Stepin GmbH

Stepin is committed to fostering cultural understanding among high school students and their families for life, culture and people in the US. The company believes that meaningful personal and scholarly interactions are key to promoting greater understanding and tolerance across German and American culture.

The exchange organization Stepin, which specializes in high school programs, has been successfully arranging and supervising stays abroad for young world explorers on five continents since 1997. The vision: turning »world-curious« students into self-confident global citizens! In addition, Stepin offers its program participants a suitably tailored travel insurance package.

Together with its USA J-1 and F-1 partners Stepin provides high school students an high school academic semester and year program.

Academic Programs – United States International students ages 14 to 18 travel to the United States, attend school for five or ten months, and live mostly with a U.S. host family. Boarding schools can be chosen as well. Students must complete an application in English, pass a language proficiency test, submit transcripts indicating sufficient grades, and write an autobiographical essay. Students and parents are interviewed prior to acceptance. Upon acceptance, students are required to attend several orientations. The orientations (online and in presence), which are conducted in the sending and hosting county address issues such as American culture, English language, program rules, and how to make the most of the U.S. high school experience. The primary focus of the courses is to acclimate students and prepare them for their academic year stay.

Host families are encouraged by the hosting partners to review several students’ applications before selecting the student who would most appropriately match their family’s lifestyle and interests. Cost to participants starts at $12,490 for J-1 and $15,490 for F-1, excluding transportation, insurance, and personal expenses.