Program Reviews

I am so beyond grateful to have had the opportunity to study abroad through USAC! This program gave me the opportunity to get out of my comfort zone and to fully immerse myself in a different culture and diversity. This brought me to be open minded in learning cross cultural skills and gain intercultural competency early in life. Revealed another part of the world using a lens that is calibrated more discreetly than how it would be seen with my own eyes within the U.S. Costa Rica is an extraordinary tropical country where everyday I was able to learn and explore the huge biodiversity culture. Also I like to mention, that this country has an amazing universal healthcare system therefore I recommend if you or someone close to you is interested in both health science and biodiversity I highly insist on going to study abroad in San ramon, Costa Rica through USAC! Because they were able to prioritize a combination of academic opportunities and the ability to learn culture, langange, and diversity. Pura Vida!

I took six years of Spanish classes at the middle school, high school, and college level and was still unable to hold a basic conversation. When I arrived in San Sebastian, I was unable to understand anything. After a few days of living with my host family, I began to understand bits and pieces. After a few weeks I stopped having to use the translator, and within two and a half months I was able to go to bars and talk to strangers. I finally learned Spanish after a few months of living in San Sebastian after trying to learn Spanish unsucessfully for over half a decade.

I completed the winter program so my time in Spain was very short but I had the opportunity to do so much! Being in a smaller city allowed me to fully explore the town and immerse myself in the Spanish culture. The location of the apartment was amazing because it was only a 10-minute walk from anywhere in the city. The train station and airport were great resources because I flew to Portugal for one of our weekends and used the train to go to Madrid and Barcelona! Our professor, Ana was amazing and she taught us so much about the European Union in such a short time. The planned field trips through USAC were so fun and informative. It was an experience of a lifetime!

Reggio Emilia was the perfect location to study abroad. All students could find a place to blend in, whether outgoing or introverted. As a member of the LGBTQ community, this city welcomed me with open arms. Reggio Emilia is engulfed with culture, innovation, and good vibes all around. The location of the city made it easy to travel all across Italy. Reggio Emilia is one of the most cost-friendly USAC programs which allowed me to not stress about money. The professors and USAC employees care about their job and are very passionate. I came into this experience nervous, but the truth is, leaving is harder than arriving. I would recommend this city to anyone who enjoys culture, food, and small-town vibes with easy access to big cities.

Chiang Mai with USAC is like no other. The beauty of Thailand's nature and culture form such a unique experience. The staff at USAC Thailand is beyond expectations with both event planning and their want for cultural exchange. Everyone is kind and approachable. Both US and Thai students in the program look forward to meeting new people. Classes are enjoyable. The workload allows time for socializing. You can conveniently travel to other places in Thailand. Chiang Mai is friendly to people who enjoy outdoorsy adventures and to those who prefer city life.

I’ve been studying for a year and just started my second semester and this experience is something I will always be grateful for. So far I’ve traveled to 15 countries and counting and multiple cities across my host country. As cliche as it sounds, study abroad truly changes your life and helps you grow and change in ways that wouldn’t be possible or comfortable back at my home university. The friends and experiences I’ve made are unforgettable and I know I’ve made some life long friends and international connections.

Studying abroad has been something that I’ve wanted to do since high school but since COVID, I wasn’t able to do study abroad until my senior year. I’m pursuing a minor in Spanish so I knew I wanted to go to a Spanish-speaking country and I had a couple friends in Spain so that was the best choice for me. I feel so lucky that I chose Alicante because it turned out to be the perfect place for me! The university was beautiful and the city was full of life. I also loved living in walking distance of the beach! The only thing that I didn’t love about the program was the structure of the language track. I found that only having a month per track class was just too fast for me to successfully absorb and learn the content. However, this was the best experience I could’ve had and I am so happy that I got this incredible opportunity!

Yonsei was a great university and all my professors were amazing. However, I would find another program that has more activities included to help you immerse in the country. USAC had no excursions or on-site staff, but other programs, such as UCEAP and TEAN did and they were about the same price. USAC was very hands off and seems to be in it just for the money rather than actually caring about the students. It might have been better to apply directly to Yonsei. The country is extremely easy to navigate, and I had no problems living there even though I did not speak the language.

I’m so glad that I was able to study abroad in Gwangju, South Korea. I’d always dreamed of studying abroad, and I finally made it a reality!

USAC was very helpful every step of the way! Korea was a very safe country to study abroad in, so it was great even for solo travel as a woman.

I made lifelong friends during my time in Korea, and went on many adventures that I’ll never forget! The buses allow you to go anywhere in the country, so it’s very easy to get around and take weekend trips. The people are very nice in Korea. I hope to go back someday!

The program advisors were attentive to students’ needs and making sure students were well prepared for studying abroad ahead of the program. The program allowed students to find support throughout the duration of the program and having options to turn to in case of emergencies. I found the program immersive and was well prepared for my time abroad. The program allowed me to find various cultural aspects of South Korea I never would have experienced without this program. The beautiful country was able to be experienced.