 1985

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*In addition to the countries listed, United Studies may be able to arrange an exchange with a new country upon request.

United Studies integrates exceptional young people into new cultures so that perspectives are shared, misconceptions are dispelled, and lifelong friendships are formed. By increasing understanding among people from different parts of the world, United Studies programs bridge cultures for a better tomorrow.

Semester or Academic Year in the United States –A United Studies student experiences life as an American teenager:

  • becoming a true member of an American family;
  • studying the typical curriculum at a U.S. high school;
  • participating in school clubs and sports;
  • making friends with American teenagers; and
  • doing volunteer work in their community.

The experience changes everyone. In addition to growing more competent, resilient, confident, and English-proficient, the student forges lifelong bonds with their American family and friends. Every positive interaction helps people see each other not as “foreigners” but as individuals of equal worth, cultivating mutual esteem that is essential for peace among nations.

Participants receive a high level of attention and care. United Studies staff conducts in-home interviews, reference checks, and background checks to select the safest and most nurturing homes for students. Approved host families are matched with students based on personal interests and individual needs. Students and families participate in orientations to prepare them for the exchange, and during the exchange, a United Studies Local Coordinator maintains regular contact with the student, host family, and school to provide advice, answer questions, and support them through challenges. United Studies program staff can be reached 24 hours per day. All students are provided with medical insurance.

United Studies is seeking students who:

  • are 15 to 18 ½ years old at the time of enrollment in the U.S. high school;
  • are positive, open-minded, and willing to adapt;
  • possess a B average or higher in their home countries; and
  • possess English language skills sufficient to earn Cs and above in a U.S. high school.