CIEE Reviews

Studying abroad with CIEE in Cape Town was incredible. The city itself is a beautiful, vibrant city always buzzing with things to do, places to go, things to see or try. It was also a very interesting and difficult time to be in Cape Town amidst the recent sociopolitical unrest especially amongst students, but even that was a very perspective broadening experience. My fun and happy adventures were balanced and challenged by times of times of critical self-reflection both in and out of the classroom which allowed for a richer educational experience than what I believe I would have received elsewhere.
CIEE as a program did a great job supporting me socially, by planning several dinners, outings and excursions for the students. They also effectively coordinated community service trips, cultural events and homestay weekends which added to my time in Cape Town by getting me plugged into the local scene. This was also facilitated by a fantastic RA staff.

I cannot recommend this program more!! The 5 months I spent in Cape Town with CIEE were absolutely incredible and life changing. I was able to explore an amazing country with the support of a well trained staff and expand my academic capacity while studying at the University of Cape Town. This country is truly unlike any other and CIEE strives to demonstrate and highlight its unique characteristics through various programs and opportunities. Specifically, their integration of Resident Assistants throughout the different housing spaces were not only a way for us to have a source of reliable information and aide in times of need, but also a great way for us to interact directly with local residents. I fell ill during my experience, but CIEE individuals were alongside me every step of the process, from taking me to doctor's appointments to helping me fill out insurance forms. In the words of many of the individuals who spent time studying in Cape Town, there is simply no better program to do it with!

CIEE IBC was the best decision I made for an abroad program. Not only was everything very well organized but the staff was outstanding at providing support and guidance throughout the semester. The home-stay aspect was the most valuable part of the program because it provided a true cultural immersion in Seville and dramatically helped me improve my Spanish. I have made lifelong bonds during the program with both American and Spanish students, and I don't think that would have been possible without the support of CIEE.

I had an AMAZING time in Sevilla and I can honestly say studying there through CIEE was the best decision I could have ever made! It made me grow on so many levels. I was able to learn about many different cultures with the 5 months that I had to travel around Europe and even to Morocco, Africa. When abroad I actually met a Spaniard who I am still currently dating. I think having him allowed me to experience the culture much more in depth. I was able to visit small Spanish towns all around Sevilla and I was able to communicate with locals which further helped me advance my Spanish skills. I met many people and I learned so many things that I would have never learned without studying here.

I've studied abroad in China through multiple different programs and CIEE is hands down the best. The team in Shanghai does an amazing job of making sure that the students have the time of their lives in China. The academics were incredibly rewarding for me; I advanced my Chinese and learned about the perspectives of Chinese academics in international relations and economics. The social scene is amazing. After all, it is Shanghai. Yet, the program has a great balance between its own fun events that it plans for its students (totally optional) and time that students can and should take advantage of to get lost in this incredible city. The staff cares very very deeply about its students and I have never felt closer to my teachers anywhere else. I also enjoyed the trips that CIEE planned for us. In short, this program can be whatever you make of it; you can buckle down and dramatically improve your Chinese while having the time of your life in one of the coolest cities on earth, you can only study refuse to speak anything but Mandarin with the Chinese roommates (also optional my year), or you could spend the entire time exploring the city and the rest of China. It is a program that truly is for the students. I'd recommend it above any other that exists in China. I made some of the best friends I've ever had while studying at CIEE's center in Shanghai.

Going to Costa Rica with CIEE was one of the best and most challenging things I have ever done. From the moment I arrived, everybody on the trip felt like close friends and we all had so much fun together. The teachers were amazing and aren't afraid to have fun with the students. The first two weeks you travel around the country and go to some of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. You also won't recognize your body because of all the bug bites and blisters you'll get, but it's worth it! The hikes are hard but not impossible, just be prepared for wet feet and long days.

Each trip Alan, the main instructor, has a concert at the local bar and that is the most fun I have ever had at a bar. Two students didn't go my year and said it was one thing they regretted about the trip. Monteverde is a really cute town with hiking easily accessible. There's only two main bars though, so if you're looking to party while you study abroad, this might not be the trip for you. However, the teachers do provide beer and rum at all of our hangouts and we definitely made our own parties at the research station where we stay.

The coursework was hard and felt stressful at times, they're cramming a semesters worth of information into 10 weeks, but it all got done and now I know how many scientific names I can memorize in a week. The research project we design was challenging but one of the most rewarding projects to ever come out of my college career, and now I have something to show people at job interviews.

Overall, this was the most fun summers of my life, and I highly recommend this trip to everybody!

This program is fantastic. From exploring the tropical rainforest to the experiential learning model they use to the fun-loving and open community, everyday there was something new to learn. It’s crazy how many things they packed into three and a half months!

My favorite part of the whole program was the experiential learning model they employed and the fact that were we literally learning about the place we were in. Class time was often spent hiking through absolutely gorgeous forests (fun fact: for some reason we don’t call tropical rainforests “the woods”, everyone says “the forest”). Anytime we saw an animal, plant or anything interesting we would stop and discuss the species, their distribution, what they ate, etc. and relate it to what we were studying at the time. We also did this in our “humans in the tropics” class by going to palm oil plantations and farms. These Costa Rican forests were the most diverse ecosystems I'd ever seen at that point - it was not difficult to see animals at all. I'd see monkeys, frogs, coatis, birds, insects and more on the daily. For me, a student who learns best by vocal, physical and social avenues, this was a fantastic system and I still think about many of the lessons I learned during those classes.

The instructors are another awesome part of the program: they are fun-loving and very open to helping the students. Among the professors and TAs, you’ll have about 5-6 people with a wide breadth of knowledge about Costa Rican ecology and conservation. The classes and independent project are rigorous undertakings but it is definitely do-able with their assistance and support (and so satisfying to complete too!) If I had a question, they would be down the hall or simply an email away.

The homestay was something that brought the entire experience into perspective. Monteverde is a very touristy town, but the homestay made us feel like we were part of the community rather than just observers passing through. I got to know local tico(a)s and their stories, I celebrated birthdays with my host family and I even shared my culture by leading an Indian classical dance workshop through this completely serendipitous connection I had with the owner of a local yoga studio. I’d say the best part was bonding with my host mom and getting to learn all the secrets to traditional Costa Rican cooking (I still make gallo pinto at home with a healthy dose of Lizano!)

And lastly this whole experience was just plain FUN. It was definitely a theme running through the whole program. All the new experiences, rigorous classes and backpacking trips created a very intimate environment where you can really bond with the people you’re with. My cohort that year became a sort of family away from home. We’d go on hikes together, go on bungee jumping adventures, help each other with projects and more. This intimate setting was a big part of why I chose this program.

Coming into the program I knew I loved biology but I was headed towards a career in medicine. After going to Costa Rica and learning about tropical species, ecology, and conservation I switched gears and never looked back. I ended up coming back to Costa Rica to do research after I graduated and now I’d call myself a conservation biologist! Even if a career shift isn’t in your future, this program is great opportunity to put the curiosity back into learning and give you another lens through which to view the world. I’d highly recommend this program!!!

Thanks Alan, Kathy, Johel, Bronco, Moncho and Maricela!

I had considered studying abroad for a while when I finally chose this program. You know, been to study abroad fairs and such, and they all seemed awesome. This program stood out because of the amount of field-based learning and intensive biology. So upon arriving I was excited for the adventure that surely awaited me, what I wasn't ready for was to leave with a whole new outlook on life, new confidence, new friends, and a vast amount of new skills and abilities - and I had fun while gaining all those priceless things. The educational experience provided by this program is unparalleled. Lessons in the field combined with classroom learning and lab-type scenarios, including multiple group and individual research projects, create an extraordinary learning experience. The staff of this program create a totally unique atmosphere that encourages questions and learning above grades and standards. Not only were staff helpful with program-related questions or issues but they were some of the best advisors I had ever met. Much better than anyone I'd talked to at my home institution. I came away more educated, more driven, and more confident. I now know what I want to do and how to get there, and I am confident that this program has change my life drastically for the better.

This program really exceeded my expectations. The total of four weeks of travel around the country allowed us to see some really cool places, camp, hike, snorkel, and learn about a variety of ecosystems. Learning is really hands on and includes lectures (usually outdoors or on hikes), group projects, mini-research projects, etc. While living at the station in Monteverde, there are some more traditional classes, but also time to explore the forest and town, take Spanish classes once a week, and go on field trips for the humans in the tropics class. The last month involves living with a homestay family and conducting an independent research project, which is a really unique opportunity and super helpful for anyone wanting to do science in the future. The program is a small group of people (students and staff) who you spend nearly 24/7 with so you get to know everybody very well, which some people really like and some people do not. Compared to other study abroad programs, you will probably learn a lot more, work a lot more, and have considerably less free time. While you don't have weekends free to travel on your own, etc. you get to go to so many different places in the country (plus a week in Panama) and do a ton of fun activities while the classes are going on, so this was a positive thing for most people. You learn as much Spanish as you put into it. Classes are in english and you are spending most of your time with other americans, but if you really want to learn, there is plenty of opportunity and the homestay gives you that chance. If you don't really like learning about ecology, nature, biology, etc. this program is probably not for you, though some people came into the program from non-ecology majors and discovered that they really enjoyed learning something different and loved all the outdoor activities. All in all, I learned more during my semester in Costa Rica than in any semester back home, met some great friends, and had a lot of fun.

The beauty of this program is the diversity of ways in which the curriculum is taught to you. I would say that the entire program is split up into three different parts. The reason this worked so well was that it allowed people to gain information in different ways and seeing as everyone learns differently it has something to offer to anyone who might go.

The three parts were split up into field trips, normal classroom setting, and independent research. There is over four weeks of field trip throughout the program which allows for real hand on learning out in nature. Personally I found this very helpful because I am a very hands on visual learner. Actually hiking through a primary forest and talking about a tree that is right in front of you is much different than sitting in a classroom looking at a picture of it. The classroom setting portion allowed us to talk much more in depth about what we had already seen on the field trips and also learn valuable scientific skills such as reading manuscripts, and working with stats. The last portion, individual research, seemed to be the most unique portion of the program. While I know of many other programs that require their students to do research, I felt that CIEE, in particular, had their students go much more in depth than is usual. For starters, it is a month long portion of your overall studies which allows for real results to be recorded. The professors are helping you every step of the way by advising you in choosing a topic, writing research proposals, setting up trials, and finally writing a finished research paper as if it were to be published. Seeing as it is out of the ordinary for undergraduate students to have research experience this is something that can really help to set you apart in the future.

Overall this is a great program and I would recommend it to anyone that is passionate about ecology and is also ready to be challenged to progress their scientific knowledge at a faster rate than they ever have before.