Future Leaders Exchange » FLEX Application Information

- Who is Eligible to Apply to the Program and Who is NOT Eligible?

- Steps in Recruitment

- Recruitment Schedule

- Regions Where Recruitment is Carried out

- Selection Process

Who Is Eligible to Apply to the Program for the 2010-2011 Academic Year and Who Is NOT Eligible?

The competition for the FLEX scholarship is merit-based and open at no cost to All applicants who meet the following requirements.

Eligible applicants must:

Be students in the 9th or 10th grades (not in the graduating class) born after January 1, 1994 and before 15 July 1996
Be currently enrolled in a secondary school
Have an academic standing of "good" or better
Have previously studied English and demonstrate English language ability at the time of registration
Meet U.S. visa eligibility requirements
Be a citizen of Armenia and able to receive a passport in Armenia.

The age/grade eligibility requirements for students with disabilities are the following:

Students must be born between March 15, 1993 and July 15, 1996.
They must be studying in 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 grades.

* Students who change their grade level to an ineligible grade before their departure to the United States will be disqualified.

Students are ineligible to apply if:

They do not meet the above criteria
They have stayed in the U.S. for three (3) months or more during the past five (5) years
Their family has applied, is applying, or has made plans to emigrate to the United States.

Steps in Recruitment

Round 1: Pre-Test

Students meeting the age and grade criteria are invited to take a 16-question, multiple-choice

English test. The major purpose of the pre-test is to eliminate students with only a very limited knowledge of English. There are ten versions of the pre-test to discourage cheating.

Round 2: Pre-TOEFL/SLEP and Essay Test

Eligible students deciding to continue with the application process are invited to take the Pre- TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) or the Secondary Level English Proficiency (SLEP) test. Students are also asked to write three in-class essays (in English) in response to specific questions. Questions are designed to elicit factors that indicate the student's maturity and suitability for international exchange. Essay questions focus on actual situations that students may confront, rather than abstract situations that may be more difficult to address.

There are five sets of essay questions so students cannot share essay questions with their friends who may take the test at another test site in the future or at another session. All testing is proctored by program staff and alumni.

After all tests and essays are completed, they are sent to the Moscow data hub to be assessed and graded. First the Round 2 English tests are graded, and then the essays of students with adequate language proficiency are evaluated. Field screening committees at the data hub are specially trained to assess essays on the basis of ten factors considered critical for exchange experience success. Processing information and conducting the preliminary evaluation in a centralized location, rather than in the field, is important for the integrity of the competition and relieves the pressure often placed on the program staff by parents, local ministries, or others to include candidates who might not be qualified.

Round 3: Applications and Interviews

Students with the best assessments pass to the next level of the competition. They are asked to submit complete applications and are interviewed. Less than 15% of the original applicant pool is invited to complete applications. One U.S. and one Eurasian employee return to the test site to conduct 20-minute interviews with students who have been invited to complete applications. Interviews take place in both English and the student's native language to enable interviewers to assess English language skills as well as to give students the best opportunity to present themselves.

In addition to the one-on-one interview, all applicants participate in group interviews (referred to as "games"). These are conducted in Russian or the local language and led by Eurasian staff members while U.S. staff observes. Four to seven students take part in each "game." These provide an opportunity to observe the students in a less formal setting and to see how they interact with their peers. On the day of the interview, staff explains the application form in detail so students will understand how to complete it. Students have two weeks to complete the application and return it to an American Councils office. Applications are checked in the field offices for completeness and forwarded to the Moscow data hub. In Moscow, computer data files are updated for each student, and the original Pre-TOEFL or SLEP answer sheet and essay questions are attached to the application form. The complete application and computer data files are then forwarded to the American Councils headquarters office in Washington, DC for further processing and selection.

Recruitment Schedule

Testing for the FLEX Program will take place as follows:

September 6, 2010: Hrazdan (9:00 AM at School 13)
September 6, 2010: Ijevan (9:30 AM at School 4, Galik Krtaran)
September 7, 2010: Martuni (9:30 AM at School 2)
September 7, 2010: Vanadzor (9:00 at the Pedagogical Institute)
September 14, 2010: Yeghegnadzor (9:00 at the Youth Center in the Culture House) , Sisian (5:30 PM at School 3--Round 1 ONLY. Round 2 will be held the following morning.)
September 14, 2010: Talin (9:00 at Talin High School)
September 15, 2010: Goris (1:30 PM at Teachers' House at Gusan Ashot 32)
September 15, 2010: Gyumri (9:00 AM at Shirakatsi University)

September 16, 2010: Kapan (9:00 AM at School 1)
September 16, 2010: Yerevan REGISTRATION (9:30 at Brusov University)

Applicants must bring:
an original birth certificate
a recent passport photo
a pen

Regions (Test Centers) Where Recruitment is Carried Out:

1. Yerevan (applicants from nearby regions are tested in Yerevan)

2. Shirak - Gyumri

3. Aragatsotn - Talin

4. Lori - Vanadzor

5. Tavush - Ijevan

6. Syunik - Sisian, Goris, Kapan

7. Kotayk - Hrazdan

8. Gegharkunik - Martuni

9. Vayots Dzor - Yeghegnadzor

Selection Process:

American Councils organizes and trains approximately 150 volunteer evaluators- professionals in education and international relations in the United States who meet daily for about three months to carefully review the applications and attached data. They select program finalists and alternates.

Selection is based on merit as evidenced in a comprehensive application; teacher reference; and demonstrated preparedness for a year-long exchange experience. Students are also required to provide medical evaluations and be certified as medically fit to participate in the program. The selection process is completed in spring and all applicants receive notification of their status by mid-April. English-language proficiency is important but it is not the sole element in selection. Names of all finalists are randomly distributed to placement organizations by mainframe computer.