ISA
Programs and Reviews
ISA distinguishes itself as a study abroad provider by its commitment to each individual student. ISA services are available to students, parents, faculty and advisers throughout the study abroad process. In addition to the ISA team in the U.S., ISA offers study abroad students constant support through resident directors available in study abroad locations globally.
Everyone at ISA is proud to be a part of offering a high quality study abroad experience to American and Canadian college students at an affordable price. We recognize that we play an important role in the worldwide effort of international educators to increase awareness of cultures and societies outside of each student's national boundaries. Our programs are designed to maximize our participants' learning abroad, and we understand that most college students need support and expert guidance before, during and after their time abroad.
Programs Abroad
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Reviews
90%Overall
Rating
90%Overall
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I had a wonderful time during my time in Amman in the summer 2012 Middle East Studies program with ISA and would highly recommend it to anyone! The ISA staff is extremely supportive and they do an excellent job of helping you familiarize with the city when you first arrive and showing you where a lot of the great places to eat and socialize are. I have been abroad several times and while I think the educational aspect is important, the support of the staff is what will really make or break your experience, and I was thrilled with how smoothly my excursions were to places like the Dead Sea. Amman is a very culturally rich city and very welcoming to visitors as long as you are ready to embrace something new, and anytime I looked confused for more than a few seconds in a store or restaurant someone who could speak both Arabic and English would come assist me. Only two things I would recommend that wouldn't be obvious to someone who hasn't been there: BRING PLENTY OF CASH! I had came prepared to put at least half of my expenses on a credit card only to learn that almost no businesses take credit cards (including McDonald's even). Also, be prepared to spend money on cabs, and if you are going to use cabs make sure you give yourself plenty of time in advance to catch them and travel to your destination timely. Otherwise just be mindful of the usual advice regarding respecting the local culture and you'll have a wonderful time!
100%Overall
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I had originally decided to study abroad with a friend but after she realized that she couldn't come, I went by myself. At first I was scared since this was my first time traveling outside of the country by myself but it ended up being one of the best decisions ever. ISA did a fabulous job matching me up with 3 other amazing girls who I still keep in touch with to this day. In fact, one of them is actually getting married next summer and we're all planning to visit her! If you can, I would suggest studying abroad by yourself because it truly pushes you to step out of your comfort zone. There were 4 other girls in my program who all came together and while it was probably nice and easy for them to do everything together, I hardly saw them taking advantage of interacting with the locals and the other people at the University and in the program.
I couldn't have chosen a better place to study abroad. Although the heat could get extremely irritating, the food, sights, and social scene definitely made up for it. Plus, I am Roman Catholic so it was really nice to visit all of the beautiful churches and see where the Pope lives.
Both the ISA staff in Austin and in Rome were very helpful and easy to talk to. When a document that I needed to submit was going to come in late because of a mistake my university had made, they didn't charge me a late fee. There was also the weekend when I got a bug bite on my eyelid which caused it to swell up. I was freaking out since I looked like Quasimodo but one of the staff members helped me calm down and brought me to a pharmacy right away. She acted as a translator so I could get the medicine I needed and it only lasted for 3 days.
The American University of Rome is a small but beautiful campus and I really enjoyed interacting with students from all over. I met people from so many different places, ranging from New York and Arkansas to Venezuela and Trinidad. I took an Art of Rome class which allowed us to visit new sites instead of sitting in a classroom which was a fun way to get a lot of traveling done. However, the public transporation in Rome isn't very reliable and there were plenty of times were I was stuck waiting for what seemed like ages. I also took an Introduction to Language and Culture class that was easy but very interesting. Overall, the classes were not very difficult and the professors were very sweet. However, not all of the classes offered at this University are the same. I had roommates who had 12 page research papers due and multiple presentations so it really depends on what you choose.
Although I was only able to study in Rome for a month, the experience never made me feel like I missed out on anything. Excursions are included and make up a majority of my favorite memories abroad. This is when I got to go wine tasting in Tuscany and swim through a grotto in Capri. Especially in the summer when there are hundreds of tourists fighting to get their best shot of the Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, or the Colosseum, ISA's planning couldn't have been better. We hardly ever had to wait too long to get into a museum, our hotels were always in the heart of whatever city we were visiting, and our tour guides were always entertaining. With ISA, you truly get your money's worth and I highly recommend studying abroad with them.
Critical Feedback:
One thing I did not like about ISA was my housing situation. The walls were so thin that you could literally hear everything that was going on in the building and this is not fun when you're trying to sleep in on a Saturday morning. Although our rooms were spacious, I wish the showers and kitchen area were larger. Plus, there was this weird door situation going on where our keys would randomly stop working. We must have gotten locked out at least 5 times which was very annoying because we would have to wait at least 30 minutes for someone to come and fix it for us. ISA should really check out things like this before students arrive because no one wants to come home after a long night of partying only to find out that they can't get in.
90%Overall
Rating
My time spent in Valparaiso and Vina del Mar was awesome. I had a really great experience with my host family, and feel I have made a connection with them that will last a lifetime. My would definitely go back to Chile, and the surrounding area. I took full advantage of my time in Chile and traveled every weekend to Argentina, Patagonia, and Chiloe. I felt this was great because not only did I get complete submersion in the Chilean culture, but I was able to explore neighboring areas as well.
Critical Feedback:
I would have maybe chosen different academic programs. I felt that the class I was in was too elementary in comparison to the same intermediate level class at my home university.
90%Overall
Rating
I had a fantastic time in Morocco with ISA! All of the site staff was super helpful and fun. They welcomed us into their family and really made Morocco a second home. I am so glad thay the program was in Meknes instead of some of the other, larger cities. The classes were interesting and the excursions were great. I would highly recommend this program!
Critical Feedback:
One of the things I felt the program was lacking in was in their advanced level of Arabic. I would have liked more class periods and with one professor. I feel like I didn't advance in my language abilities as much as I could have.
Studying in Paris with ISA was an AMAZING experience. I got to live out my dream of living in and exploring the beautiful city of Paris.
All of the information supplied by ISA before departure and upon arriving in France was so helpful and helped prevent serious culture shock and stress. The staff is so incredibly helpful about any questions/issues you may have. They plan excursions in the city and outside of Paris for you, so you get to explore a little more without any extra effort. That's also a really good and easy way to meet other people in the program.
The French course at the Catholic University was somewhat challenging and really forced me to speak up and use my French which turned out to be a really good thing as I gained more confidence to go out and speak to the natives. Workload was not bad at all though, so I never felt swamped with school work and could go out after class without stressing. I took Art History with ISA, and that was incredible. We went to many museums and sites in the city, and I learned a ton. No classroom time at all, which was great.
I met so many awesome people through the program, and my host family was fantastic. I am so grateful to ISA for giving me this great experience. If you are considering this program, go for it!
Critical Feedback:
The process for French level placement is definitely flawed, but this is not ISA. It's an issue with the Catholic University of Paris. Many people did not feel like they were placed in the right class even after a written and oral exam, and this was the case with me, but I was able to change after the first week into a class that was perfect for me.