Obtaining a US Student Visa
In order to come on exchange to Athenian, a student must get a Student Visa to the United States, which is a complex process for which there are no back doors or alternatives. Exchange students with a United States or Canadian passport do not need a Student Visa. If you leave enough time to go through this process, a positive outcome is highly likely.
The U.S. Consulate in your country or other sources may tell you that a B-2 Tourist Visa is sufficient, but that is incorrect. The U.S Department of Homeland Security has repeatedly told Athenian that an F-1 Student Visa is required for all exchange students, due to the legal constraints around our boarding program. You must also meet immunization and tuberculosis requirements for students in California.
Filling Out the Intake Form
Every Round Square school is different, and every school has a unique application form. In order to issue you your I-20 form for your visa application, we need some very specific information. We collect this using the form linked below.
Information we collect:
Student Name, Student Email Address, Student Date of Birth
Parent(s) Names, Parent(s) Email Address(es)
Student Passport: Upload photo as attachment
Incoming Exchange Term Selection – exact term dates will be communicated
Term 1: End of August to middle of October
Term 2: Middle of October to early December
Term 3: Early January to early March
Term 4: Early April to late May
What you would like us to know about your child, what they are excited/nervous about
Your address: This is to assist us in issuing the I-20 form for your visa application
Once we have this information, Molly Gowen will send you a PDF of your acceptance letter; this will be needed for your student visa interview.