International Student Information

YAHS welcomes applications from students residing outside the U.S., and we will do everything possible to help international students have a positive, enriching experience while visiting our country. The Young Artist's harp Seminar and Competition has welcomed harpists from Canada, France, Spain, Costa Rica, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. Many of these students have found YAHS to be the perfect place to hone both their music and English skills.

Here is some additional information for international students at YAHS.

Communication and Translation

The official language at YAHS is English. Students are not required to be fully fluent in English, however they must be able to communicate basic needs to the instructors and counselors in English. A basic understanding of musical terms in English is also necessary.

YAHS can provide some translation assistance during the application process, however once at YAHS, students should be prepared to experience minimal or no translation assistance. Whenever possible, students will be assigned roommates with similar language skills.

Payment

Because of large international banking fees, all payments to YAHS from students residing outside the U.S. and Canada must be made by credit card in $US. International checks and money orders will not be accepted, even if they are drawn on a U.S. bank. (Pay by credit card now.)

Traveling to Rabun Gap, Ga.

Book all air travel to the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL). The Atlanta airport is about a 2 hour drive from Rabun Gap.

Important: Do not book air travel until you have received notification that you have been accepted to YAHS. Do not book air travel until you have discussed your travel plans with us and we have confirmed that your intinerary will work with our airport shuttle schedule!

Students Traveling Alone
A YAHS representative will meet students traveling alone and drive you to Rabun Gap with other YAHS students arriving by air. (There is an extra fee for airport transportation.) For some international students, it is necessary to arrive a day early because of flight schedules. If you must arrive early, we will make arrangements for you to spend the night with a local a host family in Atlanta and take you to Rabun Gap the next day. At the end of the seminar, all students traveling by air will spend an additional night at Rabun Gap and travel to the airport the next morning. Book your return flight to depart Atlanta after 12:00 p.m.

Students Traveling With a Parent or Guardian
If you are an international student traveling with a parent or guardian, you will be responsible for your own transportation from the Atlanta Airport to Rabun Gap. We recomend that you rent a car, since Rabun Gap is a rural area and there is no public transportation. Dormitory housing at YAHS is available for students only, however there are many nearby lodging options for parents.

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