CIEE Global Navigator

Program Reviews

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Abigail
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Summer Study in Mohammedia

I spent three weeks in Mohammedia on a Leadership and Service in Youth Development program, and it was amazing! Our group discussions looking into biases, saviorism, ethical volunteering and more were incredibly valuable to my experience in the culture. The food was really good, and scenery was surprising and beautiful. Working with the children during our service time taught me a lot about my own community and my outlook on many issues, as well as inspiring me to redirect my thoughts in more positive ways. I was glad to learn some Darija and be able to navigate some of the city, which definitely helped in the immersive experience. Being part of this program changed me in many ways, and I hope it changes more people than just me.

Pros
  • Beautiful scenery
  • Collectivist and communal culture
  • Good food
Cons
  • Foreigner treatment
  • Water quality
  • Group dynamics, occasionally
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Bella
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Rome HS study abroad

I loved all of the people I studied abroad with and they were truly the highlight of my trip. The Program Leaders (PLs) were all super kind and down to earth. They were also close in age to us participants so we were able to connect with them and we became friends with them like our peers. There were 60 kids in my program since Rome is one of the most popular destinations. The kids were organized very well into 5 groups of 12 which made traveling around the city much easier than I thought it would be when I first arrived. The cultural excursions were very fun and we got to explore so much of the city. If I had to give advice to anyone traveling it would be to lower your expectations about food because the food served was not good so often times me and my friends would buy our own. Nonetheless I think that being able to try so many different things was really fun and I would recommend this to anyone. One more thing I loved was when you show up to the airport, nervous to meet your new friends, you immediately have a sense of community because of the CIEE shirts and everyone is very friendly and excited to meet people.

Pros
  • My Italian improved significantly
  • I have friends all over the country
  • I learned about a new culture from a firsthand perspective
Cons
  • The hotel was really old and cheap
  • The food from CIEE was really bad
  • My friend got pickpocketed
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Jasmine
4/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Unforgettable summer in Toulouse

I really had such an amazing experience with CIEE!! They offer many amazing cultural activities and weekend excursions that can really show you the culture and life in Toulouse. My French improved drastically with this course, as I stayed with a really kind and sweet homestay. I know many people whose homestays were not so good and CIEE moved them out quickly. I know there were probably some complaints with a few staff members, however I personally really liked my teacher and PL and had no issues. CIEE cares about all the students' safety and I felt very safe and secure at all times. I had a good amount of free time for lunch and occasionally after school. We did have curfews at 8 pm on weekdays and 11 pm on weekends, but with some people having really long commutes to the CIEE center from their homestays, they weren't able to go out much after school in their limited time. I personally joined this program alone, however I think this experience would be elevated had I came with even just one friend. I did spend a lot of money on shopping for this program, and I don't think that's talked about that much. I think that it's imperative to bring a lot of money (A LOT) for the actual program.

Pros
  • Wonderful, loving homestay
  • Wide range of cultural activities
  • Ensured safety and security by CIEE staff
Cons
  • Long commutes to the CIEE center
  • Not a lot of free time
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Ryan
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Cape Town South Africa high school study abroad

This program was the best! During the time when I was applying to the point where I was leaving South Africa, I felt supported and helped the whole time by CIEE. They did a amazing job at providing the best experience for me as much as they could. The scholarship they gave as well was helpful the most because I was not able to go without it. I loved the other kids in my groups and my program leaders/directors/coordinators. This program truly helps expand my global lens and cultural awareness globally. I have learned and gained so much from this program.

Pros
  • Learning about new cultures and norms
  • Meeting new people from your origin country and host country
  • Appreciating your home country and your host country cultures
Cons
  • To those who have a hard time being away from home: it can be rough
  • It was only 3 weeks
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Sadie
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Best summer ever in Argentina

This was one of the best experiences of my life! I made a lot of wonderful friends, and am very close to my host family. They were incredibly welcoming, and they helped me practice my Spanish and I learned a lot about Argentinian culture with them. The ciee staff were very friendly and supportive too. On my second day, me and another student had no idea how to get home, so one of our instructors went with us on the subway to make sure we got to the right place. We had a lot of structured activities, especially during the first week. However, I thought we also had a lot of opportunities to explore the city by ourselves, which I enjoyed a lot. I also really enjoyed my Spanish class. It was really small, only 10 students, and there was a big emphasis on speaking. While I think my Spanish improved, I think my confidence improved much more. I thought the workload was reasonable. We had classes every morning, and we would have a long writing assignment due every Friday. If you do a little everyday it's not that bad at all. We only spoke in Spanish during class, at home, and at restaurants or wherever else we went. However, I did speak in English a lot with my friends, who I was with a lot. I am really happy with the friends I made. However, if I had chosen a semester abroad or something where I was with Argentinian teens instead of US teens I think my Spanish would have improved a lot more. But overall, this was a wonderful experience and I can't recommend it enough.

Pros
  • My host family and my friends' host families were absolutely wonderful. They were incredibly welcoming and they helped me learn a lot about Argentinian culture
  • We had an overnight trip to Iguazú falls, which was absolutely spectacular.
  • In my opinion, we had a good balance of time by ourselves to explore the city and structured activities.
Cons
  • The food was adequate, but not great. They had a lot of vegetarian options, but I had a friend who was allergic to dairy, and they would give her food like fried chicken, not realizing that the batter has dairy in it. So it was frustrating for her.
  • I had an international plan, but if you didn't they would provide you with a cell phone. Lots of students complained that the cell phones didn't work great all the time. But I never had another phone, so I can't personally confirm this.
  • We were a big group of students, like around 40, so activities took a long time. Just be patient while logistics are being worked out, and the activities were worth it most of the time.
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Miles
3/5
No, I don't recommend this program

Costa Rica a lot of learning little freedom

When I signed up for the trip I thought we would have a lot more opportunities to go into the city and have fun with the native population but you are on the campus a majority of the time and only get to go out on the weekends supervised to certain places. You are not allowed anywhere but two places in the city as well (supervised) when you go there. I have heard more programs have more freedom and much less class time as well, there is a lot of structure involved which if that is what you are looking for then great but if you want fun look for a different program.

Pros
  • Good food
  • Good house
  • The people you meet here will be connected for life
Cons
  • Not very fun
  • A lot of schooling
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Seth
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Nothing short of amazing!

What a wonderful experience!! Everything from the host family/accommodations to the community, acotó cited and support. All of it top tier. I would highly reccomend CIEE Seville to anyone. The program was highly organized and I definitely made some of the best memories of my entire life here! I don’t know what the vetting process they do for the host families, but I got an absolutely perfect fit— lifelong family!! If you’re looking for a good experience in Spain, look no further. This is the trip for you.

Pros
  • Personal growth
  • Wonderful connections
  • Wonderful place
Cons
  • There are no cons!
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Emmett
4/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Ciee Paris

Very nice. I think that I spent a lot of time looking around and there was a lot of ability to roam around. There isn’t too much class and class is pretty easy so most of the time you can do whatever you want. There was a lot of outings for the ciee so you could meet people from your area pretty easily in the beginning.
I met a good amount of friends and was able to experience culture for a good amount of time. The hotel was also pretty close to food and supermarkets that were open till very late. Usually restaurants are closed very early but we lived around some that would be open till two in the morning.

Pros
  • Freedom
Cons
  • No oven tho
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Leela
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

An Unforgettable Spanish Summer with CIEE

As my trip to Barcelona for the CIEE Spanish Language and Culture program approached, I was incredibly nervous. My only experience away from home had been at summer camps an hour away, and I had grown up seeing the same kids every summer. This trip would be totally out of my comfort zone – but I had no idea how much I needed to go.

The CIEE staff were super helpful and welcoming, and from Day 1 emphasized that we could contact them in the case of any emergency. I never needed to contact my Program Leader, but it was super reassuring to know that she was there for me 24/7. My host mom also made sure that I could reach her at all times – she was a single mom with a teenage daughter, and both of them went out of their way to ensure that my roommate and I had an incredible experience in Barcelona. Our family dinners every night were one of my favorite parts of the trip, where we would enjoy delicious food and strengthen our Spanish skills by talking about our day.

Although my roommate and I were placed in different Spanish classes (based on a test and an interview), we still spent tons of time together, and are best friends to this day. I really liked the other students in my class, and learned tons of Spanish daily, both from my Program Leader during our morning activity and from my teacher during afternoon classes. While my grammar and vocabulary improved during the afternoon, my appreciation for Spanish culture increased each morning. Whether we were taking a flamenco class, touring gorgeous Gaudi houses, or walking through historic neighborhoods, I always was able to try something new and have fun with my friends. Getting to meet new people was also a highlight of my trip. CIEE students came from across the country, but we all found shared interests to connect over, whether it was a love of thrifting or a desire to see as many museums as possible.

Now that I'm home, not only has my Spanish improved enough that I was moved from Level 3 to AP Spanish, but I also feel more confident and excited to try new activities and experiences. I'm still in touch with many of my friends from CIEE as well as my host family, and am planning on meeting up with my roommate during our Spring Break, and potentially seeing more friends when I travel during the summer as well.

Pros
  • The kindest, most fun people I have ever met
  • Program staff who were always there for me
  • Learning inside and outside the classroom
Cons
  • Tons of walking – and new sneakers are expensive!
  • Too sad to say goodbye to my friends at the end
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Gifty
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Seoul K- Pop Immersion Program

Last Summer, I participated in the K-Pop Immersion Program through CIEE and I lived in South Korea. I would like to say that South Korea was the best moment in my life because I had lots of fun and I developed a sense of independence. The group and I visited Historical places, we went to a norabang which is also karaoke, met soulmates and we played Korean games. Initially, my mom was nervous about living alone without any family but eventually she was proud I went. Through this program, I got to know myself better and I realized that I would thrive in any pace and environment I found myself in. Additionally throughout the program I made new friends which led me to have different perspectives in life. I would like to inform everyone that we need to explore and not be reserved. With the CIEE program, it's an opportunity to learn diverse cultures in different countries to know the definition of who you are.

Pros
  • Great Roomate
  • Security
  • Friendships