European Study Abroad Center

This was a very good program. It was well-organized and the staff were helpful and friendly. It was a good balance of classes and cultural events and we had enough free time to travel on our own. I would recommend this program to anyone who wants to explore the Czech Republic at a fair price (and get 8 credits). I think it was very good value for money. I must admit I was a bit apprehensive before I left but everyone there was really friendly and supportive.

This past summer, I had the chance of a lifetime to experience not just Prague, but also Vienna, Paris and Berlin. I have never left the country up until this trip and I would have to say I'm so glad I went with ESAC for my first time. I really enjoyed meeting other students from all over the country and I enjoyed getting to know esac staff. They truly cared about my experience and making sure everyone had the necessary tools they needed to succeed and have a fun and safe time in Europe. Some advice I would give to future students would be to prepare yourself for no AC! As I have never been to Europe I had no idea that there would be hardly any! Make sure you bring a fan or purchase one in Prague because it does a really great job of cooling down your room :) I would also recommend doing the chocolate museum tour while you're out there, it is some of the best chocolate I have ever had! When it comes to classes, I took a class with an American teacher but I also took a class taught by five different Czech professors. It was very different not culturally and academically but I feel as though it was the perfect way to immerse my self in the Czech culture. I recommend it. Prague is a beautiful city and there is so much to explore, take advantage of every moment and see what it has to offer!

I had the chance to intern with Ernst & Young in Prague through ESAC. I got to meet with professionals in Prague, had the opportunity to do some really interesting projects at EY, and learn more about working in Europe. The response to this internship from prospective employers has been excellent and people genuinely seem impressed when they ask me about this experience. You have the option of taking a class as well as doing the internship but I highly recommend doing the internship full time.

Pros:
1) Prague is the best city in the world to study abroad. I've studied abroad multiple times and Prague's nightlife, low cost of going out, excellent atmosphere, and beautiful buildings make Prague an excellent place.

2) ESAC was a great combination of locals who knew a lot about the country and people from the US who gave great support.

3) The ease of transportation in Prague make it very easy to get around all over the city.

4) Flights from Prague to other cities in Europe are cheap and quick so it's easy to make weekend trips happen.

5) The Cesky Krumlov optional trip was awesome- so definitely do that one.

I was fortunate enough to study through ESAC in Prague in the summer of 2016. I had an amazing time, with great and knowledgeable professors and a brilliant social atmosphere. Some of the pros that come along to studying with ESAC is that they are always there when you need them, and Dr. Zamastil is amazing at helping the students with academic concerns as well as housing. The professors structure their classes so that you get to interact with the city as much as possible, rather than sit in class all day. There are many field trips that are organized for the students, and we learned so much about business and entrepreneurship through the local businesses we visited. Also, everything from the food to the housing to transportation is taken care of, so I never had to stress about accommodations.

ESAC also organized many social gatherings throughout our time in Prague, so we always stayed connected to everyone in the program and also had plenty of opportunity to mingle. The Teaching Assistants (who are students from prague!) were soooo helpful in teaching us Czech, taking us out on excursions, giving us advice about the city, and just being there to hang out! Dominika, Tomas, and Jarda made our time in Prague all the more enjoyable, and I can honestly say they helped make my experience excellent.

There aren't many cons, but I will go ahead and list some things that can be improved about the program. The dorms were quite a distance away from downtown and the school, which made it a little unpleasant when you had to spend 15-30 min to get to somewhere interesting. But a plus was that we were very close to a large supermarket, which also made me happy. Another con was the breakfast that was offered in the morning. The food they served wasn't that fresh, so I opted for feeding myself in the morning. I felt that it was a waste of money that I would've rather deducted from the total program cost. The coffee was nice though, and they did have occasional fresh fruit every now and then, but then again, not worth the extra expense.

These cons aren't significant enough to give ESAC a bad rating though. I truly think they are an amazing company that always has the interests of the students at heart. I give them a 10/10.

My time in Prague was remarkable. I never really thought I would be one to travel, but Metro and ESAC made it all really simple. Having a place to stay - comfortable dorms - in the Summer in Prague was a huge plus. We were really close to the main part of the city - the older parts - and traveling anywhere was made really easy. The ESAC staff were friendly, helpful, and fun. Besides giving us a few awesome courses to choose from, they were present in most of our activities and gave us some good ideas for socializing and travel spots. My time in Prague was amazing. I would do it over again in a heart beat!