Program Reviews

First and foremost, had some of the best times of my life here. Let's enumerate some pros of the program first:

-It's designed to favor those seeking independence and personal enrichment via being able to form a cohesive identity in a different culture.
-Fantastic location: you want cenotes, beautiful beaches, arresting landscapes, fascinating archeological sites, you've got it. You've also got Cuba + Guatemala + Belize (plus the rest of México, which compared to the Yucatán peninsula is like a separate country) within striking distance.
-Extremely immersive homestay. Without exaggeration, I was treated like (and eventually became) another member of the family.
-Gracious and engaging program leaders (shout out to Francisco + Diana!). Individually tailored support system.
-Nice balance of different locales for the in-program excursions (Mexico City and San Cristobal de las Casas were highlights).

However, Mérida can be very polarizing. This paragraph merely serves to check your expectations; I personally found none of the following to be a turn off. However, if you have issues dealing with the daily grievances of living somewhere quite hot (it was already 102 degrees Fahrenheit in March at one point), want to take public transportation everywhere (the bus system is horrendous but Uber is very cheap and ubiquitous in Mérida), seek academic rigor comparable to that of a respectable U.S. institution (in my experience, classes at the local universities [those of the Modelo in particular] were reminiscent of high school classes), or prioritize studying in a more "mainstream," or stereotypical, segment of Mexican culture (i.e. in the central/northern part), maybe you should reconsider studying in Mérida.

All in all, if you want an atypical study abroad experience that will challenge you in very rewarding ways, look no further. You're bound to come back changed for the better.

Going abroad is something that will forever be apart of who I am, not only from the experience but the memories and friendships will be cherished throughout my life. I ventured to Europe for the first time by myself to study abroad and I could not have asked for a better experience. I attended Indiana University, where many students go abroad, but decided to take on the journey alone in a foreign country (which I highly recommend!). As a social work major there were not many options to programs so I conducted a lot of research on my own, as study abroad had always been a dream of mine. IFSA-Butler provided so many resources throughout my entire stay in Ireland with access to information about traveling, safety, shopping, restaurants, academics, and social life activities. The orientation that was provided at the beginning of the semester allowed everyone to meet other individuals and feel more comfortable with the support that was being provided. During our stay at UCD there were two weekend trips that were provided through IFSA-Butler to different parts of Ireland. These trips allowed me to see more of Ireland with experienced locals (our program directors) to understand the local culture and history of the country better. In regards to the education at UCD it was very similar to my courses at IU, with fairly large lectures, potentially smaller discussion meetings, midterm and final exams/papers, and instructional assistants in the courses for additional support if needed. The tricky part for me was the grading system as it is extremely different than what is used in the United States but once again, IFSA-Butler gave us access to this information prior to the program and answered questions that I had throughout. The housing accommodation was very similar to a dorm or apartment, each individual had their own room and we shared common spaces like the bathrooms and kitchen area. Since the native language is English I truly believe that helped me transition to living in Dublin and succeed in my courses as it eliminated the language barrier that some of my friends were experiencing.

Overall, I would highly recommend this program or any program through IFSA-Butler, as it was truly the experience of a lifetime! I made lifelong friends through the program that I still visit and talk with daily. I was able to feel comfortable traveling to new places and adjusting to life in a new country.

I loved my experience in Cuba! From the start, IFSA is incredible. They process all the visa paperwork, etc. And, they prepare you with weekly newsletters with great reading materials etc. Once you are there, you live with a host-family (all incredible people!). I loved my host-mom, with her constant music and delicious congrí. IFSA will also put at least one other US student with you in the home-stay. For me, it was really nice to meet someone else from a different school in the US who was interested in the same things I was and who was always there to process what we were seeing and learning on the ground in Cuba! Then, there are the classes at the University. While they are definitely not the most academically rigorous, it is an interesting peek into another university system. There is one core-course that the study-abroad students that semester are required to take. It is a little bit disorganized, and not very academically rigorous either. It is the only major draw-back of the program. But, IFSA supplements the classes with an very cool series of lectures based on what you and the other students that semester are interested in. There are also some really fun excursions to Viñales, Santiago, and the countryside. And, you are really free to explore the city and the country on your own. Overally, traveling to Cuba is a really unique experience and IFSA is an amazing support system! I definitely would recommend this program

I studied abroad in the 2017 fall semester with IFSA-Butler in Buenos Aires, Argentina. It was one of the most challenging, inspiring, at times frustrating, intimidating, rewarding (ect.) experiences of my life. I found I was able to immerse myself and connect with a whole new culture and way of living, most of which was done outside of the classroom. Considering that all of my courses were taught in Spanish--that was a challenge to begin with, so I was thankful for the level of difficulty in the classroom. The professors emphasized that it was more important to learn from trial and error while actively practising the language rather than determining your grade from a test score. I was able to explore art, history, politics, and film in a whole new way, all the way working on the most important component, my language skills. From learning about the life of my host mother to playing on a local soccer team to travelling on a whim to some of the most far-out and remote locations I never knew existed; I loved every minute of study abroad, even the hard moments when I didn't know I could do it.

The staff of IFSA Butler in Costa Rica was incredible. They supported me 24/7. They even offered free tutoring, which was great because we were learning and taking classes in a different language. The staff helped with getting packages, directions, culture shock, and even found us a dance teacher because we wanted to learn how to do latin dances.
The country itself was absolutely beautiful. While Heredia has a lot of litter, Costa Rica is a country of national parks and reserves, and it didn't take long to get someplace beautiful. Beaches, mountains, volcanoes, and wildlife refuges- this program has it all.

Going abroad was the best decision I’ve ever made. IFSA advisors helped me throughout the entire process. From helping me find a syllabus for a class I was interested in to a year later helping me request another transcript. While there, advisors made frequent visits to the campus wanting to catch up or be there if we needed some help or advice! They were all simply amazing and I couldn’t have done it without them!

When I decided to study aboad, I rode my bike over to the international programs office at UMass and said one thing; I want to leave my abroad experience fluent in Spanish. Having only met the minimal Spanish requirements for most programs, this was a tall order. My advisor suggested only one program--IFSA Peru.

After spending a summer in Guatemala working for a non-profit, I took off for Lima, where I would spend fall of 2017. The experience was organized wonderfully down to the homestay--I lived with an older Peruvian couple in the center of Miraflores that effectively became the grandparents I never had. Each day, I engaged in conversation in spanish from the moment I woke up to the time I went to bed, taking classes at the PUCP and learning to navigate a city twice the size of New York City on my own. I had the chance to travel and have AUTHENTIC cultural experiences in 6 different regions of Peru, and engaged in independent research projects at two nonprofits as part of my coursework. The grey city slowly but surely turned into my second home, with phrases like manyas, pituco, and chela flowing from my mouth as if I were a true peruvian by the time I left. I wouldn't trade it for anything--would highly recommend for anyone looking for a true study abroad. No hand-holding, no tourist traps, and a whole lot of hard work and fun.

I loved my time abroad with IFSA-Butler! In my 6 months in wurooe, I visited 16 countries, made countless friends and learned an incredible amount about scotland, its history and people. IFSA-Butler plans two trips each semester, our year it was to the Argyll forest and to the isle of Skye. These trips were an incredible way to immerse myself in scottlanss natural beauty while getting to know my cohort better. The natural beauty of scottland never ceases to amaze me, as does the friendliness of the population
One of my favorite memories is the honestly i completed as part of the program with a dairy farming family in northern England. I took over 20,000 photographs while abroad, with even more memories that I will cherish forever.

Probably the best experience of my life! If you are looking for a super culturally and language immersive experience, this is the best program/city combination you can find. It is an academically challenging program, but allows for a lot of free time to travel and explore the city. The locals are amazing and so willing to interact. My host family experience was amazing, and probably my favorite part of the experience.

This program was the perfect balance between creating your own semester and receiving support in order to guide your decision making. The most unique part of this study abroad experience was balancing big city life with exploring the culture. I miss the city beyond anything, but I know I’ll be able to return and resume my experience if I were to go back. I was able to become comfortable, but I could also find challenges if I wanted to test my skills.