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FrenchWest of France Boarding school
West of France Boarding School: as an exchange student in Brittany or Cholet, you experience the everyday life of a French high school student who attend a French private boarding school. You live at the school dorm during the week and are welcomed on weekends by a French host family living in Rennes or Cholet areas.
Discover our private boarding school in Cholet and Rennes
Your Exchange Program in a West of France boarding school with Nacel International:
Cholet is a mid-sized city of 57000 inhabitants, 100 km far away from the Atlantic Ocean and easy to reach from Paris by train (450 km). Cholet offers excellent opportunities for leisure activities.such as the School of Music, Drama, and Dancing; the theatre season, the summer festival, the Museum of Art and History, the Museum of the Textiles industry. Practicing a sport in Cholet is easy: football, tennis, swimming, ice sports at the skating-rink, etc. Clubs and town infrastructures have recently been built or renovated to do so in the best conditions.
This boarding school in France has 100 years of experience in education and offers the main High School pathways: literature, economics, and science. Exchange students can choose between various subjects and options such as plastic arts, drama, sports (badminton, basketball and athletics). Exchange students live at the boarding quarters of the school from Monday to Friday and with a nice French host family during weekends and school holidays.
Every year, this French boarding school in Cholet welcomes about thirty exchange students.
- Size of the school: 1200 students
- Boarding (2 to 3 students per room, shared bathroom, dining room): 250 students
- Extra-curricular: Sports, Drama, Cinema, and Music. Outings at the ice ring.
- Available in the boarding quarter: Games, Student associations.
- School Plus: Various options on offer (Plastic Arts, Drama, Sports -Badminton, Basketball-)
Rennes is the capital city of Brittany and has 245 000 inhabitants. This is a dynamic city full of students and Universities. Rennes is known as been advanced in digital technology and innovation.
- Size: 1400 students.
- Boarding house (2,3 and 4 bedded rooms, shared bathroom): 170 students. Activities and outings organized by the staff.
The school offers all three general streams:
- Literature,
- Economics,
- and Sciences.
The school can only consider applicants in Grade 9, 10 and 11. Options offered in Grade 10 and 11: Plastic Art, Cinema, Sport, Music, Theatre, Latin, Italian, Chinese.
What about the French school system?
French secondary education is divided into two schools:
- the “collège” for the first four years directly following primary school (Grades 6-9)
- the “lycée” for the next three years.
Completion of secondary studies leads to the “baccalauréat”. The school’s director makes the decision regarding grade and placement level for international students, taking into account the school’s organization, the student’s transcripts and their French level. All students attend general classes such as French, History, Foreign Language (usually English, then German or Spanish), Sports, etc.. There are three available pathways, for Grades 11 and 12: Science with a focus on Biology, Physics and Maths; Economics with a focus on Economics and Social Sciences; Literature with a focus on French, Philosophy, and Foreign Languages.
Private boarding schools in France only offer 5-day boarding option. Exchange students are hosted in host families for weekends and holidays.
A typical day at school will follow this schedule:
Study abroad in a French boarding school
Graduation from a French boarding school is only possible after at least two years of study (Grade 11 and 12).
Rather looking for an exchange program in France in host families? Or a program in a different location? Look at our page dedicated to student exchange in France.
Accommodation
Exchange students live at the boarding quarters with their school friends during the week (Monday to Friday), with full board, and with a host family on weekends and during the school holidays, with full board.
Prices
West of France boarding school in Cholet and Rennes, France
*Price in EUR per participant.
Not included: Application fees (65 euros)
Price includes
- Administration fees
- School registration and fees (including school lunches)
- Boarding school on weekdays and host family accommodation with full board on weekends, bank holidays and half term holidays
- Support, assistance and 24-hour emergency phone number during the whole program
Price does not include
- International airfare
- Travel insurance (luggage loss, flight delay etc.)
- Visa, passport and medical exam fees
- Extra activities such as sports, excursions, etc. organized by the school or others, extra language courses
- Domestic transfer on departure day
- Personal expenses and pocket money
Mandatory fees to be added
- Meet&Greet + Orientation: 320 EUR
- Supervised transfer on arrival to school/host family: 300 EUR
- Insurance: 230 EUR
- School transportation: Cholet/Rennes: Term 70 EUR - Semester 100 EUR - Year 200 EUR
- School books:
- Cholet: Term 60 EUR - Semester 90 EUR - Year 150 EUR
- Rennes: 120 EUR
Eligibility
Exchange students must be interviewed in their home country before being accepted in this West of France boarding school.
A minimum of two years of French study and good academic results are required to study in France.
Testimonials
The raclette and tartiflette, it is a delight, I love it. Beyond that, I think people are nice in France. They say hello to you, talk to you, even if they don't know you. It's surprising, but pleasant. And then I made friends in high school, real friends. We built something. It will be very difficult the day of departure. Now it's going very well. I love it.
I love cooking, I would like to be a chef someday. So living here in France, the country of gastronomy, is great!
For me, the first few moments were difficult because I couldn't speak French very well . But I never regretted coming to France. I love my host family very much. I like living in Cholet.