I don’t understand how the half year sem works. It usually takes a girl until Chanukah to feel totally at home, get into her studies, and start thinking about how to apply that which she is learning to her life. It is only after four months that the really great, meaningful conversations take place in the dorms. It takes time to adjust and I am not sure how to rush that process along without sacrificing one of the most important parts of the sem experience.
In terms of saving money. The half year sems seem more expensive. I found a sem, Bnos Chana, that is $15,500 full price. After getting a $4000 MASA scholarship, and a $1500 scholarship from my local federation, it is possible to go to seminary in Israel for under $10,000. That includes dorm and food for the whole year. That is cheaper than most BY high schools!