FLEX Selection — AC Romania

Selection

Eligibility Criteria for FLEX Scholarship 2025-2026

To be eligible, applicants must cumulatively meet the following criteria:
• To be born between July 15, 2007 and July 15, 2010 and to be students in the ninth, tenth or eleventh grades, in the 2024-2025 school year, in a high school in Romania. These two conditions are cumulative and mandatory, and exceptions to these criteria will not be granted, regardless of the circumstances;

• To have Romanian citizenship. Applicants can also hold another citizenship, except for the American one, but the Romanian one is mandatory;
• To know English;
• To have a good or excellent academic record (there is no mandatory minimum average required by the program);
• To meet the requirements for obtaining a J-1 study visa;

• To have not stayed in the U.S. for ninety (90) days or more in the last five (5) years.

Not eligible are those who:
• Do not meet the above criteria;

• Have stayed in the U.S. for 90 days or more in the last five (5) years;

• Their family (or a family member): has applied or is applying to immigrate to the USA and/or have made plans to emigrate or have already emigrated to the USA.

Selection and testing process

The persons interested in the program and who meet the eligibility conditions can take part in the selection process, which takes place between August and September 2024.

The testing and selection process for the FLEX Program consists of three rounds of evaluation, as follows:

Round 1: Open from August 2024 to September 2024. This round includes a preliminary online application and 3 essay questions that must be submitted within 10 days of opening the online application on the AIS platform. The online application is available at the following address: https://ais.americancouncils.org/flex. To fill in and submit the online application, it is not enough just to create an account on the AIS platform and fill in the application form, but all sections of the application must be completed, including the answer to the 3 essay questions.

Round 2: After submitting the application from round 1, within 24 hours, all applicants will be invited to take an online English test.

Round 3: This round will start in November – December 2024 and will include a group and one-on-one interview, 3 more essay questions, and an online application. Subsequently, the students selected after this evaluation will be invited to take a complex English language test. To fill in and submit the online application, it is not enough just to access it on the AIS platform, but all its sections must be completed, including answering the 3 essay questions and filling in and uploading the requested forms.

After submitting the application, in both Round 1 and Round 3, all applicants will receive a confirmation email and an application code. In the absence of this confirmation email, the application will not appear as sent and registered.

Post-Recruitment:

After the end of the recruitment period, all applications are fully evaluated in the United States of America, by several commissions of specialists. No selection is made in Romania. Individual feedback cannot be provided at any stage of the selection process, regardless of the outcome.

The results of the selection process are expected in April - May 2025.

After acceptance of status, finalists and those on the reserve list begin preparation for departure, which includes obtaining a U.S. visa, performing the necessary immunizations, and completing other required documents or receiving placement.

All finalists must attend a mandatory Preparation and Orientation Camp (PDO) prior to departure for the U.S.

Finalists selected in the spring of 2025 will depart for the United States in August 2025 and return to Romania in May or June 2026.

The complete FLEX Program calendar:

March - July 2024: pre-enrolling;
August - September: submission of the online application and English language test.
October - November 2024: notification of semi-finalists.
October - December 2024: individual interview, English test, completion of individual application.
April - May 2025: announcement of final results (names of scholarship holders and those on the reserve list).
August - September 2025: travel of the scholarship holders to the USA.
May - June 2026: return to Romania.

Caution!

Participation in the FLEX tests is completely free, with no registration, testing or other fees. Also, the voluntary interruption of the program, for personal reasons of the student, does not involve any costs.
The FLEX English language test is unique and cannot be equated with other language proficiency certificates. At the same time, it is not necessary for applicants to hold an English language certificate to participate.
The families of the Romanian scholarship holders are not obliged to host another child for the duration of the FLEX scholarship.
Host families in the USA are carefully selected by specialized placement organizations, which rigorously verify them from various perspectives. These families may or may not have children, live in large, medium, or small communities, and may be of varying ages. The choice or proposal of a host family by the scholarship holder is not possible.

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