Program Reviews

I spent my Spring 2015 semester in Rome, Italy studying at John Cabot University. John Cabot University is an amazing college to attend while abroad. It is an American university located in the Trastevere neighborhood of Rome, Italy. I participated in two business courses and two history courses during my semester abroad. All four of the classes I participated in were interesting, engaging, and exciting to attend. My favorite part was the small class sizes that allowed my classmates and I to engage in great discussions about our subjects.

The On-site SAI staff in Rome was AMAZING. Jess and Jordan are both great people who will do anything to help the students enjoy their time abroad. Jess was always available to help me schedule train tickets or find the best shopping in Rome. She also took me to the doctors office when I became sick during my first few weeks. Seriously - Jess is so great!

Also, Trastevere is a great neighborhood of Rome. It is within easy walking distance of the super touristy areas but far enough away to feel authentic. I loved wandering the streets and interacting with the local Romans.

I ended up living off of tomatoes, mozzarella and baguettes with balsamic vinegar because I would eat it twice a day! My roommates were addicted, as well! Make sure you're aware of how delicious mozzarella cheese is in Italy and plan accordingly (save money just for mozzarella balls)!

SAI Siena really provided a unique opportunity of becoming really immersed in the italian culture. I lived in a host family with a 8 year old boy and he loved One Direction and Taylor Swift songs. At least once a week we would have a dance party to all the songs, he would go through them on youtube and we would sing and dance across the whole entire house. He also loved pancakes so every time we were home together for breakfast he would help me make pancakes and we would eat them together, usually with nutella.

Studying abroad at Sant'Anna Institute in Sorrento, Italy was the best experience in my life, thus far. There is nothing like Southern Italy, Sorrento in particular. I was extremely blessed to study abroad here and I believe it would be a good fit for a variety of students. There are world renowned hiking trails, cute boutiques and fantastic restaurants.

Florence is an amazing city and it is full of Italian culture and history. It was so cool to walk through the same streets as such influential people. I traveled a lot in my time and I think that was really important to my study abroad experience. With that said it was really important to me to find a balance between traveling, studying, and exploring Florence. Overall my experience was amazing and I would highly recommend studying abroad to anyone!

I had an amazing time in Paris thanks to SAI Programs. They signed me up for classes, found me an amazing Parisian apartment, and provided each student with a cell phone. The students at the American University of Paris are great overall. I was in a small class with about 11 kids and they were simply amazing. We all went to Vienna, Austria for 4 days and had a blast!! SAI provided some excursions to Normandy and Amboise which were simply spectacular. I lived in the 15th arrondisement with one other study abroad student and it was the perfect location. 30 minute walk to the Eiffel tower or the Invalides.

There are too many stories from my experience to pick just one to share but a night I will never forget happened without needing to leave my apartment. It was a Thursday night and I didn't feel like venturing out so I decided to hang out around the apartment and plan some trips for the following weeks. I opened the window to let the warm air in and heard my downstairs neighbors having a get-together. I heard the familiar symptoms of a small party: music, bottles and glasses clinking, and friends talking and laughing. What blew my mind, however, was that these conversations were going on in four or five different languages, all at the same time! The host couple made comments in Catalan and Spanish and laughed in complete understanding when some of the guests answered in French, Italian and English. There may have been other languages and dialects too. I was fascinated and decided to turn my music down and sit on the window ledge to listen while I googled my next destinations. Eventually they noticed me and instead of being bothered chose to say hello and made me part of their multilingual conversation. I was blown away by how well these people could communicate in such different ways, yet still understand every phrase and emotion.

Barcelona is a wonderful city full of Catalan and Spanish culture, but also an incredible international hub of people from literally everywhere in the world. Not a day went by during my stay where I didn't see or hear someone from a new country. If you want a truly international experience, Barca is the place to go!

Barcelona is an incredible city. At first it can be a little crazy to get use to but once you do it feels like home. The Catalan people are amazing, and welcoming. Go out and explore the city because that proved to be the most amazing experience and it didn't cost a dime. SAI programs made it possible to truly experience the city as a local and you can't ask for much more than that.

SAI was the absolute perfect program for me. Our onsite coordinator was available whenever I needed help or wanted information, but she mostly left us to explore on our own. I took a couple of impromptu trips, one to Monserrat and another to Madrid, and they were the best times I could've imagined! I never felt like I was all alone in Spain, but I also felt free to do what I wanted when I wanted, all while earning credit towards my minor!

If I could go back in time I would not change a single thing about my study abroad experience. I would choose Barcelona again and I would go with SAI. This program has very high standards and when it comes to quality nothing is overlooked. Excursions were carefully planned to include culture, sights, and a lot of fun exploring the particular area. The staff makes sure you are comfortable from day one. And not to mention my apartment was amazing, right in the center of Barcelona. I do not think it could have been easier to walk, metro or taxi anywhere from my apartment. I enjoyed how small the program and I can not wait to see it grow. There are tons of study abroad programs in Barcelona so it was very cool to be a part of something so new. We are basically pioneers for this program to be perfectly tailored for what students really want. Make it what you want and make it your study abroad experience, and with the help of SAI it is very possible!