USAC Reviews

Studying abroad in Puntarenas, Costa Rica was nothing short of a dream. I never expected to fall in love as much as I did with this country. In Puntarenas, we had our own USAC center as opposed to a big university, and this was honestly such a blessing! We had our own private pool, gym, kitchen, and common spaces to hang out. All my class sizes were small (I never had a class with more than 10 people), and it was perfect! I got so close with all my classmates and professors. Puntarenas is also right on the beach, and everyday we would go to hangout, swim, or play soccer with locals! It was so easy to travel around the country, and I was able to explore so much with my friends! Overall, it was an AMAZING experience. I highly recommend checking out this program.

As we all know study abroad is a life-changing experience. Through this amazing opportunity I’ve gotten to see so much of the world, especially Spain. I’ve also made lifelong friends with people around the globe and even those back in the US. USAC does a phenomenal job of providing a safe environment, lots of information to prepare you, support systems, contacts to get you involved in the community, and valuable academics. They also provide field trips with the fee that allow you to explore Spain in a constructed, safe, and interesting way. Something I also found useful we’re the many scholarships available through their site, they really do make studying abroad affordable and fun. Spain is a beautiful country filled with wonderful people and a rich history, and I can’t wait to go back someday. I would definitely recommend USAC and Spain to anyone!

I had such a fantastic time studying with the USAC program in Germany. Not only did I learn more of the language, but I really got to enjoy the city I lived in, as well as the whole country. The field trips we took around the country were unforgettable, I learned something new each time. It was also so easy to make friends, both with locals and in the program. There's so much to do within the city itself; from museums to restaurants to karaoke bars to student events, I barely even had time to travel to other places. The ease of movement within the European Union was great as well, I took advantage of the unique opportunity I had to travel to places I had only dreamed about seeing before. All said, I can't wait to be back in Germany again!!!

This was my second study abroad in France, the first was through my home university. USAC’s program was amazing!! They placed me with an incredible host family and planned SO many activities for us that were included in the cost, like hiking in the Pyrénées, river rafting, going to the zoo, and going to Bayonne/Biarritz. My classes were challenging and I learned so much, combined with living with my host family. I also really enjoyed the field trips-I took the art history class, and we went to some cathedrals and museums to incorporate what we were learning in class, which was a great way to see the city as well!I highly recommend this program!! I would say though that Pau is a very small city with not a lot of nightlife/shops open later in the evening so just keep that in mind.

I am so grateful for my time spent in this program in San Ramon, Costa Rica. I had so much help and support from the USAC administration and professors. The classes were only with USAC students, so the intimate setting allowed for a more tightly-knit community as well as one-on-one help from the teachers. I made so many wonderful friends here and had tons of memories in hot springs, waterfalls, sunrises and sunsets, hikes, rainforests, and beaches. Living with a host family that only spoke Spanish challenged me to learn and immerse myself in their way of life, diet, and culture. The weekends were free, so we could go travel around the country during that time. San Ramon is such a homey city to experience Costa Rica! Costa Rica offers so many different climates and ecosystems to explore, which is great for anyone studying life sciences! My campus even had a small forest in the back!

Living in Krakow is safe with lots of things to do and great food. Cost of living is relatively low which allows for increased traveling if you are on a budget. Business professors specifically are fantastic and fun to learn from. There are many different places in the city to explore and you will always find different things to find and new types of food to try. Polish food is great as is their beer and vodka. The dorm provided wasn't perfect but it did provide for many opportunities to talk with students from many different countries. Some individuals had issues with the program administrators but I did not have any direct issues. If you are concerned about saving money but still want to study abroad Krakow is the perfect place. At around half the price of many comparable programs you can't beat the value.

I had no idea what to expect coming to a rising city in the northeastern part of Thailand. What beauty and goodness this part of the world will bring to anyone’s life. I can’t believe I overlooked this program to begin with- went with my gut to study somewhere a bit more “out there”. I am so thrilled I chose to be here and cannot believe all the amazing things I’ve learned since arriving. Khon Kaen is authentic- it is real Thailand! There’s so many opportunities to get involved with the locals, meet people on campus, adventure to neighboring countries, and get to know the city. Endless cafes and study spaces, friendly people, and the best food you’ll ever taste. Although it’s not so well known as a common destination in Thailand, makes it all the more special getting to know an area so raw and real and untouched by mass tourism. Can’t reccomend this place enough!

In Fall 2019, I was able to study abroad through USAC's London program at London Metropolitan University. London Met was a great place to meet diverse and interesting people, in terms of age, national origin, and identities. However the university itself did not provide a lot of support for international students, especially when it came to providing opportunities for international students to come in contact with local students. That's why going through USAC was really helpful, because my program director was really helpful. He organized really interesting field trips to locations that might have been more difficult to reach on your own, like Stonehenge. He also made sure to have activities that would help us to get to know London when we first arrived, but also throughout our semester.

My semester at the University of Brighton really was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I met fellow Americans in the program who were in the same situation as me--far away from home--so I did not feel so alone. I was able to make these amazing new experiences with my new American and British friends. Living on-campus meant sharing a flat with British students which forced interaction. I still speak with my Welsh flatmate six months after my return to the states. Textbooks were included in the tuition cost, and tuition did not vary much from my American university. The three-week spring break allowed me to tour continental Europe more than the program could offer. The diversity in Brighton introduced me to new perspectives, people, food, and cultures. The public transportation permitted me to explore without high taxi or uber expenses. Since returning home, I cannot wait to return to England and Europe to explore.

The 5 months that I spent in Spain were incredible and changed my life for the better. I have always been a shy person, scared to venture out of my comfort zone yet with great desire to do so. Traveling to Spain and having to make new friends and live with someone that I did not know was definitely out of my comfort zone. I was extremely nervous before I arrived in Spain. Yet, once I arrived, everything went better than I ever could have imagined. I have USAC to thank for a lot of that. They made the whole process easier and allowed me to fully take advantage of all of the opportunities available to me in Spain. USAC, before you ever arrive in your destination, provides you with a checklist of things to do and when to do them. While you are abroad they are always available for help and organize many cultural immersion activities and recommend many other activities. I participated in many of these activities and I saw myself grow as a person, i met people from all over the world and became a more socialble, open-minded, well-rounded person. While abroad, you will meet so many people from all over and it is an inctedible experience. I still talk everyday to the people that I studued abroad with and we will always have a special bond between us. My Spanish speaking capabilities sky-rocketed in only a few short weeks in Spain! The USAC program set me up with an incredible host mom who I was able to speak spanish with everyday, and she took me to many local events and introduced me to her family. I recommend immersing oneself in the culture as much as possible, it is an amazing character development opportunity. I attended local parties and festivals, language exchanges, sporting events, holiday festivities, and was always out in the city doing something. USAC gave the suggestions for many of these events to attend. I also spent several weekends traveling through other european countries and this is a once in a lifetime experience that you can only acheive by studying abroad. At home in the United States, I could never just take a weekend trip to Paris for a 50 dollar flight. I highly recommend studying abroad and i highly recommend the USAC program.