USAC Reviews

My time in Alicante was the best year of my college experience. Studying abroad gave me the confidence, friends, and world experience that I needed to transition successfully from school into the workforce. The staff at USAC in Alicante were my family away from home, and even convinced a few members of my group, myself included, to stay for a second semester. I often find myself happily reminiscing on my time in Spain, and wish more than anything that I could relive that year! Take the chance to study in Alicante with USAC, you will NOT regret it.

I had so much fun, learned so much about the culture, and got to experience much more than I anticipated for the limited time that I was there. I would like to focus on the care though: I have health issues. (Epilepsy being the main one.) I had a seizure that led to hospitalization. My beloved coordinator, Luis, made sure I was safe and taken care of. Everyone I met genuinely cared for me and made me feel safe and wanted. I wasn’t limited because of my illness. I got to explore the city, the castle, the beach, and other countries regardless. This was also made possible by the wonderful friends I made while abroad. I would move back to Alicante permanently given the opportunity.

I absolutely fell in love with my time abroad in Donostia, Basque Country. I had an incredible Spanish professor, a beautiful host family and a wonderful support system within the community. Every day I'd walk to school along the ocean, looking out at the three lush peaks of San Sebastian. I made friends with Spanish locals who taught me how to make Spanish Tortilla and who took my around to local known spots. My host family will always have a piece of my heart and I can't wait to see them again.

I'm so glad I chose this program! The city is fairly easy to navigate, with a good bus system. There are plenty of good restaurants and bars (you have to check out Wednesday night karaoke at the Irish Pub), and it's so easy to get to other cities around Germany by train. My host family is so nice, I can tell they want me to succeed and have fun. Steffi (the Resident Director) is the best; she's easy to talk to and really has the students' best interests at heart.
13/10, I recommend this program!

The program was set up in a way where you were able to experience so much of the culture! I explored the rich history of the city through my classes and my free time. I took a class about historical art pieces and we went to The Thyssen and The Prado every week! It was awesome to be guided through these museums by a professor and to learn more than I could have imagined about the art. The classes were small so I learned very effectively and my conversational Spanish skills increased greatly. I left the summer being able to have full conversations in Spanish with locals. The professors really wanted you to learn the language. The staff is very helpful and they want you to have the best experience while abroad. They gave me great recommendations for my travel time during the break and on the weekends.

I couldn't have chosen a better program than Chengdu, China. I truly had the most rewarding experience. Not only did I get to accomplish my goals to learn Mandarin and experience Chinese culture firsthand, but I also got to see giant pandas (my favorite animal), create lifelong friendships, and grow tremendously as an individual.

The campus is located in the center of the city where public transportation is easily accessible. There are lots of options nearby to dine out or grab a snack. If you want to go somewhere, you can hop on the metro and be on your way in minutes. Trust me, you'll be on the metro every day exploring the amazing things Chengdu has to offer like the panda research base, corgi cafes, shopping districts, etc. I cannot wait to go back in the future!

This program was the highlight of my life's academic experiences. San Sebastián is an incredible city with great surfing, food, hiking, clubs, bars, and culture. It is without a doubt my favorite city on earth, and the program facilitated my exploration of it. The program staff and faculty were excellent, both in terms of traditional academic learning and experiential learning through excursions and recommendations. My host family was incredible and the program staff has carefully vetted all host families and knows the specifics of their situations. I could not recommend this program more!

Studying abroad was always something that I had dreamed of and I am so happy that I chose to go. Viterbo, Italy is very much one of a kind; from the people to the architecture to the food (read, AMAZING). The experiences that I had while in living in Italy is something that I think about almost every day, the experience is just that powerful. It takes guts to travel to a foreign country let alone to decide to live and study there. Meeting people in the program who also had that mindset, that zest for life, was incredible. The program staff and teachers were so kind and welcoming to a loud bunch of Americans. Take the chance, seriously, you will not regret it.

I studied abroad during spring semester of 2019 and absolutely loved my experience. I had been abroad before but this was my first international trip alone. Upon arriving I felt fully supported by my loving host mom, the USAC staff, and my professors. My favorite part about studying abroad with USAC were the field trips they took us on and the welcoming and knowledgeable staff who helped me with personal and academic challenges.
I am thankful I chose Pau and a home stay because my french skills improved exponentially, I felt like I really got to experience French culture rather than a melting pot of cultures like Paris, and I was easily able to make french friends at the university to practice speaking with. I also participated in sports and had the opportunity to learn how to Rock Climb on an amazing wall with lots of difficult courses, went skiing in the Pyrenees, and went hiking.

This program would not be what it is without the incredible support staff Luis, Sylvan, and Veronica. They are easily accessible and always hold your best interests. They set up paid tutoring opportunities or teaching assistant opportunities at local schools. Sylvan sets up soccer games and you can play with locals. You live in very nice apartments close to the beach and other USAC students. The airport is very good so flights for traveling are cheap. The beach is beautiful, the bars are fun (parabarap), and people are very friendly. Also, Benidorm is just a short tram ride away.