Program Reviews

My past three weeks in Costa Rica have been quite wonderful. Last year I had traveled to Spain (which just seems more exotic) but it was a little disapointing. The director was immature, my host mom was mean, and I spent way too much money at Zara. Atenas is beutiful, but very quant. After about a week I had checked out the majority of the city, and was a little bored. But as the excursions started and clases picked up, it was almost imposible to stay up past ten in the evenings, out of utter exhuastion. My host mom accepted me as one of the family. The house was warm (boiling) and cozy, it was a very comfortable envirioment. My host mom was a queen in the kitchen, and the pure time and effort she put into our meals was astounding, it did not seem like much of a chore for her. I loved my spanish clases, the profersors really knew how to teach, it was not just about writting essays and using the proper tenses, they really wanted us to be comfortable talking. It was also really cool to see such a creative approach to teaching, I wish clases were more like that in the U.S.

I gained so much knowledge about nature and culture and I love it. I believe that studying in Costa Rica will give me life long useful knowledge that can be applied to anything. I now follow the "Pura Vida" lifestyle and I have never been so free and relaxed! I loved my host family so much. My Mama Tica made the best meals and she really made me feel like her own daughter!

The experience that I had with Sol was breath taking. I have never had so much fun, been so happy, & learned so much in such a short amount of time. The friends that I made while in Mexico was great! The classes was challenging, in a good way. Blessed to have this experience & I am sure that there will be more to come.

I went to Costa Rica seeking adventure and found it in many more places than I anticipated. Not only did I get to experience the natural beauty the country offers through excursions provided by Sol and personal travel, but I fell in love with the culture. My host family provided me with support, the most delicious food, and eventually became a second family. My directors were more than helpful and were my most trusted teachers. Other students on my program became my closest friends. Costa Rica has more to offer than just volcanoes and gorgeous beaches - and Sol will teach you how to be more than a tourist: how to be a traveler.

My gap year daughter's Spanish markedly improved during her one-month class. She was in a very safe neighborhood, and her host, Teresa, was very gracious. There were lots of fun activities planned for the weekends to keep her occupied. Two days before she was due to come home, Calbuco erupted, and her flight on Delta was cancelled. I had to scramble to find her another flight, but was able to get her a flight on the same day she was supposed to leave on Aerolineas. I had great communication with Raul in Buenos Aires, who verified that the Aerolineas flight was leaving as scheduled, got her to the airport safely, and even helped get her packed-to-the-gills suitcase closed.

I learned a lot about the history, literature, and culture of Spain. The course I took was great because it was a small class and I felt I got the attention I needed to learn and be successful in practicing my Spanish. I learned to step out of my comfort-zone and not be afraid to trying new things/foods I'm not used to. I loved staying with a host family because they really made me feel at home. The food was great, my host mom was a great cook and often asked what my favorite foods were so she could prepare them more often. I was sad to leave my host family because I had gotten to know them really well. I still keep in touch with my host mom. I also REALLY LOVED all of the cultural activities. The Arab baths, and Flamenco show were my absolute favorite. Horse-back riding, the trip to the Spanish mountains, and the food tasting were also really great! When we had free time on the weekends, we planned trips to Madrid, Sevilla, Cordoba, and Malaga, all great and beautiful cities in Spain. The director in Spain, Herman, was great because he helped us book the hotels, get our bus tickets, and gave us advice on how to travel on our own. He was always willing to work around our schedules and you could tell he really loved his job. Lastly, the US staff and directors, were great in helping prepare me for the trip. They were always ready to answer questions if I had them or give me advice on what to pack, etc. They made the process of studying abroad really easy and manageable and I am so thankful to the SOL staff for that. SOL was also very affordable in comparison to lot of the other programs I considered. Overall, I had a great experience with SOL. It was worth every penny and I will recommend this program to anyone who is considering studying abroad.

My experience in Granada, Spain with Sol Education Abroad greatly surpassed my expectations. In every possible way, this program and trip have completely changed my perceptions about what a study abroad experience could be. I stayed with the most friendly and helpful host mother, and the accommodations were generous to say the least. The people I have met have been from all over the US, augmenting my knowledge of those from other states and cementing long-lasting friendships. There is simply no city like Granada. It is safe, clean, and the city is overflowing with unmatched culture and history. I have never been to a city with so much to do at all times of the day and night, and I am from New York. The people are also exceedingly friendly and honest; I lost my very valuable camera in the park, and a stranger returned the camera to city hall. I have never seen such generosity and kindness from a complete stranger. Sol itself offered the most as a program compared to other programs I have seen. It offers limitless cultural trips, friendly and sincere advisors and directors, and a relatively affordable cost. I would recommend this program to anyone.

I enjoyed my time in Buenos Aires. On arriving, I was met by Raul and escorted to my homestay. Most of the problems arose from things not controlled by Sol, they really did try their best. Would do again.

I am very glad that I went to Costa Rica. I was able to put into practice everything that I learned about Spanish. Costa Rica is a great place because of the people and the sights. I would highly recommend it to anyone. The people are very nice and eager to see other people speaking their language.

I studied abroad from December 26th, 2013 through January 13th, 2014. I had been dreaming of studying abroad in Costa Rica since 8th grade. Six years later, my dreams came true! I loved that all of the excursions and meals were included. My host mom was nice and helpful. She was accommodating to special diets. However, I definitely overpacked. Pack light! My host mom did my laundry about twice a week, so I had plenty of clothes. Unfortunately, my luggage was lost by the airport, so I was in a foreign country for the first time without any clothes or toiletries for four days. Do not forget to pack a carry-on bag with extra clothes! My study abroad program director was extremely helpful though. She rode the bus with me to the airport to try to talk to security and Spirit Airlines. My program director also went to Walmart with me to buy new clothes and basic essentials until my luggage was returned to me. I really appreciated all of her support. It was a stressful situation and prevented me from fully enjoying my first few days in Costa Rica. I took a three credit Latin American Civilization class. My class consisted of four other students. I really liked that it was small and personable. Some of the excursions included a visit to the Toucan Rescue Ranch, an authentic Costa Rican cooking class, La Fortuna, Hot Springs and Arenal Volcano. From this excursion, I gained a better insight into how to relate with people that are different from me, which is a skill that is definitely useful in life and applicable to almost any career.