Algeria to USA Exchange Program: The Ultimate Guide to Apply

Do you want to travel and meet people from different cultures without spending any penny? And who doesn’t haha.

Follow this article to know more!

Exchange programs are one way to do so and they are available, but only a few people know about them! Because of the “gatekeepe” mentality but I am here to unlock the door for you and all you have to do is follow these steps.

What are exchange programs?

Every year, all around the world different embassies offer fully funded exchange programs, where if selected you’ll be able to travel to another country and spend up to 5-6 weeks with people from different backgrounds and cultures and exchange ideas and knowledge with them. Usually you’ll be staying in dorms at Universities and probably have some light courses in the daylight, about leadership or entrepreneuriat or whatever the program you chose is about. You’ll also get the chance to discover that country’s traditions and see museums, cinema, NASA if you’re in America. Michael Angelo if you’re in Italy.

One of the very active ones is the US embassy, they offer more than 50 exchange programs, and everyone has the same chance of success, regardless of “who their father is” like the stigma that follows this kind of opportunity.

How can we apply for them?

First of all you will need to check the “eligibility requirements” because some of these programs are made just for undergraduate students like the “SUSI program” and the “MEPI” one, as a half selected participant in the mepi I will share with you some tips:

You need to be active in civic engagement, volunteering and charity work like planting trees, sharing awareness compagnies…etc
Your full cv matters but if you have never worked before again just focus on volunteering.
Your fluent English matters but it’s not crucial.
If you choose leadership programs, focus on showing that you’re a leader in the essays you’re required to write.

Most of these programs require you to write about a cause that you believe in, I chose “suicide hotline” last year and appearently that was impressive so that’s how i got selected for the semi finals.

Now coming to the question that you all are asking by now:

"WHERE DO WE FIND THESE OPPORTUNITIES?"

Don’t worry! I got your back.

So for the US embassy fully funded exchange programs

( knowing that there are opportunities for everyone, leadership ones for undergrads, adult ones like SUSI for scholars ( teachers) or tech women for women in the engineering and technology fields, and even for 15-17 yo teenagers, there’s the AYLP program and the tech girls one.

You can find them on https://dz.usembassy.gov/education-culture/exchanges/

Choose your fighter and make sure to not miss the deadline.

Also follow their page on Facebook and Instagram to stay tuned! “US embassy”

For other countries, you can find internships where they pay you for it and it can be up to 3-6 months meanwhile exchange programs take usually less than a month.

Other tips

Make sure to follow all the pages on Instagram and Facebook called “opportunities circle”, “opportunities corner” and “scholarship corner” (links are at the end of the article)

They share different opportunities daily from all over the world, so you just need to keep an eye on them and find what suits you best.

The process

So after filling the form, the people in charge will review it and select the semi finals, then they will invite them to have a real life interview or an online one, where they will be asked about every detail they mentioned in the application form so be truthful and honest, after that interview the ones selected will be called to finish the visa preparations and other logistics they will take care of paying for everything, plane tickets, accomodations, food …etc Once arrived to your destination you will meet your peers and after resting of course you will start taking the courses you signed up for because these exchange programs aren’t just for fun they have an educational purpose, you will probably have to present a project by the end of the program. But you will be tutored by really inspiring people, Harvard and Yale professors. Meet interesting leaders from all over the world.

A girl i know got to meet queen Elizabeth 3 years ago! And so can you. Not queen Elizabeth RIP obviously but maybe king Charles!

I hope i helped you find whatever your heart desires. And i wish for everyone to get what they deserve.