Hosted by Sol Abroad

Sol Abroad High School Program in Costa Rica

Read 55 reviews

Location

Costa Rica
- Atenas

Length

1 - 52 weeks

Program Categories

Cultural Immersion Language Immersion Service Learning Study Abroad Volunteer Abroad

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Program Details

Program Type

Provider

Timeframe

Academic Year Fall Spring Summer

Housing

Host Family

Language

Spanish

Age Min.

14

Age Max

18

Pricing

Starting Price

2000

Price Details

Full dates and pricing information is found on the Sol Abroad webpage. Pricing is designed to be all inclusive in-country.

What's Included

Accommodation Activities Meals Transportation Travel Insurance Wifi

What's Included (Extra)

International Medical Insurance

What's Not Included

Airfare SIM cards

Last Updated: Dec 09, 2020

Last Reviewed: Oct 30, 2019

22 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

Come study abroad in the Happiest Country on the planet...¡Costa Rica! With the Sol Abroad program you will experience all the natural and cultural wonders of this unique Central American country. The program includes Spanish classes in the mornings, cultural and volunteer activities in the afternoons and incredible excursions all across the country on the weekends. For the Summer Programs, you will study at a language institute, located in the highlands of central Costa Rica. For the Gap Year programs, you will take classes at an accredited private university. Sol Abroad high school programs provide quality academic support and assistance throughout your experience.

This program is no longer offered. View more programs from Sol Abroad.

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Sol Abroad Programs for High School Students

Sol Abroad Programs for High School Students

Sol Abroad Programs for High School Students

Sol Abroad Programs for High School Students

Sol Abroad Programs for High School Students

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Program Highlights

Highly rated homestays
Included excursions and cultural activities
High-level academic advising and assistance
Attentive and dedicated onsite directors
Very personable and inclusive program

Related Programs

Program Reviews

4.80 Rating

based on 55 reviews

Rating Spread High School

5 rating 80%
4 rating 20%
3 rating 0%
2 rating 0%
1 rating 0%

Growth 4.4
Support 4.8
Fun 4.8
Housing 4.6
Safety 4.75

Good for Students, Under 18

Showing 17 - 24 of 55 reviews

Coming out of my five week Costa Rica stay, I feel like a different person with an increased appreciation for other cultures, and tons of amazing memories. Through this program you are not only able to meet Costa Ricans who, polite and friendly, support you as you improve your broken Spanish, but also other students, equally interested and inspired by our new surroundings. While my Spanish improved here, I´d say this is not an intensive language program.

What would you improve about this program?

In order to improve this program, Spanish should be encouraged in student to student interactions, like the cultural activities.

it was unique because i met people from all over the US and even france that i had never met before. many choices during this trip are your choices, which directly impact the experience of your trip.future participants should know that it is very fun and there is no reason to dread or be nervous before the trip. This trip affected my life post-program as i became more social, more aware of my surroudings, and learned to always have a positive attitude.My favorite memory had to be the hot springs resort, it was amazing.

What would you improve about this program?

more spanish grammar and vocab should be taught in school.

While I did not learn much in the school the immersion served to improve my Spanish. The most important thing is when you're heading into activities even if you don't want to do them just have a good attitude and you'l find a way to make them fun. Since i apparently need more words on this review ill talk about how I believe Croatia deserved the world cup title because they were such a work horse of a team while France was a big money ego filled luck team. Also the USA could have done well in this world cup but apparently we couldn't tie or beat the coleuses of a team in Trinidad and Tobago.

What would you improve about this program?

Learign more spanish through free time in a town

I enjoyed the unique experience. It was fun to get to know Costa Rica. I also enjoyed getting to know people from other areas. The excursions were by far the best part! Another thing that is so fun is getting close to the directors here. It might be hard to be away from home for a bit and feel uncomfortable but if you just join groups and be involved it won’t be as bad as you think. If I had a chance to do this program again I would absolutely do it!

The two weeks in Athenas was really fun!!!!! I feel as I grew as a person, I become more confident. Not only did my Spanish improve but I feel like I become closer to many people. It was two weeks that are very special and I will never forget. I am so glad that I went on this trip. It was Amazing!!!!!! I loved the amount of freedom that we had. I loved our host family and Athenas. I loved all our Spanish lessons and Culture lessons. I especially loved the movie and the hot springs. I am very lucky to have had the experience that I did.

What would you improve about this program?

Have less confusing meeting places.

My expierence was unique because we were treated like our host parents kids. When ever i would come home and be worried about time my host parents were there for me just like their own kids. Also i really got a true feel for what native speaking is like. Also, there was no translator for me if i was stuck in a situation anywhere and i had to improvise what i was saying i was really forced to speak which was sometimes really chAllenging but i loved being challenged.

What would you improve about this program?

i feel that in daily classes at whatever school kids will be studying at unless a kid does not know any spanish they should be learning new things like i felt that i did not learn any new spanish grammar besides what i already knew which was frustrating for me at times.

I have fallen in love with Costa Rica. It is a beautiful country with such an amazing and rich culture. The locals here are incredibly friendly and always greet you when you´re out walking. The food here is some of the most amazing food I´ve had in my life, and everything is so fresh. My host mom and the teachers here were very kind and really helped me break out of my shell when speaking Spanish. All of the cultural activities and excursions were to the most beautiful places and always had something fun to do. A part of me will always be with Costa Rica and eagerly await to return!

What would you improve about this program?

This program and be improved by adding more activities that allow us to interact more with the locals.

My study abroad experience in Costa Rica this summer was incredible and definitely an experience I will remember forever. My host family was one of the best parts! With me being an only child, living with 6 other people here was a great time! We stayed up late singing to songs we all loved. We played volleyball in our backyard almost every day. The food was also delicious! Also, the professors/directors were so kind and helped us in every way possible to not only improve our Spanish as students, but to ensure each student had a fullfilling experience.

What would you improve about this program?

It's good the way it is.

Questions & Answers

Alumni Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with verified alumni.

Why did you choose this program?

I chose this program because it offered the study abroad, cultural immersion, and excursions I wanted to experience at an affordable price for my family. Additionally, I liked the fact that I had a roommate while staying with my host family because it gave us the opportunity to build our friendship more during our stay and help each other with translations and other Spanish related topics.

What did your program provider (or university) assist you with, and what did you have to organize on your own?

I was unable to continue taking Spanish past my sophomore year, so I worked with the head of the Spanish department at my school to put together a curriculum that would cover the Spanish III I missed during junior year.

The workers at SOL and the teachers at Atesa were willing to work with me to incorporate the content I needed to learn. Also, I knew I wanted to complete more volunteer hours while abroad, so SOL helped me coordinate more service work with the local daycare.

They were super accommodating to my travel schedule as well! When looking at the weeks they offered, I realized I had a few conflicts; however, SOL went above and beyond to work with me to find a timeframe that would allow me to still participate in the program. When it came time to actually go on the trip, SOL provided the participants with a great amount of information to ensure we were all prepared.

They were incredibly kind and accommodating throughout the entirety of my trip and truly worked to make every student’s experience abroad memorable.

View Entire Interview

What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone going on your program?

Don’t hold yourself back!

I was so excited to go on this trip; however, I remember being nervous about how I would talk with my host family since my Spanish was not very good. It ultimately didn’t matter though because everyone, whether it was my host family or teachers, helped me stumble through my sentences. My roommate and I laughed at each other because we both struggled with speaking Spanish, but we helped each other piece together words to communicate with those around us.

Don’t be intimidated to try to talk to the local people because they are so kind and understanding— plus speaking out loud is the best way to get more comfortable with the language! Just embrace every moment and take advantage of every opportunity that comes your way on your trip!

What does an average day/week look like as a participant of this program?

I participated in the program in Costa Rica, so during the week, my roommate and I would wake up and eat breakfast with our host family before getting dressed and ready for class at the Atesa language school. Then, we would usually coordinate with some of our other friends on the trip to walk to the school together.

Classes began around 8:00 and lasted until noon, with a snack break in between. We ate lunch with our family and hung out with our friends for the afternoon. For dinner, we would eat in town or with our family.

Sometimes, during the week, we would have super fun cultural activities, such as making empanadas or taking dance classes. On weekends, we went on excursions which were always really exciting! We went zip lining one weekend and to Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio another weekend.

Going into your experience abroad, what was your biggest fear, and how did you overcome it? How did your views on the issue change?

My biggest fear was probably not being able to communicate with my host family and locals because, as I said before, my Spanish was not the best!

I was initially worried I would be the worst speaker on the trip, but everyone I was with spoke varying amounts of Spanish, so we all worked with each other to piece together our words. The environment at Atesa and with the other students was so down to earth that I just learned to laugh at myself and not take things too seriously, especially when I had to practically play charades to relay whatever it was I wanted to say!

Is there any type of information you would like to point out to others?

It may be nice for some people to know that, during the trip, we took taxis to and from the town, simply because walking there took around 20 minutes and wasn’t as convenient. The rides were no more than 5 minutes and we always rode in a group. The program directors taught us how to use the taxis when giving us a tour of Atenas. I never felt unsafe at any point; however, I know some people may feel uncomfortable with this aspect. This being said, walking is still an option, so don’t let this one factor prevent you from participating in this program!

Overall, this program was truly life-changing and really helped me improve my Spanish skills immensely. The excursions I went on, the experiences I had, and the people I met made such an impact on me— I wouldn’t trade my time abroad for anything. The only thing I would have done differently would have been to extend my stay, or find out about this program well before my senior year of high school!

Micaela Kimmett

Micaela Kimmett

2019 Alum

Maggie Burke

2016 Alum

Talia Bernhard

Staff Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with program leaders.

What is your favorite travel memory?

Once I was visiting Cappadocia, in Turkey, I went to a Bazaar in a nearby town, where only locals go, not tourists. I bought some things in one of the stores and the owner invited us to take tea with them. We accepted, and two minutes later, he invited us to eat with them, behind the stall.

He and his collaborators set up a small table with chairs (everything was completely improvised), and these kind men shared their food with us; we wanted to say no, but we found that would be rude. All this happened without knowing a word of any of the languages we spoke; we understood each other by body language.

As human beings, we can understand one another without needing to speak the same language!

How have you changed/grown since working for your current company?

It has made me a person more open to the world, open to accept the differences between one and the other; I am more understanding with the cultures and their beliefs - respectful of people from all over the world.

I value the time of others - I know that is the most important thing we have; that's why I have learned to be punctual, something not very common in Costa Rica.

View Entire Interview

What is the best story you've heard from a return student?

Once I heard of a student who fell in love with his host sister, but he was very young when he was participating in the Program. He returned years later and married her. Now they live in the United States and they plan to come to live in Costa Rica in a not too distant future.

I am also happy to hear from students who are now great professionals not only in the United States but in other countries.

If you could go on any program that your company offers, which one would you choose and why?

Argentina. I love dancing, reading, theater, and I know that Buenos Aires is a city full of cultural shows, full of small coffee shops in every corner where you can read a book quietly, even though it is a big city. Also, the cuisine of that beautiful country; that is one of the things that I like the most when I travel: try foods that I don't have in my country.

What makes your company unique? When were you especially proud of your team?

How personable we are. The best thing about Sol Abroad is the quality of service that we offer, as well as having a team that is available 24/7. Our goal is to guarantee a very personalized experience.

It is also a very complete program with the perfect combination of cultural activities, language learning, volunteer work, and fun!

What do you believe to be the biggest factor in being a successful company?

A good team. We have all been working together for many years now - the onsite directors, the HQ team in Austin, the teachers at the language school, the homestays, etc. We are able to quickly work together to solve any problems that arise, and that's when a good team matters most!

We know we can all trust each other to get the job done and ensure a wonderful program for the participants. And keep your parents happy!

Brent Hunter

Program Coordinator

Alison Owens

Academic Coordinator and Recruiter

About Sol Abroad

Sol Abroad is an affordable high school study abroad, Gap Year and Spanish immersion program for students 14 - 18 years of age. There are programs offered during the summer and semester. Sol students live with local homestays, take Spanish classes weekday mornings, participate on weekend excursions and afternoon cultural activities and have the...