Program Reviews

I absolutely loved studying abroad in Italy with SAI Programs. They were so helpful when I was preparing to leave and also while I was in Florence. I couldn't be happier with my experience abroad and there's nothing that I would change. I got to travel every weekend around Italy because the train system is so amazing. Italy is the best place to go if you're studying fashion because you can learn so much about the industry in Italy.

This summer, I had the best time of my life. SAI provided me with the perfect balance of support and safety, and independence. I learned a lot about traveling and interactions abroad, and felt deeply immersed in the Roman culture. I lived in a perfect location (Trastevere), my apartment was among other Italians, markets, and restaurants. I gained independence, traveling experience, and an open mindedness about other cultures.

SAI Florence was a perfect fit! Florence is a relatively small city and I was able to get my bearings rather quickly. The onsite support is incredible and the university was perfect. I took classes from wine tasting to sustainable tourism and more. The University fits almost any major needing a few classes and fun electives as well. They took us wine tasting in Tuscany, and a trip to Milan and Lake Como for the Weekend. I loved every minute!

SAI was very helpful in addressing all my questions and concerns. The people I lived with have become life long friends. Everyone should take the chance to go abroad, you wont regret it. Traveling in Europe is super cheap and I recommend everyone take the opportunity to travel as much as they can. With the three day weekends guaranteed at JCU and the possibility for four day weekends, it makes for just enough time to travel to new places.

SAI is incredibly put together! Had an amazing experience with them from pre-departure days all the way through till the end. I would recommend them to anyone wanting to study abroad in a heart beat. Mireia, the program coordinator for Barcelona, is more than perfect for her position. She is impossible not to love, and without her, I definitely wouldn't have had the amazing time that I did. As for Elisava, I think it was a great school that helped me view design in a completely different way than I was used to. It's a prestigious school that will look amazing on resume!

I absolutely loved everything about SAI. It's so much better to do a small program because you really get to know your (amazing) program director and can talk to her one on one. You also really get to know all of the other students in your program and you all become a close family. All of the excursions are so much fun and so well planned out. Barcelona is an amazing city with so much to offer. Any type of person can have an incredible experience there. You can go to the beach, hike a mountain, go to museums and art galleries and/or go to Camp Nou to see a futbol game! Definitely pick SAI and Barcelona! I would go back in a heartbeat.

I had a wonderful time in Barcelona with SAI and Elisava. SAI was very helpful and accommodating during my time here. I could not have asked for better on site staff or the excursions provided. I loved the fact that the program was smaller, about 20 people, because it allowed everyone to get closer and the excursions were more personal. Elisava was a little disappointing in regards to helpfulness but I did enjoy the tours around the city with my classes

SAI was an amazing help throughout my whole study abroad experience. From day one to nearly our last Mieria (program coordinator) was there to help me with what ever I needed. The school was really nice, a lot of projects with limited tests. We have several activities through the program and I recommed attending each one. We got to see so many amazing places and had unique experiences. Our housing was a beautiful apartment in a very central location. The housing agency was very helpful to work with as well.

I absolutely loved my experience with SAI! Living abroad was a life-changing experience and one I would do over a million times. Part of what made SAI so great, was there support and responsiveness throughout the entire experience. The staff really cared about the program attendees and I really felt like I could talk to them. I also really enjoyed the apartment provided by the program, which was extremely chic and had a great location! SAI also provided great excursions, which included, for me, trips to both Bologna and Maremma Islands (which was beautiful!) In terms of classes, I really loved FUA (Florence University of the Arts) and it was amazing to have the ability to go to world famous museums for free with my classes. Overall, I would 100% recommend this program and this city for a fantastic study abroad experience!

SAI has given me the opportunity to grow in so many ways after studying in Rome, Italy. They have influenced me to be more culturally sensitive, adventurous, and humble. It was a great way to see the world, experience a different learning environment, and to meet new friends. I don't have anything bad to say about what SAI had to offer. The staff was always welcoming and helpful, the excursions offered were always fun and expanded outside of Rome and into other various parts of Italy. Although JCU wasn't the best school to take classes for my major (Social Ecology), I was still able to complete many courses that fulfilled my General Education requirements that were needed to graduate. When studying in Rome, I was also able to travel to other European countries which inspired me to want to continue traveling and explore the world. I would highly recommend SAI programs because they offer so much for the student and are very helpful in guiding you throughout your study abroad experience.
My study abroad experience with SAI was a pivotal point in my college career because it was an experience that influenced me to want to inspire other students to travel abroad, but to also keep on traveling and to seek other on-campus programs that allowed me to expand my college experience. During my winter quarter of 2017 I was able to go to Washington DC for an academic internship program. Without the experience of studying abroad with SAI, I don't think I would have been empowered to take on new academic programs that gave me the opportunity to experience and improve my educational experience.