Why do Students Choose a Homestay?

At Kaplan, students are at the core of everything we do, and their safety and comfort are paramount. As they embark on their language journey abroad, we ensure that their accommodation experience not only meets their expectations but exceeds it. With our homestay program, students not only find a place to stay but a warm and welcoming environment where they can thrive. 

Selecting the perfect host family 

Choosing the right host family is crucial for a successful homestay experience. Our selection process is meticulous, focusing on trust, reliability, and compatibility. Leveraging our longstanding relationships with existing hosts, we seek recommendations from within our community, ensuring a seamless integration for both students and hosts.  

When vetting potential hosts, we consider factors such as friendliness, quality of food and accommodation, as well as locality, ensuring that each household meets our high standards. Ultimately, we aim to create a home away from home where students feel comfortable, supported, and part of the family. Read more about how we select our host families here.

What do our students think? 

But don’t just take our word for it, this is what our students have to say. Afterall, their opinion is the one we care about the most. 

Kais Brigandi, 21, studied with Kaplan for over five months, and spent four of those months with a host family. She told us that she liked “the experience of speaking with native speakers”, but for Kais, that’s not the only aspect that is important. She wanted somewhere that prioritizes companionship, and safety: "I can’t cook so I prefer the comfort of a host family. We mostly spend time together at dinner. Sometimes we bump into each other in the house too." Lily Balmet, 18, also loves the comfort of a homestay, telling us "I think international students should take homestay because you will have great food and experience."

But despite spending valuable time together, every student has their own space. For Kais, she was “lucky with the size” of her room, as well as having access to a “peaceful” garden. Fellow former student Hiroyuki Ochi, 23, who studied with us for 12 weeks, also said that his room was “nice and comfortable”. 

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With regards to house rules, Hiroyuki said that "the home is very normal. I can go out and come home when I want to." Maëlle Rigot, 21, agreed, saying that:

 “I don’t feel that we really have rules in the house. I believe that both of us needs to be respectful and that’s why I always tell my host mom if I’m staying out or won’t be home for dinner. I don’t think it’s really a rule.” 

And believe us, your host family wants you to have fun! Kaplan Manchester student Priscella Ngaba, 19, told us "my host is not strict with me as we both build trust on each other she also encourages me to go to party with my school friends".

But spending a prolonged amount of time together means that ultimately, our students and host families grow close. Laurane Joly, 25, spent 14 weeks with a Kaplan host family, and during that time told us that “the hosts are really there for us (students). For example, when I was going through a hard time, they were so supportive, and they had many conversations with me. They are kind and want to get to know us as people.” 

A true home from home! What more could you ask for? 

Why choose a Kaplan host family 

"For me, it is better because I don’t have to cook and clean and do laundry. It is also the sense of living in a family." 

Kais knows what matters when it comes to comfort. But this comfort also extends to students who have never lived abroad before, and who might feel a bit homesick. For Blanche Fritsch, 18, this was her first trip without her family, and having chosen a 10-month course, she missed her family. Luckily, she had a great host family to help her through:

 “I was a bit scared, and I knew that a host family would help me to feel at ease and improve my English.” 

So, if you want accommodation that prioritizes a family unit, then staying with a host family is the right option for you. And of course, there’s also no denying the valuable benefits of being completely immersed in the English language. Laurane said it best: 

"Most important is the language and the opportunity to speak with native speakers and experience British culture. You really improve your speaking and listening. You can share many things about your life, and they share about their lives." 

So, how soon can you come? Book your homestay experience with a Kaplan advisor today, and experience English like never before.