Program Reviews

Salamanca is a very under-rated city in Spain and should seriously be considered more often by prospective students.
ISA staff was ALWAYS available for us, no matter the situation and they are all just so down to earth, friendly, warm and welcoming people.
Salamanca was by far my favorite city in Europe. Not only is it absolutely beautiful, but it is also rich in history and culture. Walking into the Plaza Mayor for the first time was breath-taking, and each time I passed through, I could help but admire its beauty. The classes were very interesting, the professors were amazing, and the location of the city was very strategic. It was only a (2hr) bus ride away from the Madrid airport. My host parents were very accommodating and loved to cook for me and my roommate, yet were very understanding when we made other dinner plans with friends. I definitely recommend staying in a home stay in order to be fully immersed in the culture, and especially if learning spanish is a main goal of yours!

My abroad experience was amazing. I would advise every student to study abroad during their college years. Experiencing other people’s culture and living among those who are so different from yourself is life changing. I studied abroad in Barcelona for a semester with five other girls who go to my university. My abroad experience would not have been the same if I did not go through International Studies Abroad. ISA was extremely accommodating every step of the way. Their staff was always there for each student and ready to help in any situation. ISA made me feel safe and like I would be taken care of no matter what.
ISA was very well-organized from beginning to end of my trip. They picked us up from the airport and made sure we knew where our housing was from the start. ISA also provided us with various guides on places to go in Barcelona including eateries, museums, and local spots.
Not only would I recommend to study abroad through ISA, I would also urge students to study in Barcelona. The city never became boring once. Barcelona will always be my favorite city and I cannot wait to return.

Studying abroad in Florence with ISA was the best decision I could have made. The staff in both America and Italy were warm, welcoming, and extremely helpful. The trips provided by ISA (which were many- both weekend and day trips) were not only well planned and educational ( depending on the trip), but a great time to explore different areas of Italy, and learn more about the country you chose to study. The program offers a language exchange where you can be teamed up with an Italian student and practice your Italian and help them with their English. The staff is always willing to help with anything you need from housing concerns to printing a document. I can't express enough how wonderful the women that work at the ISA office in Florence are, they really make you feel at home. Walking everywhere is a bonus, you get to see all of the wonderful sites in Florence, and discover hidden gems. Plus your located close to FUA (the school you will be studying at) and my apartment specifically was extremely authentic and made me feel even more part of the Italian culture. Also, I cannot forget to mention GELATO AND PIZZA are the greatest things ever along with tons of other Italian dishes- and I would go to Pino's sandwich shop- the bomb. This experience was amazing and I highly suggest using ISA - never had one problem during my 4 months abroad, great program, great staff, and fantastic memories!!!!

I had a life-changing experience on the Summer 4 Barcelona program. I traveled with 4 other girls from my university and stayed in an apartment. Although I did not get the full immersion experience by living in an apartment, I had a great experience. The apartment was well-equipped, clean, and in an upbeat neighborhood in Barcelona. The program offered various weekend excursions including cava (champagne tasting) and a trip to the South of France. They made sure that the excursions were fun and interesting for college-aged students. One of my favorite parts about the program was the university and my profesora. Our teacher, Maria, was hilarious and always kept us entertained. I loved that we took classes at an actual university-- I know some programs offer courses in hotel conference rooms. I thought it was really great to experience the college life for a typical Spanish student.

Overall, I thought ISA was very organized and helpful. Their staff had a lot of advice and was easy to get into contact with. I had some family problems while abroad and the staff was more than generous throughout the process. The only thing I regret about studying abroad was that I should have gone longer! The month-long program goes by really quickly because you are so busy trying to see everything you can. I would definitely recommend this program to anyone who wants to go abroad but is unable to during the school year.

I'm under the impression that Granada is an underrated city in Spain. It has a magical vibe, so full of history. The mountains surrounding the city are absolutely stunning. There was no other city in Spain that i felt had such a wonderful environmental surrounding. It is the perfect city to study abroad in if you choose to study in Spain. ISA is helpful in informing us about activities which we can do in a near Granada. They also assist you in making the most of your semester by being there for you every step of the way. When i say this, i do not mean that ISA staff is breathing down your neck. They give you freedom to do your own thing, but its comforting to know that they are always there if needed. Also, the housing provided was not at all fancy, but the warm staff of my residencia more than made up for this fact. ISA sets up a couple of excursions during the semester. These excursions were definitely some of the funnest, most memorable and most educational parts of the semester. The Morocco excursion costs extra, but don't miss it! It was by far the best one in my opinion. (I studied in the Spring, idk if this is available in the Fall). One piece of advice to those of you who choose Granada. Having chosen such a wonderful city you will unfortunately have to deal with a few hordes of tourists now and then, especially in the warmer months. Don't be a tourist! Be a local! Explore the places where the locals flock, there are plenty of them, you just need to do a little bit of exploring. Overall, this program is awesome. ISA really does the job right.

I come from a small school in Nebraska. I did not want to go to a place so big I would be overwhelmed, and therefore Reading was the perfect place for me. I loved how close we were to London but that we weren't so close to constantly face the hustle and bustle of the city.
However, trains to and from London were incredibly expensive which was a bit inconvenient.
Living in the traditional dorms was fun and where I met most of my friends from England. However, it was very loud during sleeping times but that was just part of the experience for me.
If you are studying abroad for the food, England is not the place to go. However, there were plenty of places that did have great food in Reading.
I really loved and appreciated ISA. They did a lot more for us than any other abroad students I talked to while there. I would definitely go with ISA again if I had the chance.

From the moment I landed in Granada I felt something special. Granada is a magical city full of culture and history. Listening to the music from Sacramonte to La Alhambra it is a must see city in Spain.

I couldn't have been luckier to experience a city more beautiful as Sevilla and a program as well structured as my partnership through ISA . I stayed with a host family which is essential to cultural integration. Living and talking to natives everyday encouraged me actively participate in the Spanish lifestyle. I think that Spain is a great place to live, and not just visit, because there is a lot of history to explore. One of the greatest parts about going global is the process of becoming a more critical thinker and developing creative approaches to solving problems. ISA provides a fantastic platform to explore such a historic city. The excursions included Madrid, Toledo, Malaga and Lisbon. It was also optional to travel to Morocco. These provided great opportunities to explore other cities with like-minded students.

I loved Bond University because of the small size and close exchange atmosphere. Many local students did not live on campus, so the dorms were filled with exchange students. This was nice because it was easy to meet students to travel with. While abroad, I was able to work at a cafe as well as study. This was hugely beneficial to me because I was able to interact and meet the locals while making enough money to fund most of my trips. I only worked twice a week and it covered most of my travel expenses. This gave me valuable experience working in another country and allowed me to form lasting relationships.

Being close to the beach was amazing. The neighborhoods nearby are very nice and fun to explore. I made an effort to get to the beach at least every other day if not every day. I would highly recommend this because the beaches on the Gold Coast are some of the best in the world! Get to know the area because there are a lot of hidden treasures.

I only had class Monday - Wednesday and classes only meet once a week. I traveled most weekends to various places in Australia. I would recommend getting to know the area in which you live because that is the best way to immerse yourself in the culture. Participate in as many campus activities as possible so as to meet local students as well as study abroad students.

One of my favorite things about this program was the included excursions to different parts of Italy, as well as the included tours of museums and historical sights. I always felt safe in my neighborhood, and the American University of Rome is such a great school to be a part of. There was a great sense of community with fellow students and it was awesome to get to experience a foreign country with so many fun people.