Program Reviews

I spent the 2025 Spring I semester at ACT, and it was an amazing experience. I was able to take courses related to my major and courses that were completely unrelated (including Sea Sailing). I was also able to take Beginning Greek, the professor is super nice, and it really helped with acclimating to the country. There were several clubs to choose from as well. The ones I attended were led by staff, and they were very high quality. The city itself is also fun to explore, and there are many opportunities where the program takes you to explore Thessaloniki, as well as other towns in Greece. In terms of student population, a lot of the full-time students are also international from nearby countries, and there were ~200 students from the US while I was there. Housing is separate from the local students, so the US students live together across several locations. A bus came twice in the morning to pick us up and twice in the afternoon/night to bring us back. I'd say one of the best things about the program is that we had awesome RAs at our dorms that were really supportive and available. Overall, highly recommend!

Going into this program, I was naturally nervous. I had just flown to a country I had never been to, and was supposed to be living there for 5 weeks! The ACT staff was amazing; they made this transition so relaxing and comforting. They picked us up from the airport, showed us how to use the Metro and buses, and gave us a historical tour of Thessaloniki. Since I studied for a summer term, I only took 1 class, which was Sailing 101 with George Podaras. I could not recommend this class enough. George was a hilarious professor who took his job seriously, wanted us to learn, and created a learning environment that heavily relied on teamwork. Thessaloniki, as a city, was an amazing home base. It is lively, has amazing food, farmers' markets, cultural experiences, rich history, and, in my opinion, wasn't overrun by tourists. Moreover, I felt safe in Thessaloniki. I would walk around and take the metro at night, always with at least one friend, and I never felt unsafe.

My experience with ACT was AMAZING! I really wanted to study abroad so I scrolled through all the programs that my home institution was advertising. I picked this one the second I saw it, without even considering another program and I’m so glad that I chose ACT. I learned so much not only in class, but also outside of class from the additional field trips that they offered every weekend (my favorites were hiking to the top Mount Olympus and visiting the Acropolis in Athens). There was always something to do. Studying here made learning so much fun!
My professor was very passionate and knowledgable about what he was teaching. He always made sure we understood what he was teaching before moving on to another subject. My class was on the Apostle Paul so it was really neat when our professor would take us on field trips so we could learn about something where it took places and visit places where Apostle Paul actually was! 
All of the ACT faculty and staff that I encountered were very kind and eager to help. It was easy to tell that they really wanted every study enrolled in the program to get the most out of their experience.
This program has certainly made a lasting impression on my life. I made so many new friends and so many new memories. If you’re considering studying abroad, I would HIGHLY recommend choosing the program at ACT!

I had such an incredible time studying at ACT! My program just ended a couple days ago and I’m already wishing I was back. The 5 weeks went by in the blink of an eye so it’s important to make the most of your time. There were so many great trips organized for us to participate in, my favorite being the hike up Mount Olympus. However my actual favorite part of the trip had been the time I spent in class with such an incredible professor and other study abroad students. ACT really had me immersed in the environment, and I can’t wait to make a trip back to Thessaloniki in the future!

My experience at ACT was nothing short of amazing. A small campus and personalized classes with lots of support from their awesome staff made my adjustment to Greek living seamless. I would highly recommend the summer program, and my advice would be to participate in all of the extra excursions!! Such a great summer that I will never forget! Side tip: try to learn some Greek before you come, the locals really appreciate it!

It was absolutely the most amazing experience I've ever had in my life. It opened me to new friendships as well as a new culture. I put myself in uncomfortable situations like asking a local Greek how to get somewhere with very poor/limited Greek speaking skills. This allowed me to get comfortable speaking Greek little by little. The American College of Thessaloniki is a small school, which is good because it helps form a closer bond to your classmates/locals.

I definitely recommend taking Sea Sailing while at ACT. You get to be on a sailboat twice a week in Greece during sunset - what could be better? You are on the boat for every class - even those that are about safety or navigation and don't require you to leave the dock. Greece has great weather and it is thus relatively warm and nice for most of your time sailing.

The professor, George, is great. He is friendly, knowledgeable, and supportive. The class is rigorous at first and requires a lot of memorization. However, once you have all of the information down it's smooth sailing from there ;)

I loved studying abroad in Greece. ACT was smaller than expected and the academics not that challenging. However, I met many people from around the Balkans, traveled all over Europe, and explored other areas of Greece! Its important to know and understand that Greece is in an economic crisis so Thessaloniki is not super clean and shiny (some closed businesses, stray animals). However, I loved Thessaloniki and think it is still a super awesome city. Lots of students, incredible food, a beautiful boardwalk, and sunny weather! I learned how to sail, climbed Mount Olympus, relaxed in hot springs, and gained so much weight from delicious food - I definitely recommend studying abroad in Thessaloniki.

I am an international student in Boston so I am already studying abroad but this program particularly offers a different experience that any I had before. I liked how the classes were structure, very intense and dynamic in 5 weeks I was able to speak the basic of Greek language. We had opportunities to explore learning experiences outside the classroom in the city with local people helping on the learning proccess. I also really loved how the institution had trips and programs optional available every weekend panned ahead, I think it was a great way for us to get to know the culture and the country in a unique way.

With previous sailing experience, this course was both enjoyable and challenging at the same time. My sailing instructor George Podaras was very knowledgeable about the boat and just about everything to do with sailing. Each day of sailing was better than the last and I cannot wait to further my sailing experience and to sail on my own! I recommend this course to all experience levels and anyone who loves being on the water! The course did have some intense moments, but I felt that it was to better prepare us, not to frustrate us.