Program Reviews

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.

This was an absolutely life changing experience, I could not recommend it more. I fell in love with Berlin, and will absolutely be returning in the future! The program had a “learn by doing” approach to classes, which meant I had a ton of fun and learned a ton at the same time. I made friends that I will keep for life, I had experiences I will never forget, and I grew immensely, both as a human and an engineer. I recommend this program to anyone who wants to see the world, experience new things, explore other cultures, and make lasting memories. This was hands down the best summer of my life, and I am better for it.

Living in a small town next to Lego land was great there was easy accesses most places and with proper planning and the app it's no hassle to get anywhere. It was a nice community of students at my school almost like a family and was easy to do you have have to reach out to them. extremely walkable cities, or at least the small ones, but easier by bike so there's a sense of exploration that can be either fed or developed. And if you like beaches they say that you are never 50 miles away from a beach. There is also the perk of getting to go 3 hours and get to a different country.

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.

This last few weeks I was lucky enough to go to CIEE's South Korea and Taiwan Peace and Diplomacy program. Over the course of this program I feel like my confidence in my own independence has grown dramatically. I enjoyed making new friends, experiencing new foods and cultures, and learning all the way. The most interesting part of this program was talking to local residents of both countries, especially residents of South Korea. The knowledge I learned from them was fascinating and I could not wait to bring that information home to share with my parents and friends. I have always been interested in foreign countries and foreign cultures, and this trip was a perfect way to go out of my comfort zone and visit these places in a fun and safe way. All of the CIEE staff were very nice and very accommodating, and I can not wait to go back!

The food was AMAZING!! Also, I learned so much about art and improved my drawing skills immensely! Also, we had plenty of free time for shopping, sleeping, hanging out, etc. I highly recommend coming to Italy because it is so safe and beautiful. The staff was very inclusive and the Italians were nice. Things are hard to adjust to at first, but then it gets better. The drawing instructor will be kind and my advice would be to not compare yourself to others. I learned that my skill might not be as advanced as some of my classmates, but that doesn't mean I am not good.

I went on this trip in summer session 1 summer 2024, before you read more, know that i got into this trip being HOMESCHOOLED, so for all the homeschoolers out there who don’t think the trip will let them go bc they are homeschooled, it is possible! I went!

My highlights over the 3 weeks spent in Seoul: the Namsan tower, the FOOOOOOD, the scenery and riding the subway, the shopping, and most of all, getting to meet Korean high schoolers and tour their school, AND spending the weekend with our Seoul Mates, Korean high school/early college students (plus some surprise visits!!)

My lowlights: there was a lot of drama that happened under my, and the Program Leaders radar until the last few days of the trip, and i wanted things to be cleared up, or talk with the other students that were apart if this drama but i feel the students that were involved and involved ME weren’t open to having a conversation without it turning into a interrupting contest.

Our PLs (program leaders) i loves them all! Brittney, Christina, and KT All were so fun and very easy to talk to, and then being easy to talk with made it easy to let them know if i needed anything. I feel like the PLs were especially great because i can tell they love their job and we’re excited about Korea with us teenagers, but also we’re able to put on the leader/teacher hat when needed.

Cost: it’s expensive.. but then again ALL study abroad programs cost something. I mean no offense to anyone when i say this but i think that scholarship and/or financial aid money should be awarded to, yes of course anyone who needs it, but equally to students who aren’t ethically part of the race your average persons would assume needs the money most. You get what I’m saying?
I went on a scholarship, but a very small scholarship AND fundraiser my butt off to get to Korea, coming from a more low income family. It’s possible! Only thing i wish i had done was to start saving WAY sooner

The flight: there’s a group chaperone flight or you can fly solo, if your scared to fly solo, don’t be, you know yourself best but, i took the chaperone flight bc i was scared to fly solo but i think i totally could have done it, the airport is actually way more do able then it seems especially if you can read the signs.

Doing what’s actually in the program name:
That being K-pop themed activities, we did that! I’m also really greatful for the amount of freedom students were given to explore and shop in the city. I did hear the the second session had a much much later curfew then the first session which i find really unfair…

My summer in Madrid was quite a change from my normal summer routine. I lived right next to a well-known and very calm park. El Retiro was such an amazing park to spend hours in, I did indeed spend hours sitting on benches watching people and little cute dogs go by. I also got to explore the city with CIEE with friends, and by myself which I would have never done where I live in the USA. I also got to go out of the city and see towns with beautiful beaches or historical landmarks and castles. I got to try new foods that would never have crossed my path. And I got recipes for some dishes to make when I got back home. I got to experience the fun daytime of Madrid, and the amazing nightlife of the city. I had gone to Madrid in Session 1, at the start there was rain, hail, and fogginess in the city. However, by the end of the session, the weather's temperature would start going up. I would recommend going to Madrid in Session 1 if the heat may be a problem for some.

You will never have an opportunity like this in America. Traveling to other countries with different cultures, history, food, and experiences is something you'll never forget. You'll see fairytale-like places and eat food that you just can't get in the States. I went to Italy, Malta, France, Germany, Czechia, Hungary, and Austria. I didn't regret a single trip I went on, but at the end of the semester, you'll be out of money. It goes by very fast so try to do as much as possible while balancing school and travel. Lots of fun and have made memories that I will always remember.

Everyone says that college is the best four years of your life and thus far, this has been true for me, I knew that I did not want to leave my college campus for an entire semester, so I when I heard that I could study abroad during the summer, I knew this is what was meant for me. I truly have a hard time putting my experience into words because it was so amazing. I met people in my program that I know are going to be lifelong friends. The support I received throughout my entire program is something I was not expecting, but am so glad I had this support. The psychology that I took in Prague is now preparing for my course load this semester. I honestly can say that this program and this opportunity was absolutely the greatest thing I have ever taken in my life. On top of everything, how cool is it to come back to college and tell me that you studied abroad in Europe for five weeks... so cool!!!!!