Release of our Rating & Review System

Go is extremely proud and happy (even giddy) to announce the launch of our updated Rating and Review System. The Go Review system speaks to the heart and soul of this website. We’ve included all sorts of helpful and fun new features in our review system. We think our new review system looks pretty darn spiffy. As our famous Marketing Director, Tucker Hutchinson, likes to say, “It’s 2.0”.

So sue us, we’re proud parents and we’re not going to stop bragging about our beautiful child. We want the world to know about our review system. We don’t plan on stopping until we have extensive reviews for every program in the world. Again, please do your part and leave a review!

This review system is about YOU! User generated reviews require one very important thing: Users. We’ve created a community here and it’s quickly expanding. If you’ve been on a study abroad, volunteer abroad or teach abroad program, what are you waiting for? Give back and rate your program. Are there things you wish you knew before the program started? Share them with the community. Are there things you both loved and hated about your program? Share that with us too. We want to hear all of it. Seriously, it’s all relevant. Look at it this way: What kind of information would you have liked to have before you went abroad? Include that in your review. Include as much as you can, the more information the better. Remember how nervous you felt before your program started? There are people feeling that way right now. Don’t you want to assuage their nerves? Don’t you want to help? Are we laying on the guilt too thick, or not thick enough? Just let us know, we’ll do whatever it takes.

Review Contest!

Incentives. People respond to different incentives. Some people are motivated by intrinsic incentives: they want to save the world, help their fellow man and be general do-gooders. They feel genuine fulfillment from helping others. Other people respond strongly to extrinsic incentives: money, power or coercion. Here’s an excellent article from Time magazine by Daniel Pink if you’re especially interested. Actually, I’d also recommend his TED Video.

As you know, Go Overseas is a review site. We have listings and reviews for every program in the world. Some people are very motivated by intrinsic rewards and are happy to leave extensive and incredibly useful reviews for the sake of the greater good. However, we think we may be missing out on some extrinsically motivated folks. We would much rather have reviews from everyone. We’re not ready to fund a study on the differences between reviews left by intrinsically motivated people vs extrinsically motivated people, but there might be something to that.

Back to the point: We know LOTS of people are using this site. Our traffic numbers are through the roof. We still want more reviews. The more the better, right? Our users tell us that they love the reviews and they want MORE of them. I know I felt that way when I was choosing a study abroad program. Thus, we want reviews from EVERYONE.

Incentives: Here’s the exciting part. You’re going to feel good about leaving a review AND we’re going to reward you for it. Everyone who leaves a review will be entered in our “Leave a Review Contest”. The Grand Prize is a ‘Round the World Trip ticket. We also have great prizes from our amazing sponsors: Camelback, Marmot, CLIF Bar, Mountain Hardwear, Timbuk2 and Patagonia. They asked us to give away backpacks, tents, sleeping bags, water bottles, great clothing, lots of CLIF Bars and more! Yup, that’s right: You can reap wonderful internal rewards by leaving a review and AND you can win great stuff. In other words, you can feel good about being a great person AND you can win great stuff. We can’t think of a better combination of feeling good/doing well/winning stuff: The definition of win/win. What are you waiting for? Leave a Review. Seriously. What are you waiting for? Those prizes aren’t going to give themselves away. Do it now!