Hi All

After some advice please. Not sure where to pitch this but here goes.

Middlist son aged 18 wants to go and coach kids at Camp USA this summer.

He has been to Exeter for an interview today and there seems to be a lot of money required up front with no firm offer of a placement. He had to pay £25 just for the interview, then money for a CRB check (can see the point of that) and then £121 for insurances and membership fees.

He has come home with another bit of paper citing visa fees etc. He doesn't have to pay those until he has a confirmed placement. ]This Camp USA is with a company called BUNAC. I've been on their website and all seems OK but just wondered if any of you had any experience with this company. They are aimed at 18/19 year olds, UNI students gap year type people so are any of you out there who can reassure me or give him some tips on how to get the most out of this experience.

Thanks

DD

Hi DD

O - oh, I'm dreading this with my bambinos - why can't they stay young forever? :o(

£25 just for the interview!!! What would happen if no-one wanted to pay the £25, then there would be no interviewees, which would leave them with no staff!! I can understand the insurance bit though - always wise. I suppose the CRB check is to ensure that there are no criminals and it would be better for your son and also for your peace of mind knowing that he's not in the company of thugs hey?

I'm afraid I can't offer much about Camp USA or BUNAC but hopefully someone else may be able to tell you more on that one. An ex-friend of mine, who is a similar age as me, went to Camp America when she was 18 and she talks about it now. She made soooo many friends and is still in contact with them to this day. She said it was the most amazing experience and is so pleased she went. A big upheaval at the time for her but she said it was well worth it. Hopefully, should you son go, he will come back telling the same stories and have wonderful memories for the rest of his life. I don't really see this girl now as we had a bit of a fall-out last year, otherwise I'd most certainly have asked her more about it on your behalf.

Good luck with it all.

Indi

I'm not worried about him going in fact i'm positively encouraging him to go. Just thought I would get some advice re the company. It has been going for quite a long time so maybe i shouldn't worry.

In a way I can understand the money for the interviews etc as they have to come down from London and do the interviewing and pay for the hotels they use etc. Cheaper than him going to London for the interview I suppose. Mind you they say he will have to go to the American embassy in person for his visa so that's one trip to the capital to sort out if he gets a place.

Unfortunately your bambinos won't stay young forever, turn around too quick and they're grown.

DD

If they've been going a long time I'm sure all will be fine but there's no harm in seeking out more info on them. It's good that you're encouraging your son, that should boost his confidence with it all.

My eldest is 10 the week after next, double figures!!! She says some of her school friends have started to become a little moody, a hint of the hormones creeping in I wonder? Oh heck - here we go!!!

Ah yes hormones, don't you just love them!!!!

Can anyone out there help me with my original post. Would like to hear positive as well as any negatives about this experience.

DD

i dont think it matters dd,what others experiance having done the job as you son might well have different views and experiances once he gets out there,i know a few people who have done this,none are forum members and unfrotunatley i dont really speak to them much so i cant put you in contact with them im afraid,what i will say is that this sort of job is perfect for gap year students if thats what your son is.,or people wanting to do something different in summer.

Does seem a bit dodgy though that he has to pay money upfront for stuff like interview and crb checks.

Id do a bit of google searching for other companies that do this sort of thing,cos im sure you will find some that dont charge upfront fees.

I'm not worried about what he gets out of the experience as far as I can see it can only be good (fingers crossed). It was more the company that he's applied to. It was on recommendation from his college just want ed to get others take on it if they knew.

DD

Just done a search on bunac cos i was curious myself to be honest,

It does say the programs costs are $290 which cover the costs of program+sposnors administarions and materials,blue card assitance and bunac serives and support in usa and the uk.

Not sure if that relates to the upfront costs you mentioned but $290 in £ works out to what you mentioned in the first post.

Sounds pretty standard now to me after checking it out.

Hope he gets the job!!

Company its self looks pretty professional so shouldnt be worried too much.

Red

Did pretty much the same myself but as you know other peoples experience with a company can be invaluable. He should know in about 2 weeks if he got a place so fingers crossed.

DD

Thanks Red, I like this side of you very much. Can we see more of it please!

DD

Hello All

Update time. Well three months down the line and he has not been offered a place. One camp showed some interest but then after lots of e-mails and telephone calls to the states the camp leader decided he didn't have enough experience. Not sure how much experience they were expecting an 18 year old to have!!!

We have contacted the company and they keep fobbing us off with " just another couple of weeks". It usually is a case of first come first served they said. Well interestingly I have had a separate flyer from these people still advertising for places this summer. So if someone who was interviewed In Feb hasn't got a place for July what hope for anyone applying now???

So folks be warned. Although they tell you you will get a refund they sure as hell don't want to give it back if you don't get a place. My son was recommended this company by his college we will certainly be feeding back our experiences to them. Likewise to all of you just in case you know of someone who may be interested in trying this sometime in the future.

Now we have to try and find him somewhere else for this summer or else he cannot continue with his college course. A summer work experience is part of the course conditions. So anyone with any tips/ ideas etc I would be most grateful for any suggestions

Thanks for letting me get this off my chest

A furious DD

Hi Folks

Further update.

After getting stroppy and demanding our money back they finally found him a place. What a surprise. He had just two weeks to book an appointment at the US Embassy for his work visa. He went from deepest darkest Devon up to London for an interview and complete the visa process which took all of 20 minutes!!

Eight hours travelling for 20 minutes.

Well yesterday he flew from Heathrow to New York and I have just heard he is safely in New York and about to transfet to Maine for his camp.

I would still urge people to be cautious about this company if they use them in the future. If you want to get anywhere you have to be prepared to badger them constantly or else you are loeft running around like headless chickens at the last minute.

Another tip Devon to Heathrow by rail using student railcard less than £20 an absolute bargin!! Cheaper than taking him by car and thats if I could've found any petrol to get me there in the first place.

DD

PS has anyone found Indi????