CC – Outbound Selection Criteria

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THE PROCESS OF SELECTION OF OUTBOUND STUDENTS

In forming your selection committee, you may want to include some of the following:

  • Your Youth Exchange Committee
  • Officers or members of your club
  • Returned outbound and/or inbound students
  • Make sure your committee is composed of both genders
  • Non-Rotarian members of your community
  • Current and past host parents

ARE THE STUDENT (S) YOU CHOOSE:

1. ACADEMICALLY SOUND?

  • Is their GPA 3.00 or higher, or are they in the upper 1/3 of their class?

2. PEOPLE-TO-PEOPLE STUDENTS?

  • Is the student a good mixer or are they standoffish when in a crowd? A good place to observe this is when all of the students are together
  • Do they migrate to a corner of the room or fail to interact with the other students?
  • Do they come to you to introduce themselves or must you seek them out for that initial introduction?

3. HAVE PRIDE IN THEMSELVES?

  • Are they clean and neat?
  • Do they wear excessive makeup?
  • Do they wear radical clothing or hairstyle?
  • Do they wear the same clothing every time you see them?
  • Do they dress appropriately for the occasion?

4. DESIRE TO FIT INTO ANOTHER CULTURE?

  • Can they accept that things are different in other cultures and that different cultures are to be EXPERIENCED not JUDGED?
  • How do they feel about political situations in other countries?

5. NEED TO BE ARTICULATE?

  • Students, wherever they go, will be required to speak before groups of people.
  • Do they look you in the eye when speaking to you?
  • Can they understand the things you say without asking for explanations?
  • Do they carefully choose their words when speaking?
  • Is their vocabulary good?
  • Do they appear to be reasonably at ease and confident when speaking?

6. PARENTAL SUPPORT? –

  • Do the parents simply want to get rid of the student for a year?
  • Are the parents willing to support ALL of the rules of the program?
  • If the student is from a broken home, do both parents support the program – willing to sign a letter to that effect?
  • Can both natural parents sign the application even though they may no longer live together? Will both parents financially support the program?

7. FINANCIAL ABILITY

  • While Rotary Exchange is one of the least expensive of the exchanges, it is still rather costly. Are the parents willing to support the program financially?
    Bear in mind that transportation (the biggest single expense) can run from $1500 – $3,500.
  • If there is a limited family financial ability, does the student have the drive and desire to earn all or part of the money necessary to be an exchange student? If you have a student who is exceptional in all other respects, is there support available from your club to insure, adequate funding of the exchange? Can the club help the student find part-time work and help with fundraising?

8. RACISM & POVERTY

  • Everyone has their biases or prejudices. In students this tendency must be at a minimum. Could they live with a Japanese family in a predominantly Japanese neighborhood in Brazil? Could they live with a wealthy family in a third world country, with poverty all around them, and keep their opinions to themselves?

9. HEALTH/MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS?

  • Is there a history of emotional problem? Experience has proven that those who have a history of emotional problems (in spite of “cured” reports from psychologists) do not do well in this program. The incidence of failed exchanges (where the problem has been brought to light either before or after the exchange) is high.
  • Has the student been fully vaccinated, including COVID-19?
  • Is the student on any medication that could be a problem if selected?

10. FAMILY HARMONY?

  • Does the student get along well with parents and siblings?
  • Is the exchange a vehicle for the parents to ‘get rid’ of the student for a year?
  • Does the student want to escape the parents or other siblings for a year?
  • How do brothers and sisters feel about losing a sibling for a year? In the case of a broken home, how well does the student get along with a stepparent?

11. RECOMMENDATIONS FROM OTHERS?

  • Have you talked with the school counselor or a teacher who knows the student well? The recommendation written on the application by the school does not always reflect the best opinion available. Getting information about the student from their teachers is critical and must be kept confidential.

12. THE FINAL QUESTION

Now that you have evaluated the student, the final question is:

  • “Is this a student I would like to have in my own home for a year?”

When you visit with the parents and the students, ask them how they would feel about HOSTING a student. You may find that some, while hoping for the selection of their own child, may feel that if
their child is not selected, hosting may be an alternative that could afford many of the same benefits. The district committee, during the in-home interview, discusses this with the families of the students who are selected to the program. But the district committee does not have the opportunity to talk with families interested in the exchange whose students are not successful in the selection process. They may be a great resource.