A wide range of short-term study programs are available in the USA, as you can learn from the EducationUSA dedicated section.

Short-term programs last less than 12 month.  U.S. universities and other organizations offer such programs in which you can study, teach, conduct research, get training, demonstrate special skills, and more. The U.S. Department of State adds to this wealth of short-term program through the J-1 Visa Exchange Visitor Program.

Program types for high-school students include but are not limited to:

  • Certificate/Diploma programs (such as summer schools);
  • Exchange programs;

As there is no official ranking system for short-term programs  in the USA, the best college or university for your short-term program is the one that best meets your academic, financial, and personal needs. You would be well advised to start your search for a short-term program at least a year before the period when you expect to attend a short-term program. 

Certificate/Diploma Programs

Such programs can be pursued over summer, as summer schools, or as longer-term commitments. International student have a wide choice of summer programs and summer schools. If you plan to build skills in a certain area of interest, short-term certificate programs offer coursework within an area of specialization. Upon successful completion of program requirements, the institution awards a certificate to recognize expertise or skills gained. For the longer-than-summer study commitment the options are outlined here.

U.S. High School Experience

Romanian high-school students can spend a semester or a full year in a public high-school in the USA, usually with a U.S. host family. The immersion into the U.S. culture is usually perceived as stimulating and exciting and the overall experience can be extremely fulfilling.  EDMERICA does not endorse any of the entities that facilitate such programs and you can go online to search the multiple options available.

Exchange Programs
Exchange programs in the USA offer excellent opportunities to know the American culture first-hand by living and learning in a diversity of cultural settings. Exchange programs may come in a variety of forms, i.e. an academic exchange between two universities, a short-term professional program, etc. The U.S. Department of State’s Exchange Visitor Program website will highlight the options available.

In past years Romania was included in an exchange program geared at high-school students that brings together U.S. and international students. The Benjamin Franklin Transatlantic Summer Institute is a comprehensive program offered by the the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs http://bftf.org/. The program was well-loved by our students who were selected by the U.S. Embassy in Bucharest to participate in it and did so with gusto.