AIFS Abroad Reviews

AIFS provided me with the experience of a lifetime. My 3 weeks in London provided me with not only educational and intellectual challenges but also a cultural experience like no other. The staff was so helpful for any questions we had or issues we ran into. They provided us with lovely housing and some great activities. I would recommend this to anyone.

I loved my study abroad experience in Costa Rica. The class was interesting for since I really like learning about the environment and sustainability. I thought the instructor was perfect for the course! I do wish we had some class trips along with the class, it is one thing to discuss certain topics in class as opposed to seeing it person especially in another country. I got real close my host "Tico" family. They were really nice to my house mates and I. They invited me to go walking, take a tour of San Jose and a nearby town. My Tica mom was an excellent cook! Costa Rica's traditional food is nice and healthy. I liked that my class was small (about 13) because most of us got along really well and had fun together. Veritas university is amazing! They offer salsa lessons, cooking lesson, a welcome party, and they have their own traveling agency on campus. Students can book several weekend or day trips as well as volunteer at community centers. Also, AIFS offers program trips to the gold museum, coffee plantation, movies, and dinner in nice locations. I got to see Manuel Antonio, Manzanillo Beach, and Volcan Irazu with the guidance of the traveling agency or my host family. The only problem is that the program was 3 weeks and if you want to see more of Costa Rica like I did, it's not enough!

When I did this study abroad program it was my first time abroad. I thought it was perfect for me since I had not been anywhere in Europe before this program. The class was really interesting. I enjoyed the class because we got to visit several companies or government organizations throughout our trip. I would not have had the opportunity to do this on my own. Aside from this, I liked that I was able to travel in a group to multiple countries with a guide. I enjoyed being able to walk on my own after class and get a feel for the cities we visited. I would definitely do it again!

My study abroad semester in Grenoble, France was a once in a lifetime experience that I wouldn't trade for anything. Like many of the students who choose this program, I wanted a truly authentic French experience that I felt I wouldn't find studying in Paris. And an authentic experience is what I got. The city has a population of around 150,000 which I felt was a perfect size for me: not to small, but not to big. My favorite part of living in Grenoble is the fact that the city is surrounded by three different mountain ranges. Every direction that you turn your head in, you can see mountains (if there aren't any 300 year old buildings in the way!) With my study abroad program we were able to take part in several activities and excursions to different places around the city and within the region. These were some of my most favorite memories and things that I got to do while in France. These included snowshoeing in the Alps followed by a relaxing visit to a thermal spa, visiting several vineyards to do some wine tasting, and doing a high ropes course complete with zip line atop one of the mountains surrounding Grenoble. My favorite place that we visited was a monastery tucked away in the Chartreuse mountains (one of the ranges that borders Grenoble.) It was the most beautiful and peaceful place that I have ever been in my life. These experiences along with the day to day authentic experiences of riding trams, visiting cafés, and speaking French made my semester so full and complete. I truly left part of my heart in Grenoble and can't wait until the day that I can go find it again.

Going abroad for the first time is a nerve-racking experience. But it is one that I will always recommend to anyone who asks! Learning about the artwork in class then going to see it first hand was a unique experience that I will never forget. The experience of studying abroad is one I recommend everyone to have and one I aim to have again!

I've been fortunate enough to have traveled to many different countries all over, and my time in Costa Rica was without a doubt one of the best places I've been to. "Pura Vida" is something that you will learn to appreciate in Costa Rica. It is a way of life that made this study abroad experience awe inspiring. I studied Environmental Awareness and Sustainable Development, and what better place to do this than in Costa Rica. The weather during the J-term was ideal, and the scenery was nothing short of stunning. The fact that you stay with a host family for the duration of the program only adds to enriching your experience. What better source to learn from about the culture than from Ticos themselves. The freshness of the fruit, friendliness of the people, and the beauty of the nature in Costa Rica are second to none. If you want to learn about how and why we must preserve our environments and everything in them, then allow "Pura Vida" to become part of your lifestyle. With a very affordable price point, all inclusive options, and a helpful staff, Costa Rica J-term is an opportunity that should not be overlooked.

Prior to this program I had never been to Europe, but it was always in my mind. I decided to select this program because I felt it gave me the greatest opportunity to see the most places in a short time. Aside from just visiting the countries, I also wanted to learn about what made them tick. Studying business in politics in the E.U. gave me first hand experience as we went from country to country visiting parliament, banks, companies, and heard from various speakers. One of the things that I found extremely rewarding was the amount of free time we still managed to fit into our tight schedules. I had enough time to go see a play in London, walk around in Paris, have lunch in Luxembourg, and still manage to attend presentations on a variety of Eurozone issues. If you want to knock out several countries with one program, and learn about issues that affect Europe and the world, then I highly recommend this program. Our instructor was very flexible, and understood that constant travel was not easy. The workload was moderate, and lectures allowed for plenty of discussion. If I had to decide again, I would definitely choose this program for my European experience.

Overall I had a really great experience interning with Dublin Well Woman Centre and living in Dublin. I was able to get a behind the scenes look at the inner workings of a non-profit, and grow my communication skills. Dublin has become such a special place to me and I am so grateful for this opportunity.

Florence is the most magical city of all time! I advise anyone studying abroad in Europe to go there. AIFS was right by the Piazza Santa Croce as well as our apartment which was absolutely amazing!! They were so helpful with everything we needed and gave the best travel advice on which ever country we were visiting for the weekend. If I can I would go back to Florence and study abroad with them again!

I'm so glad I picked AIFS for my study abroad experience!! Danica, Claire and Jane were very helpful in making sure my courses, housing, meal tickets, etc. were all set! They were so friendly and knowledgable making them wonderful resources while in Paris.

They also planned fantastic excursions within the city and within France! We enjoyed shows at the Opera, pastry/cheese/wine tastings, museum visits, walking tours, etc. which were all fantastic. We also had a group dinner at the beginning and end which was really cool to see how people have enjoyed the program and made lifelong friendships!

The biggest reason I would choose AIFS, not only for their quality and all-inclusive prices, but the service was amazing!

Thank you AIFS for making my experience so memorable:)