I had an incredible time with CIEE in Paris! I applied on a whim and I didn't think that I would be able to go based on my financial status. However, I was accepted and received a very generous scholarship (open to anyone)!
Coming from a very small town, I was very nervous about being in a city. However, CIEE was there every step of the way. We completed an online course about safety and what to bring before leaving and CIEE was very informative every time I called. While on the program in France, we had periodic one-on-one check-ins with our program leader about how we were doing and they were always available (in person or through text) if we had questions.
The flight process was also made easy. I opted to do a chaperoned flight. A few days ahead of time, the program leader we were flying with created a group chat for all of us and gave us some information. The day of, she kept us updated about what gate we were going to and helped us navigate.
As part of the program, we explored many Parisian places, but we were also given some free time to visit parts of Paris that we were interested in. One free Saturday, a friend and I visited the Ménagerie du Jardin des Plantes. We spent the whole day looking at Tasmanian devils, flamingos, panthers, tapirs, and so much more. On a different day, I went to a market and bought French antique postcards! There were so many things, these are just a few examples.
Most importantly, I experienced SO MUCH personal growth. I became more independent, confident, and adventurous (even my family noticed when I returned). I made friends, received 4 college credits from Tulane University, improved my French by leagues, and grew as an individual. I cannot recommend this program enough.

I loved making new friends, eating, and jumping into the freezing English Channel! I also went to the zoo and saw a lot of cute animals like puppies and meerkats. i got to learn about the history of rennes and eat traditional breton food. i went to mont san michel up a really high vertical town. which was very steep and had a lot of pirates stores, sexy pirate stores with sexy pirate stuff like sexy pirate clothes and candy. they also had sinky squishy quicksand that i loved drowning in. i loved going on holiday, and seeing the sunset on the seaside town of st malo and i wanna live in this sexy pirate town when i grow up.

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.

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.

This is an interesting experience, it was really fun. We got to see so much and learn a great amount. It couldn’t have been any better. The beaches are extremely nice and their traditions are really interesting. The town is small which makes it easier to move around, you really can’t get lost here. Over all everything was great the education, housing ,support ,and the food! I will definitely miss that!! The host families do definitely make you feel like you are part of theirs. You get to make new friends and meet all kinds of people. You also get to make a second family who will support you and understand you and if you have any problems, they will try to help you. Everything about this is great if you have the option, take it not many can!

My time abroad in Toulouse was the most life-changing experience. This program allowed me to grow as a person and also helped me better my French language comprehending and communication skills. Besides that, I was able to fully immerse myself in the French culture that I don't get to experience just from a classroom. CIEE does a great job planning activities that help the exchange students immerse themselves in the culture through the "Into the Community", activity is done to help students communicate and ask questions to locals. Although I got a wrong host family placement information until the day before my flight, I am very thankful that I was placed with an amazing family. They were kind and welcoming. They showed me a couple of French medieval cities, which is a great opportunity for me to even learn more about France.

Making the decision to do a year abroad in France has turned out to be one of the best decisions I've ever made. Through this experience, I am not just learning about a culture and its language, I am learning about myself and my abilities to accept and adapt. It has been nothing short of amazing to live these last 5 months in France and I would recommend this program to anyone looking to spend a year abroad.

My experience in France made a huge impact on my life. I see the world with a new perspective. Studying abroad has enlarged my world view; it exposed me to the infinite amount of culture and language that is in the world. I lived with an amazing host family who I consider my second family. I encountered challenges as well as fun moments, and those experiences helped me learn and made me a stronger person. My year abroad in France is something I will never forget nor regret.