Open Question: Thinking about AFS exchange to Italy, Help Please!!?

okay, so i am thinking about doing an international exchange. I am leaning towards AFS and would really like to go to Italy. I know my parents won’t let me go for an entire year, but they might let me go for just the summer time. What do you think would be a good way to ease them into letting me go abroad to Italy for the entire summer? I’ve done some other programs before like Wilderness Ventures, but that was something totally different then AFS.
Also, the program cost isn’t cheap. Is financial aid available? other then that, i’ll just have to save up my own money to go with AFS.
Do you think i could take a loan from a bank for this trip, i’m only going to be a junior in high school?

I really just want to go to italy. If i just put Italy for all three choices, will i have a for sure spot to go to Italy???
What kind of questions do they ask at the interview. Is it really as stressfull as others have said?

Once your in the program, do you actually have free time in that country? like, would i be able to go to discotechs and Just hang out with other AFSers?

Thanks so much for your help, i greatly appreciate it.

PS I am fully committed and I am willing to do whatever I can to do this.
also, how early should i send the application? is it first come first serve basis when applying to a country or what?