How were the host families?

My experiences with the host families at EF were very bad. My first host family was a elderly couple who lived 50 minutes outside of the city with a huge dog that would bite and pee inside the house. It reeked and there were only certain times I could use the bathroom. I moved from there after a week and for the rest of the semester I lived with a Moroccan woman, she was nice enough (bossy all the time and mean occasionally), she gave us very low quality food (all carbs, tasteless, minimum effort) but I was only 35 minutes from school and the house was clean. Overall it’s very hit or miss, very few people I knew had ideal host families but one or two people got lucky with good locations and welcoming families. In my opinion my french improved the most when I lived in host families but my quality of life was not the best. Second semester I moved to the Residence which was a dream, amazing location and a fun international environment but not the best for improving your french. I love EF Paris but they have a big problem with their host families and they don’t take complaints seriously/ don’t fix the problems or listen to the many many students who have very unpleasant experiences with them. The residence is 100% worth the price.

Thanks for sharing your feedback, Ana. I am sorry to hear you didn't have a postive host family experience but hopefully you were happy with the service you received from the Admissions Team to resolve your concerns. If you'd like to discuss your concerns any further, I would love to connect with you. You can call me directly at 1-800-992-1892.

I think it is important to add that all host families are screened by EF. Families must pass an interview and meet our requirements for hosting. Many of our host families have hosted with us for 5 years or more with an average rating of 4.8 out of 5. Families, just like here in the US, range from single people to familes with children to retired couples who might have some extra space - all want to share their culture with students from over 100 countries. We believe it is a great option for those who want full cultural immersion and language improvement. The full time accommodations team at each school is available to help with student's questions and concerns. Thanks!