Program Reviews

When I landed in Barranquilla it instantly felt like coming home. Colombians are some of the friendliest people I have ever met. There were so many times where I was struggling to communicate/find something and they didn’t hesitate to help me. My resident director was absolutely amazing and so helpful. She was there whenever I needed something whether it was advice or Spanish help. My resident director created such enriching activities and excursions for us to go on that really allowed ourselves to be immersed in the Colombian culture. I made some incredible friends while abroad Colombians and other foreigners. Being fully immersed in a native Spanish speaking country really improved my basic Spanish a lot. My roommate and I had so much fun traveling around Colombia and see what amazing landscapes Colombia had to offer us. I truly recommend ISA to anyone who is considering studying abroad, they treat you like family.

This is a program in which they give you all the tools you need to socialize, to go out and have the best time, to learn about yourself and the city that you're in. If you're interested in Marketing, International Relations, Politics, Arts, etc. This program is right for you. I cannot stress how well this program helped me better my french language skills as well as just immersing me in french culture. They show you your potential and your potential future in this city. The staff/interns were so helpful! Bridget was the most helpful and down-to-earth person i've met while abroad. Lille is one of the most lively cities in France other than Paris. This city is for the people that like cities, but want something a bit smaller with less traffic. Lille is unique, and I miss it like a hometown!
In a couple words this program treats you like an adult while giving you so much help at the same time.

For thirteen weeks I studied and interned in Sydney, Australia. Through my history course I learned about the origin, traditions and culture of Australia. I was able to better understand the practices and ideas of the people. Through my intercultural communication course I learned how to interpret conversations with people from a different country. I was able to apply this through my everyday activities.
During my time abroad I traveled all over the country to Melbourne, the Gold Coast, Queensland, Alice Springs and I even went to New Zealand. With the help of ISA, I felt safe and confident traveling across the country. On weekends, ISA put together trips in Sydney from hiking the Blue Mountains and volunteering in the community. It was a wonderful way to make the most of my time abroad.
Through my internship I was lucky to meet professional businesswomen all across Australia, China and America. As the journalism intern for a marketing business, it was my responsibility to write feature articles, create blog posts and assist with social media. It was such valuable opportunity to gain experience in my field and learn about marketing.

Prague resembles the quintessential storybook tale of walking on snow-filled cobblestone streets with a towering castle and cathedral in the background. The picturesque scenery entices you to dive into the history-rich city that began in the 8th Century. The ISA faculty of the host university provided quality insights, tips, guidance, and support throughout the entire program. The activities and events scheduled by the ISA faculty are worth noting for many reasons. Personally, I highly valued the individual freedom offered by ISA that allowed me to explore Prague independently. ISA provides a multifaceted schedule that serves to all interests. To name just a few, it provides means for the fun and friendly environment, the historic expertise for learning, as well as the independence and direction to explore on your own.

I loved the process of studying abroad with ISA starting from applying, getting credits approved, being in Costa Rica, and even coming back. Applying was easy by doing it online and ISA's employees consistently checked in on me while I was deciding. Their options for Spanish-speaking countries with classes that would transfer back to my school were great. Other options from other programs kept me from studying abroad with them. Being in Costa Rica was also the most fun summer I've had. I learned so much about the culture because of the cultural activities ISA had for us. We walked to the Jade Museum in San Jose, and I thought that was a nice touch because that's probably how locals get there (because it was so close, unless they had a car). I also did service-learning, which helped me get to know other locals from different backgrounds. When I returned to the US, I even chose to become a Global Ambassador so that I can speak about my study abroad experience with my fellow students and convince them to go with ISA!

I was very apprehensive when I first arrived in Spain, but once I arrived the ies staff was very helpful and made the transition process much easier. In addition, my host family was extremely patient with my speaking abilities, and they gave me tips about the life in Spain. I made some of my best friends from other schools that I would otherwise not have met. This experience has opened up my mind as I am eager to continue traveling and meeting new people. I will definitely return to Madrid at some point in the future. I hope that anyone who has the opportunity to travel to study abroad takes these opportunities because for me, it was life changing, and I now view the world very differently. I really felt like I was involved in the culture that I lived in.

It's really difficult to sum up such an amazing program in such short space. The people who work with ISA in Austin and in Florence are very helpful through every step of the way. I emailed and called the ISA Austin office so many times leading up to my semester abroad that I lost count, as did most of the people that I talked to. The excursions that ISA puts on are tons of fun, well organised and creative. My apartment here was great, it had a very central location and was actually very spacious considering it housed 6 girls total. The people you meet here will become some of your best friends before you know it. If you're looking for a study abroad program I can't recommend this one enough. If you're having doubts about studying abroad and aren't sure if it's for you, just do it. Even if it's not with this program, it will be one of the best experiences of your life.

So this is my second trip with ISA. 2 years ago, I went to Costa Rica with them. During my first trip with them, I didn't get my schedule or class times or excursion dates until a few days after we arrived in Costa Rica, making it hard to plan outside activities. We also didn't have a set time to be picked up from our flight, and details weren't sent out until about 3-4 weeks BEFORE classes started, leaving little to no time to book an affordable plane ticket. I asked about these issues I experienced the first time, and was told that any issues would be hammered out after a bit. 2 years later, I am running into the exact same problem. I am spending 14,000 dollars for 3 MONTHS in Spain, and ISA has been unable to provide me with when my Spanish class will be held, again, making it extremely hard to plan outside excursions. We were also scheduled to take a trip to Morocco, and that was something I was really excited about. It was only until I called the actual ISA office that I found there was not enough time to embark on that trip, and they were "planning on telling us" in about a week, aka about a month from the time we are expected to land in Spain. My program in Costa Rica was awesome, and I'm sure I will enjoy Barcelona, but if scheduling issues are a deal breaker for you, definitely don't enroll in this program. It's also extremely expensive, as my short 3 month semester costs just as much as a 6 month program in the same region.

This program provided me with the support I needed to feel ready for my semester abroad. Their orientation was a great way to get acquainted with the ISA Sevilla team and with all the students in the program. I thoroughly enjoyed having the opportunity to attend school at Universidad Pablo de Olavide. Although I took classes with other U.S. students, the courses were conducted in Spanish by Spanish teachers. This allowed me to go to a Spanish school and improve my Spanish speaking skills. Sevilla is a great location altogether; it is affordable, safe, and fun. As someone who went on the program 5 years ago I can confidentially say that my experience helped me professionally. It not only made me competitive as a candidate in the workforce, but it has allowed me to connect and interact with people from diverse backgrounds both within and outside my workplace.

It was one of my best moments of my life in recent years and I do not regret doing this program :) Everything is very different and Peru has many beautiful places. In addition to the things that I liked most is to try their variety of food. I also recommend a Facebook group to get advice and recommendations when they are in Peru. ( https://www.facebook.com/groups/exchangestudentinternationslima/ )