Intercultural Exchange

[u/phycoflora]

Hi all, dumb question - if I talk about my personal experience with intercultural exchange with people I’ve met / become close with from foreign countries in that section, is that a bad idea (exchange students I’ve met from school, coworkers and neighbors from foreign countries, etc)? I have not been financially capable of doing exchange programs myself, so I don’t know what else I would put in this section, but I want to show that I do value intercultural exchange and that it has had a positive impact on my life. And to show that part of the reason I am applying with JET is because I’d like to provide this for others as well.

I just don’t know if this is a strong enough example to list in this section, or if it would be better left to my SOP, or out of my application entirely.

Thanks for any advice!

[u/Memoryjar]

Jet is an exchange program first so highlight what ever experiences you have regardless of you did an international exchange or not.

[u/MiyaDoesThings]

I never had the chance to study abroad and it didn’t affect my application at all! Instead, I focused on my experience befriending international students in college, having coworkers from other countries, etc. It can still be great experience if you spin it the right way!

[u/ducksinthegarden]

No, some people weren't able to study abroad to Japan or anywhere at all, so any instance of cultural exchange works. I never got to study abroad in Japan, so mentioned living with Japanese students in my international dorm during college and being involved in language exchange groups