Study & Exchange Advising

Advisory Services

The Study and Exchange Advisory Service provides free and independent information on opportunities to stay and study in the United States.

We provide you with comprehensive information on:

• Gap Year (Au Pair, Volunteer Work, Camp Counselor, etc.)
• High School Year
• Short-Term Stays, Language Trips, Summer Sessions
• Internship/Trainee Positions
• Sports Scholarship (U.S. College Sports)
• Studies (Bachelor, Master, PhD)
• Summer Work and Travel
• Student Visa (F, J, M)

We’ll help you plan your stay in the U.S. and answer your questions on an individual basis.
Those interested can get advice in person, by phone, or by email, as well as attend informational sessions. Simply schedule an appointment at studienberatung@csh-fr.de.

If you’d like, we’d be happy to send you informational materials on the topics mentioned via email. Please send us a short message.

We are part of EducationUSA—a network of over 430 advising centers with more than 550 advisors worldwide, supported by the U.S. Department of State. You can find more information about EducationUSA here.

Info Session

Here you can find more events on the topic of going abroad.

Scholarship

Spend a school year in Freiburg’s twin city Madison, Wisconsin, USA, as a Freiburg Ambassador with the Carl Schurz Scholarship!

To help make the dream of spending a high school year in the U.S. a reality, the Carl Schurz Scholarship is available to young people from the Freiburg administrative district. In partnership with NorthWest Student Exchange (NWSE), the Carl-Schurz-Haus awards a scholarship for a school year in the region surrounding Freiburg’s sister city, Madison, Wisconsin.

Applicants are selected on the basis of the documents they submit and in personal interviews. The personal impression is particularly important in this process.

Are you between 15 and 18 years old at the start of the program?
Do you have a basic knowledge of English?
Are you ready to live with a carefully selected host family, attend a public school full-time, participate in extracurricular activities, improve your language skills, and actively learn about American culture?

Then you can find more information here.

The application deadline for the 2027/28 school year is October 31, 2026!

Newspaper article about the scholarship recipients of 2025/26

Reports from our scholarship recipients 2025/2026

Translations

In connection with applications to higher education institutions abroad in English-speaking countries, we offer German to English translations of (school) certificates. We are also happy to submit these to the relevant American institution as part of your application. We are happy to prepare a non-binding quote for you!

Language Tests & Test Preparations

We provide you with information on suitable preparation materials for tests such as the TOEFL or SAT and inform you where and how you can take these exams.

In addition, the language course department at the Carl-Schurz-Haus offers courses and private lessons to help students prepare for the following tests:

• Cambridge
• IELTS
• TOEFL
• TOEIC
• SAT/LSAT/MCAT

You can take the DAAD language test directly at the Carl-Schurz-Haus.

Further information can be found here.