About How it works Experience Pricing Team FAQ
WESTBOUND
BY SLAMSTOX
Your American High School Experience

The Friday night game. The drama rehearsal that runs too late. The prom you spent weeks planning. The graduation morning you'll never forget. You've seen it all in the movies, now live it. One full year at a real American high school, with a family that has your back from day one. Ages 14–18.

Start your journey How it works

What is Westbound

Not a holiday.
A chapter of your life.

Friday night lights at a US high school

Westbound is a cultural immersion program for European teenagers aged 14 to 18. For one full year, you become part of an American family and attend a local high school, not watching from the outside, you're in the hallways, on the team sheet, and in the yearbook like everyone else.

Whether you're chasing a sports scholarship, want to sharpen your English, or just crave an adventure that actually means something, Westbound puts you there.

Every placement is personal. We match you with a family that fits your lifestyle, a school that fits your goals, and a spot somewhere in America that feels like it was made for you.

14–18
Age range
1 full year
Program length
100%
Real HS experience

The process

Five steps to
Going West.

01
Apply
Fill in a short form and we'll reach out within 48 hours. No stress, no commitment, just the first step.
02
Preparation
We give you your homework. Research, paperwork, and everything you need to get ready. We guide you through every step.
03
Info Evening
You and your parents come to our info evening. Everything on the table. What to expect, what to pack, what America is really like.
04
Meet Your New Life
Your host family. Your new city. Your school. We introduce you before you fly so day one already feels like home.
05
Fly Out
Bags packed, boarding pass ready. Your American year starts the moment you land.

What's waiting for you

The moments
you'll never forget.

Field & Court
Varsity Sports
Field & Court
Varsity Sports
"I scored the winning point in front of 2,000 people. Nothing in Europe comes close."
Friday night lights
Real team jerseys & letterman jackets
Scouts in the stands
Cheerleaders, crowds, the full show
Culture
Prom Night
Culture
Prom Night
"I wore a suit, took a limo, and danced all night. My parents couldn't believe the photos."
Limo, corsage, the whole thing
Prom king & queen votes
After-prom with your crew
The night you'll tell stories about
Milestone
Graduation
Milestone
Graduation
"Walking across that stage with my host family cheering, I've never felt anything like it."
Cap & gown ceremony
A US diploma with your name
Credits that count toward college
A moment you carry forever
Home Away
Host Family
Home Away
Host Family
"They became my second family. I still call them every week, two years later."
Thanksgiving & road trips
Sunday dinners together
People in your corner every day
A bond that lasts a lifetime

Young athletes

Your shot at a
US scholarship.

American college coaches scout high school programs. Playing a full year in the US system is the most direct path to getting noticed, and funded.

Direct pathway

Westbound is the direct pathway into Slamstox, for the best college recruitment, guidance, and full support to your next journey. Already 18+ and ready to take your sport to the next level?

Visit Slamstox.com →

Your home in the US

Host families
we trust.

🇺🇸
300+ local coordinators
Every region in the US has its own Westbound coordinator on the ground. Host families are not paid, they do this purely to give back and offer a young person a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Every family is yearly screened through home visits and personal interviews by the local coordinator.
📍
Close to your school
Your host family lives in the school district. You take the bus or carpool like every other kid.
🤝
Full support included
Your Westbound subscription includes 24/7 local support, full insurance coverage, after-school support, and a quarterly follow-up on the initiative of the student. A local coordinator is always within 1 hour reach for escalation, problems, or any situation that might occur.

Investment

One price.
Everything included.

Full year program
Westbound
One full American high school year, everything arranged, nothing to figure out.
€16,950
full academic year
  • Application preparation & guidance
  • Guaranteed sports-specific school placement
  • Host family placement & matching
  • High school tuition & enrollment
  • Full insurance coverage
  • Visa & paperwork support
  • Prom & graduation included
  • 24/7 Westbound support on the ground
Apply now
Not included
Everything else is covered in the €16,950. These are the only costs you arrange and pay for yourself before departure.
  • Visa appointment & English tests
  • Flight tickets
  • Monthly personal allowance
  • A gift for your host family
Our advice on the gift
Something Dutch, stroopwafels, Delft, a book about the Netherlands. Your host family is giving you a home. A small gesture goes a long way.

The people behind it

We didn't read about it.
We lived it.

Jord Malcorps, Rosholt Hornets
Rosholt Hornets · Wisconsin · Regional Champions
Jord Malcorps
Co-founder & Director, Westbound

"I spent a year playing varsity basketball in Wisconsin. Small school, Cinderella run, regional finals. I lived with my host family, went to prom, graduated with my American classmates. Made friends for life. You come back with confidence, language, connections, there is so much you get in return from a year abroad. That experience is what Westbound is built on."

Rosholt Hornets · Regional Champions · The Rosholt Record

The Cinderella Season →
The Rosholt Record
The Cinderella Season
The Rosholt Record, Cinderella Season
Click anywhere to close
Pedro Mol, UNC Wilmington Seahawks
UNC Wilmington Seahawks · NCAA Division I
Pedro Mol
Co-founder, Westbound · Founder, Slamstox

Founder of Slamstox, a student athlete company focused on college scholarships through sport. Pedro walked the walk: he played four years of NCAA Division I tennis at UNC Wilmington, home of the Seahawks, competing at the highest level of college sport in the US. Slamstox has since placed over 2,000 student athletes into US colleges, and it's that experience and network that Westbound is built on.

CAA Player of the Week →
Colonial Athletic Association
CAA Player of the Week
Pedro Mol, UNCW

WILMINGTON, North Carolina, Senior Pedro Mol of UNCW has been named the Men's Tennis Singles Player-of-the-Week by the Colonial Athletic Association.

Mol, from Amsterdam, The Netherlands, went 3-0 last week as the 55th-ranked Seahawks reeled off three straight victories to improve to 9-6 on the season.

"Pedro has had a great couple weeks and I'm pleased that he is being recognized by the CAA. He had a couple very tight matches go against him and Pedro has done an excellent job working through it and just continuing to work hard. We're very proud of his progress." · Coach Mait DuBois, UNCW

Mol opened the week by downing Yale's Martin Svenning, 6-1, 6-3, in UNCW's 5-2 victory over the Bulldogs, then added a 7-6 (4), 7-6 (4) decision over UCF's Armar Hromic as UNCW knocked off the No. 51 Golden Knights, 5-2.

Mol, who had won seven of his last 10 matches, closed out the week by topping Binghamton's Alexander Maisin, 6-2, 6-3, in a 5-1 victory over the Bearcats.

Click anywhere to close

Questions

Straight
answers.

Westbound is open to students aged 14 to 18. You need to be within that range at the time of departure. We place students in schools appropriate for their grade level.
No, you need a working foundation, but immersion does the rest. Most students are conversational within 6 weeks. That growth is part of the program.
All host families are screened, interviewed, and home-checked by our US partner network. We personally match each student to a family based on lifestyle, sport, and interests, not just geography.
We help with the credit transfer process and work with your Dutch school before you leave. Most schools cooperate, we guide both you and your school through it.
Slamstox is reachable 24/7 for students and parents. We have local US contacts in every state we operate in. No student has ever been left without support.
It depends on level, sport, and effort, and we'll be honest with you about that upfront. What the Athlete program guarantees is the right exposure, the right profile, and the right conversations with coaches. The rest is earned on the field.

Ready to go

Your journey
starts here.

Scout — Westbound mascot
Scout's pep talk

"Listen up. Everyone dreams about it. The game, the prom, the jacket. Almost nobody dares to actually go. But you scrolled all the way down here, so I know something is burning. Are you ready to take the leap to the West? Let's go."

Scout · Westbound teammate 🦡
Just fancy a chat?

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Your year
starts here.

Takes 2 minutes. We'll reach out within 48 hours.

🏈
You're in!

We got your application. Jord will personally reach out within 48 hours.