CEA CAPA Education Abroad Reviews

This was my very first time stepping foot in Europe, let alone living abroad for six weeks. My apartment, although on smaller than what Americans are used to, was conveniently located in the city center and a few hundred meters from Las Ramblas. I was so fortunate to have the opportunity to intern at a hostel, which helped me not only gain valuable international experience in the hospitality industry, but allowed me to meet travelers from all walks of life and various countries. There was so much to explore within Catalonia alone that I didn't even venture out of Spain like I had originally intended, but it would be very feasible for the adventurous ones who would like to.

Barcelona SAE takes care of everything - from airport transfers, internship placements, housing, first day introductions, Spanish or Catalan lessons, to fun excursions. They do their absolute best to help make each student/intern's experience as seamless as possible. With an open door policy, should you need anything, we were all welcome to visit the office and talk to any of the staff.

It really comes down to how much you put into it, because that ultimately plays the biggest factor in your takeaway from your time abroad. All of the opportunities to get involved and stretch your comfort zone are totally there!

Had the best time of my life. Was worried to go abroad at first but the moment I landed I was met at the airport with friendly staff from the program and transportation to my apartment. The first week was spent showing us the city and informing us about the safety and culture of Rome. We were given activities such as a group scavenger hunt throughout all of Rome in order to accustom ourselves to the city, find our way around, and see the beautiful sites. The staff were very helpful and friendly, and were always informative. We were given opportunities to participate in many group activities to see the city and immerse ourselves in the Roman culture. They also provided free trips with the program to see other Italian sites and cities together.

Studying in Italy helped me to gain a broader view of the world. As a business major, it is always helpful to see what people value from different places. It was amazing to see the differences between people's interactions with one another in Rome, other places in Italy, as well as other European countries. I met some great people from different parts of the US and from the rest of Europe. It was great to study in a country that had a main language that was not English, because this made the experience seem that much more authentic. Exploring Italy was fantastic; there are so many differences between each region. My recommendation to future travelers is to soak it all in early and do not push anything off, as the program is shorter than it may seem!

This program is so well conducted, and you will have an incredible time living in one of the most historically charged cities in the world. The apartments are in fantastic, central locations and you will probably never have the opportunity to live in such an incredible location for so long again. I loved having the support right from the beginning of my decision to study abroad. There was someone to help and guide you every step of the way, so I felt confident knowing everything was going to be taken care of and I could focus more on having a good time. Excursions are well organized, so you get the most out of your time in each location. The staff and professors are all wonderful, and I really had a great learning experience overall. Study abroad is a must-do experience for college and CEA is a great way to do it!

My experience with SAE was awesome. I took classes at the UAB and I thought they were challenging but really interesting. All of my professors went above and beyond to make sure we not only learned the material in class but learned all about Catalan traditions and culture. I feel like I learned much more with them than I would have at any other school. The staff at SAE was also amazing. I felt comfortable approaching any member of the staff with any problem I had. The staff always made sure we were well informed about the places we were going and always had the best recommendations for things to do. I cant imagine my experience in Barcelona without all of the resources provided by SAE. If you're considering going to Barcelona, definitely apply for a program with SAE, you will be happy you did.

Everyone tells you this a thousand times over, but let me add to the list -- studying abroad is the absolute best time of your life. The only way to make the best time of your life even better is to experience it with the help and support of CEA's staff. With the help of CEA, I was influenced to travel to different cities, not just the mainstream and touristy ones, I felt safe in my own city, and was confident that if I needed assistance with anything, a staff-member would happily be there for me. Without CEA, I would have felt so lost and homesick but they helped me form a community in a foreign place and connected me with friends and weekly activities to enjoy and help me acclimate to my surroundings like cooking classes, beach yoga, and mountain hiking trips. I love CEA for their helpfulness and their kind employees, that became my friends.

Alicante is not Barcelona, it is not Madrid, and it truly is so much better because of it. Alicante is in a league all of its own. New York is famous; and it is also famous for its New York gruffness and busy atmosphere. ANYWHERE in Nebraska is not famous; and you will not meet a mean person there.
I digress.
Alicante is the most wonderful city to fall in love with and you could not be more prepared by CEA. Never skip a day at the beach. Alvaro and Adriana would gladly do anything for you. Be involved in anything and everything, especially when it scares you. Palmeral is underrated. Succeed in class. Explore all of Santa Barbara. Learn some history. Smile and remember that all the other students are thinking the same thing as you, just in a different language.

Go. Have Fun. Make good decisions, but not great ones.

Before studying abroad, I had a broad idea of what living in Spain, specifically Alicante, would look like for 4 months. As soon as I landed in the airport, I was greeted by a group of other students and my CEA advisor! They made sure to have us set up in our apartments in the best way. My CEA advisors ALWAYS offer new activities and excursions for us to do! Signing up for classes was incredibly easy because we just worked one-on-one with our advisor and he would register those classes for us! Overall, CEA has been SUCH an organized and kind program to work with. Everyone truly just wants the students to have the best study abroad experience that they can have. If ever they think we are struggling or have questions, they try and solve any problem we are dealing with. 10/10 recommend. SO SO organized and involved.

This program was nothing short of incredible. The entire staff was so supportive and helpful, from pre-departure to alumni status. They were really friendly and provided us with many opportunities to get involved and experience the local culture outside of our regular classes. The classes were engaging and incredible relevant to life around us. My favorite was an art history class- I could walk around Florence, look at sculptures and architecture, and really know what I was talking about! The professors know that you spend a lot of time enjoying the city and traveling, and take that into account when assigning coursework. I highly recommend exploring this program option- you will get support and a well-rounded experience that you won't get anywhere else!

I studied and interned abroad through CAPA London in Fall 2018 and it was absolutely a dream. The Staff at CAPA were all very supportive and hosted many events throughout the semester. There were always things to do in London and CAPA provided Oyster cards that had unlimited transfers for the tube/bus so it was easy to navigate the city. They also offered day trips throughout London and other parts of the UK.

The classes I took were relevant to my major and I received credits for all of them. Most classes had field trips so it was nice to learn outside of the classrooms. In my Finance class, we visited the Bank of England and for my Marketing class, we went to the Museum of Brands. The internship component was one of the main reasons why I chose CAPA. My internship placement was perfect and I developed critical skills that are transferrable for future careers. I experienced a lot of personal and professional growth during my time in London.