AIFS Abroad Reviews

I really enjoyed myself with this study abroad program. Every detail is taken care of for you. They literally walk you through every step of what you need to get done before leaving. Miranda, our Resident Director, was wonderful. She went out of her way to plan excursions & treats for us so that she could share the culture with us. She provided support for us each step of the way. She helped us with culture shock when we first arrived, the homesick feeling you get in the middle of the stay, & again, she prepared us for the culture shock we would experience when we returned home. The food is delicious. My host mom catered to my vegetarian diet. Everything is prepared from scratch & "eating out" is not an option with your family! You will love your stay & your language skills will grow immensely.

Salamanca is a beautiful city that looks like it came straight out of a storybook. My university has a study abroad program in Salamanca, but I realized it was more affordable (and four weeks longer) to study through an external program. Before the semester started we had a two week orientation course which helped me to get acclimated to Salamanca, my study abroad group and Spanish culture. The AIFS staff is fantastic. The homestay was nice, I learned a ton about Spanish culture and we had several groups of European high school students live with us too. The classes were easy, but they are all in Spanish.

And AIFS has an optional excursion to Morocco which was amazing!
Overall, I would recommend study abroad, and if you're looking at Spain. Go to Salamanca with AIFS

Aifs Richmond in Rome was the best decision I've ever made. The staff was so helpful and gave so much information regarding the area and what to expect. Each apartment was unique so you could end up with a small, but air conditioned apartment, or a huge non-air conditioned one. Either way, it always worked out and everyone seemed to be happy with their apartment. I was able to take the tram to school, but I also could easily walk. Busses and trams are always available and easy to navigate. And of course the city is beautiful! School is a 5 minute walk from the Pantheon. I passed the location of Caesar's stabbing every single day. There is so much history in everything you do and see; it is incredible! We also loved the FOOD. You'd think you might get tired of pizza and pasta every day...but we didn't! Since I've been back in the U.S., I cannot find anything that compares. Another good thing about this program is the meal tickets. They are a lifesaver and can be used almost anywhere around the city. One piece of advice is to not being that many pairs of shoes (and no heels if you are a girl!). I learned this the hard way bringing a ridiculous amount of shoes and only wearing a few pairs. And the cobblestone will ruin any heels you try to wear!

After two weeks in Florence in one hotel, we were all a little weary to go to Rome and be split up. It wasn't as bad as we thought though! We were still able to see each other all the time, and made such great friends. I loved it!

Not only is the city of Grenoble in a great location if you want to travel to other parts of France, or even other parts of Europe, but the were friendly and helpful. There is so much to do in the city. The social scene includes hip bars, great museums, historic sites, delightful cafés, and let's not forget, it's located in the French Alps, so the winter sports scene is unreal.

AIFS made everything extremely easy for me to adjust. The staff was not only helpful, but would go out of their way because they genuinely cared. There was always someone I could go to if I had questions.

The actual French Language Program I took was through the Université Stendahl. The professors were focused and took interest in my education and also, my personal life. They wanted to make sure we were enjoying our time in the city.

The living situation was by far the best. As I was placed based on my personality and likes, AIFS placed me with a woman whom I still keep in contact with after 2 years and I am planning a trip back to Grenoble to visit her and the city.

Overall, AIFS makes things simple but exciting, you can be independent, but there is always help if you need it. I would recommend AIFS French Language Program in Grenoble to anyone and everyone because it was the time of my life. Living in a foreign country wasn't intimidating at all in Grenoble because everyone involved made it extraordinary!

I had the most wonderful experience in Salamanca, and would encourage anyone interested in the abroad experience to study here as well. My host family was incredible, giving me a taste of homemade paella, soups, dinners, meals--everything a girl could ask for! The two of Salamanca felt super safe, and even with us out walking at night, I never had any issue or felt unsafe. Also, its location to Madrid and thus out of country travel was extremely easy and accessible.

I couldn't recommend this abroad experience more!!!

I can honestly say that my time at Richmond was the most interesting, rewarding, and fun time I had as an undergraduate. Being able to not only visit, but live and learn in another country was the most valuable experience I could have hoped to have.

The classes were not only interesting, but very hands on. My history and art classes met in the classroom once a week, and once a week we went on field trips around the city - visiting museums and other historic sites.

The staff were all very helpful, and offered tons of inside advice on everything from where to go grocery shopping to where the best places to eat were. There were also trips and other activities planned and chaperoned by the staff. I was lucky enough to be able to see "Love Never Dies," the sequel to "The Phantom of the Opera," on a school based trip which got us awesome tickets at a discount!

While you do have classes all week, you're still left with plenty of time to explore the city and travel throughout Europe. The Underground is very easy to navigate and very close by, but it's also nice to take the time and walk around the city. Richmond is located in a very safe area, and I had no problems walking around by myself.

I could honestly go on for days about how wonderful my experience was, but when push comes to shove, the best way to find out about the program at Richmond is to experience it for yourself!

Prague was awesome, great nightlife, the side trips to Vienna and Krakow and Warsaw were cool as well. The film classes were interesting, saw some crazy Czech movies. Overall a great time

There are countless memories I made while abroad and I recommend to every student to do it. Choosing a program was hard but it was clear AIFS was the right one when I got to Florence. They give you every opportunity to experience the city, museum passes, meal vouchers for ALL over, volunteer opportunities...and the list goes on. The trips with the program were always really fun as well and you get to bond with every other member on them. The hotels we stayed in easily held all 150 of us and were never dirty. Pick one of your teachers to be your guide and you can't go wrong (Angela is the BEST for whoever is in Florence.

What a woderful experience! London was amazing! I loved the location of our AIFS program. Kensington is beautiful! There are so many things to do close by and we had easy access to The Tube and the rest of London. The AIFS staff was always helpful for recommendations and directions. I know it is cliche but my summer in London changed my life and AIFS had a big part in that.

Studying in Prague with the AIFS study abroad experience was everything I wanted and more. Not only did I have an unforgettable and enjoyable experience because the city was so cultural and picturesque but the classroom experience was fun and interesting, with the Charles University professors being great too. The AIFS staff was the best that I could ask for: each staff member was warm, welcoming and friendly so you could talk to them about anything. In general, I was very impressed with AIFS because they organized all the little details of activities so well that you were never bored and always having fun. We went on weekend excursions in Moravia, Austria, and Poland, and you could tell that a lot of thought went into each activity and how the time was spent. Make sure to bring some good walking shoes because you'll walk around EVERYWHERE. Some other random tips are that you must pay for the water in restaurants and if you don't specify non-sparking water, you will get seltzer...which wasn't a very popular choice among our group. Buy big bottles of water (1.5L) in Prague -- they're economical. Also, be sure to go over your map of Prague carefully! The names are intimidating but you WILL get used to them pretty quick. Lastly, take lots of pictures because Prague is beautiful and you'll soon realize that even the pictures you thought you would delete end up as great memories. :)