CIEE Reviews

I absolutely loved my time abroad in Rome through CIEE. I was placed in an apartment in the neighborhood of Prati with 6 random roommates who ended up becoming some of my closest friends. My apartment was in such a good location of only being a 30 minute (at most) walking distance to anything I needed while also being in a slower and quiet area. I never once felt unsafe walking around the city or to/from my apartment. The CIEE staff was a good mix of locals and other works who ensured that I felt confident in everything that I was unsure about. CIEE offered plenty of unique activities to do throughout the weeks and weekends that I would have never found out about by myself. The classes were taught by local professors who genuinely cared about their students and what we were learning and made sure that everyday in class was fun and exciting. Study abroad changed not only how I view the world, but how I view myself and I am so grateful for the opportunity.

CIEE really worked hard to listen to students' feedback. It was great seeing quick turnaround and real action in response to what the students wanted. CIEE planned many great day trips that were great options especially for students on a budget. In addition, the faculty at CIEE ensured they were providing students with what they wanted to experience whether it was going to Pompeii or having a wine tasting the local area.

I would also highly recommend studying in Rome because it truly is unlike any other city. Not only are you surrounded by rich culture and history, but there is also amazing food and gelato at every corner. The CIEE courses offered any site visits which was basically a personal guide with professors that were very well knowledged on the given topic. My favorite was an renaissance art history course. I was able to appreciate the Vatican museums much more deeply that I could ever have.

My study abroad experiences exceeded my expectations as each day I was able to continuously push myself outside of my comfort zone. Cape Town is known as the mother city and when I landed I was able to take in its breathtaking beauty and received welcomeness from many of the locals I encountered along the way. From attending classes to learn about the impact of apartheid in the country to going into the local community for Sunday lunch each conversation and interaction I had was enriching to my continuation of growing my intercultural competence. I was constantly able to gain knowledge about the country's historical background and engage in cultural traditions as I got to familiarize myself with the local community throughout my entire duration. With engagement in the local community, I continue to value the experiences and opportunities I got to have during my time abroad and continue to educate myself to value the rich history of Cape Town.

I have included a poem I wrote after my study abroad experience.

You’ll Always Have My Heart
Thank you Cape Town, South Africa CIEE
And thank you to me
For leaving my fears behind to travel to the mother city
Cape Town South Africa where the city and mountain coexist
And the eye can't resist
The moment my toes touched the grainy sand
I knew immediately that I was in the motherland
Where every cultural experience felt so natural to me
Is South Africa where I am meant to be
The locals no matter how short of the interaction say South Africa is where I belong
It makes me question when I go back to the states whether everything will feel so wrong
Cape Town has allowed me to grow into the person I always wanted to be
The woman whose spirit is allowed to be free
You see home for me can be anywhere where love and respect are always present
I dream of the spaces I enter and immediately feel content
For me, home is where you feel connected
In this study aboard journey thousands of miles away from family I feel collected
To know I will always have my family's support
Makes it easier to go to the next destination to learn about a new culture and gain a stamp on my passport
So to Cape Town thank you
For showing me home is anywhere I feel value

I truly had an incredible experience in my semester abroad in Sevilla with CIEE. Beyond navigating a new place and having fun traveling, exploring, and other such things, I felt that this program gave me a unique opportunity to gain a level of autonomy, as well as a level of peace and self-confidence among some manageable challenge. My program in particular, as a Spanish minor, required that all my classes were in Spanish, and that I would do a homestay with a family that only spoke Spanish. I think that in my experience, the thing for which I'm most grateful to CIEE is the way that housing was handled. I know that my experience in a homestay is a bit of a particular one, but it was one of the best parts of my experience. My host family was kind and supportive, they offered me a healthy, exciting environment to improve my Spanish speaking, and they gave me the freedom to live as I saw fit.
Additionally, I'd like to note that CIEE's faculty were always incredibly supportive and understanding of students' circumstances. It was clearly that they genuinely cared about as students and people.

My time in Barcelona with the Language + Culture program through CIEE was an experience that I will be forever grateful to have had. There were organized trips multiple times a week and 24/7 resources in order to feel comfortable in a possibly uncomfortable change. I was quickly emerged into both the Spanish and European Culture(s), to the point where I did not want to leave- and to this day want to return back. My amazing time in Barcelona is largely owed to benefits of traveling with CIEE, the amazing people I met, and the beautiful places I was able to see along the way.

I absolutely loved my time abroad with CIEE. I was ecstatic to find a study abroad program with my STEM courses, even computer science courses. It was so hard to find programs for Engineering and I am so glad I found CIEE. They made it so easy for us pre-departure with a lot of info and handled our Visas and housing for us. Orientation events were really impactful and I got to learn so much on the tours they provided for us. I made lifelong friends with my roommates and got to travel and learn so much!

I had a great time abroad at Yonsei Univeristy, Seoul South Korea with CIEE! It was really nice having the support from CIEE staff but also being able to independently explore and make my experience the way I wanted to. I liked meeting people from all over the world on this program. The only thing is that study abroad programs like this can create a bubble where it is harder to interact with local Koreans. Therefore, really push yourself to make those connections and talk in the local language! Since Korea has great technological advances, it is really convenient and easy to get around Seoul and neighboring districts. I definitely appreciated the efficient public transportation and customer-friendly GPS maps and used them to my advantage!

I did my study abroad program at Yonsei University in Seoul through CIEE in the Fall of 2021. Because COVID was still very prevalent, classes were remote. However, that did not make my experience any less memorable! CIEE had lots of programming, both on the weekend and weekdays, to ensure we were getting familiar with the city and other students. While there was no meal plan, meals at nearby restaurants or at campus cafeteria was both affordable and delicious! Finally, CIEE was supportive with academics even before the semester began by walking us through the class registration process. Later in the semester, there was a one-on-one check-in to ensure we were adjusting well academically and socially. It was really nice having that kind of institutional support when exploring and living in a city as exciting as Seoul.

My experience studying abroad in Seville with CIEE really changed my outlook on life. I lived in a homestay and attended the University de Sevilla and had a true immersion in the Spanish culture by attending culture experiences, like Feria and Semana Santa. The weather is absolutely stunning even in the winter months, and the people in the city have personalities just as warm. CIEE supported struggling students within my program and really encouraged us to try new things. If I could, I'd go now!

CIEE offered me many opportunities to get to know Portugal and the wonderful treasures it held. We went on weekly field trips to explore nearby cities, as well as visit local museums and exhibits. The orientation that kicked-off our program was helpful in cultural integration, CIEE provided cultural "buddies" for us, to create a connection. Portuguese local student, but also to have a support system. The program leaders were often in their offices and almost always accessible, which felt secure because I knew someone was close by to help.
The classes were long but enjoyable, my favorite class was International Leadership and Communication because it allowed the class of 20 students to discuss how cross-cultural communication works or doesn't work, and we were able to participate in cultural activities such as going to the mall and having typical foods, learning how to ride the metro, be respectful to the customs, and stay positive and enjoy. My Portuguese class was amazing, I was able to learn so much about the language that I craved in my university classes, we even took a field trip to a fish market and had to practice our Portuguese with the vendors. Other classes included politics and art and history; I really enjoyed learning about the history of Portugal because it opened my eyes to everything I was seeing while I was there and sparked my curiosity to explore further.
It was a great experience to travel in Portugal, I was able to go to the beach or waterfront, get to school, or even travel to a new city in a clean and efficient way. My program allowed me to have free weekends where I would travel to new countries, and I could provide travel information to CIEE to take caution when traveling to make sure I was accounted for if something went wrong.