International Private School Program

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

The Nacel Open Door Private School Program (PSP) was piloted in 2000 in order to provide qualified international students with the opportunity to complete their studies at private high schools in the United States. The International Private School Program (IPSP) is the successor to the Private School Program which focused on former Korean academic-year participants who wished to return to the United States to continue their education. Its distinction from a traditional exchange program lies in a participant’s choice of school, extended stay of more than one year, as well as the ability to graduate and apply to U.S. colleges and universities.

Nacel Open Door is one of the oldest not-for-profit student exchange organizations in the country. With more than five decades of service, Nacel Open Door provides opportunities for American and foreign students to participate in international exchanges from one month to ten months in duration. Working with close to forty countries, Nacel Open Door has developed worldwide programs in pursuit of fostering cultural understanding, promoting foreign language acquisition, and providing educational opportunities.

In addition to the IPSP, Nacel Open Door has its own international high school located in St. Paul, Minnesota. This accredited college preparatory school is a learning and teaching laboratory for educating high school students from around the world. Additionally, satellite schools have been opened in other countries as part of the Nacel International School System.

Since the year 2000, the IPSP has grown both in size and quality. The program works with approximately 350 students enrolled in well over 100 private high schools across the country. There is an extensive interviewing, testing, and screening process. Participants selected for this program are high-achieving college-bound students.

IPSP participants are full tuition-paying students interested in continuing their education at high-quality private schools in the United States. Students on this program do not specifically require English as a Second Language (ESL) classes and many of them have already spent a full year studying in the U.S., Canada, South Africa, Australia, or New Zealand. These students are focused on their studies and are committed to their education. They come with their own health and liability insurance as well as spending money.

The IPSP offers support to both students and host families throughout their participation in the program. Local representatives from within the school or local community work directly with students and host families. IPSP host families receive a generous monthly hosting stipend.