Amazing way to explore French culture and improve language skills

Going abroad to Paris with APA was undoubtedly the best experience of my college career. I lived comfortably in the 17th with my host family in an apartment surrounded by bakeries, close to the lovely Parc Monceau, and a few minutes walk from an amazing open-air market.

After class, I spent time with friends on the Seine or exploring Paris's seemingly-infinite collection of museums. On weekends, I wandered different Parisian neighborhoods, sat in cafes with a book and an espresso, and bar hopped. On several occasions, I was lucky enough to go on weekend excursions with APA to beautiful Chateaus, vineyards, and gardens.

APA offered a great support network and made the transition from American academics to French university fairly painless. They also invested a lot of time to make sure that students' course credits would be recognized at their home universities. Although the informal language classes at their Alesia office were a pain, I can't really say I have any other complaints about the academics.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this program - you are able to take classes whose rigor matches those of American schools (if you so choose), get the support you need from a small program, and experience french culture without living in an American bubble (which often happens with many other abroad programs and universities, like Sciences Po).