USAC Reviews

If there is any doubt in your mind about studying abroad in South America, I'd like to start off this review by telling you, GO DO IT!!! South America was an amazing place to study abroad, and Chile is perfect as a home base. Each weekend, I traveled to the mountains or the ocean or the deserts or the huge metropolitan hub of Santiago and experienced a new/vibrant/wildly different cultural immersion in the many communities and landscapes Chile has to offer. Although I did thoroughly enjoy studying with USAC, most of my cultural immersion experiences were of my own volition. USAC is an amazing stepping stone into the Chilean culture, but they also won't hold your hand (which I appreciated). USAC was, for me, the perfect balance of provided opportunities and freedom. I had amazing peers around me who were ready to travel at the drop of a hat, a program supervisor (shout-out to Jorge, Brenda, and Isabel!!) who was eager to act as a cultural liaison, and a homestay I was excited to get back to after a long trip.

If I can offer any advice for a student getting ready to go on this trip, it is to say "yes" as much as you possibly can. Say yes to a 12-hour overnight bus ride to a small surf town, say yes to going out with locals you may meet, say yes to taking part in as much "ordinary" life as you can while you are there. Explore markets with the same curiosity as museums, make friends with the Chileans you meet in hostels, and maybe deprive yourself of a little sleep if there is an asado (Chilean bbq) the night before you have a test.
Studying abroad is about so much more than what you experience in the classroom, and although USAC will give you incredible teachers for that portion of your experience, it's up to you to take the extra step in stepping out of the extranjero bubble.

Studying about not only in Ghana but also with USAC was by far the best decision I have made during my college career! I gained so much knowledge and cultural experience that I would have never gotten staying at my home University.

USAC as an organization
I was blessed to be able to work with such amazing staff both at USACs central office but also at the University I studied at. Before going I was provided with all of the essentials needed to feel comfortable going abroad; a packing list, facts about the country, cultural norms, and contact information for others who went on my program. Once I got to my home university I had an amazing resident director, Auntie Abigail. She as well as Auntie Claudia helped us settle into our new lifestyle in Ghana. They even paired us up with local students who helped us navigate important things like getting food, fun activities, and transporting us to local health centers when we weren’t feeling the best. If it wasn’t for my onsite staff I am not sure my program would have ran as smooth as it did. They even helped us plan a day trip to a monkey sanctuary and waterfall!

Housing
The dorms that we stayed in were far beyond my expectations. We each had our own closet, shelving, desk, and bed. The rooms were just as spacious as any United States dorms are. They were kept clean and I felt comfortable and safe sleeping there at night. The dorm building right across the parking lot also had a mini store and women who would cook for you for an extremely small price. On top of this a night market and larger shop were less than a minute walk from our dorm building. You could purchase fresh fruit, meats, and other foods for extremely cheap.

Campus/Classes
All my classes that I took were extremely beneficial to my learning. I was able to do service learning in the community with Echoing Hills Village a special needs facility. There I was able to teach 4-8 year olds about their letters, colors, and other topics. It helped me become immersed in the culture. I also took African music and dance and learned 3 traditional African dances that I am still able to perform. Lastly, I took a social work class where every week we took field trips to social service places in the community such as orphanages, HIV clinics, and meeting with the women who worked in the market. The classes added to my experience and campus was beautiful. It was a large campus but everything was accessible by walking.

I studied in Florianópolis for the 2016 Spring Semester with USAC. It was my first time living abroad and it was the best experience I could have asked for.

The Location: Florianópolis is a BEAUTIFUL island. The lush, green mountains surrounded by 42 beaches on the island took my breath away every day of the semester. There was never a chance to be bored; every day after class we would head to the beach or to the lagoon in the middle of the island. There was always an event, beach, or cultural experience to enjoy. Brazil is truly a magical, beautiful place.

The Housing: I had the best host family experience ever here. I lived with an older couple and their nephews who studied at the university. They were extremely welcoming and I spent every day with my host family; they made my study abroad experience that much greater. I was able to become very proficient in Portuguese because it was such an immersive experience. I still talk to them often and cannot wait to visit.

The School: We studied at the Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina. I loved the campus! Once school started for the Brazilians, there were always a ton of students and events on campus. USAC offered a large variety of classes, with many in Political Science, Economics, Environmental Studies, etc. I also took Brazilian Cuisine and Surfing which were a blast!

Overall, Brazil is one of my favorite countries on Earth. The culture is unlike anything I have ever experienced. I have lived abroad a few times since my semester here, and I can honestly say that USAC Florianópolis offered the most immersive experience I have seen so far. Brazilians are just so welcoming and friendly that it would almost be impossible to not find yourself loving this wonderful country.

I spent four months living in Santiago with USAC in the spring semester, and it was one of the best decisions of my life. Santiago is a marvelous, huge city that at times seemed a little overwhelming, but always offered a new experience and so many opportunities to learn.

I would recommend USAC Santiago to anyone who wants the best of both worlds. You have the opportunity to live in a city of 6 million, but be only a half hour from the most gorgeous nature and mountains you could ever see. You don't have to choose between mountains and the beach because you can get to either within two hours! Chile offers so many incredible travel opportunities. From the Lake District, the breathtaking scenery of Patagonia, and the out-of-this-world Atacama Desert, it truly does have something for everyone.

Academia wise, the program is based on Spanish language tracks, so you have the opportunity to earn four semesters of college Spanish classes in just one semester. I thought the classes were challenging enough that I felt like I was learning, but were not so demanding that I could not immerse myself in my host family/local culture. The campus is very urban (i.e. no central campus area), but there were many parks and places to hang out and eat nearby.

Overall, the four months I spent in Chile were probably the best of my life and I will always remember my experience here thanks to the incredible people I met and the exciting city I called my home.

Imagine strolling along a river, almond croissant in hand, on your way to class. That was me, just a few short months ago. I always dreamed of living in France, fully immersing myself in the language and culture. USAC made that happen for me. I studied abroad in Lyon, France for five months in the spring of 2017. I had never heard of Lyon before, but after one interest meeting, I was on board.

Fast forward a few months and I was on a plane to France.I lived with a host family for the total duration of my stay, and it was one of the greatest decisions I made. My French dad was outgoing and goofy, always putting on a show, and my French mom was sweet and relaxed. I also had a 17-year old French brother, with whom I watched the newest Star Wars movie dubbed in French during my first week. We ate meals together almost every night, speaking entirely in French, which pulled me out of my comfort zone and significantly improved my language skills.

French professors at the university taught the majority of my classes, and my classmates were international students from countries in North & South America, Asia, and Africa. It was tempting to speak in English with fellow Americans, so the professors grouped the Anglophones and non-Anglophones together, making sure that we were only communicating in French. I worked on long-term projects with natives from Colombia and Ghana, which gave me an even greater intercultural experience.

USAC provided two field trips over the course of the semester. The first was a ski trip in the French Alps and the second was a tour of the Beaujolais wine region. Both trips allowed me to get to know students who were not in my classes and explore the beauty and various cultural aspects of France. USAC also offered opportunities to volunteer with English Clubs at French school. I ventured out to a French school once a week and organized activities for a group of middle school students wishing to improve their English.

Lyon was such a beautiful city to live in, with two rivers running right through the center of the city. The university’s campus is situated next to one of them, making it easy to enjoy a lunch or walk by the river in between classes. I participated in Lyon International events, which turned into some of my favorite memories in Lyon. In January we were hosted for a night of wine, cheese, and dancing, which is where I learned that these three foods are considered France's "Holy Trinity" of the table. In May, the group took us on a dinner cruise on the rivers, allowing us to take in the beauty of the city as day turned to night. On the evening before my flight home to the U.S., I attended an Olympique Lyonnais soccer game, realizing that while the French and American definitions of “football” might be different, our team spirits are one and the same.

My experience abroad was one of the greatest times of my life. I was challenged in ways that are not easy to explain, but I have returned to the U.S. with a multitude of new memories and a new perspective of the world. A small part of me will now forever be Lyonnaise.

I easily fell in love with UCC, Cork, and the local people. Everybody was very welcoming, caring and interested, and I felt like a local in no time. I met people who will be forever friends, and Cork will forever have a special place in my heart. There's not a single thing I would change about my experience abroad, and USAC is a big reason for that. It was so hard for me to leave Cork and the people I came to love, and I'm now counting down the days until I get to go back.

I studied abroad with USAC during Fall 2016. I was in Lüneburg, a small town about thirty minutes outside of Hamburg, for four months and I learned more about myself and my culture during that time than I ever expected to. In my opinion Lüneburg was the perfect city to study in. It was small enough that you weren't surrounded by tourists and people who were going to be speaking English, but close enough to a big city that it was easy to travel around and find the resources that you needed.
I stayed with a host family that quickly became like a real family. Choosing this housing option made my experience better than I could have ever hoped. It really gave me the opportunity to fully immerse myself in the language and the culture. USAC offered multiple different housing options, though, so if this hadn't been the best choice for me it would have been easy to find a new situation.
The classes were awesome! I did the language intensive program, so I took four semesters worth of German classes in the timespan of one semester helping me finish my minor. It might sound scary, but it wasn't! The teachers are very good and very understanding and you can even go study without any prior German language experience!
USAC also provided multiple excursions to other parts of Germany so that we could branch out and see the rest of the country. Even when they didn't have USAC sanctioned events, there was multiple three-day weekends that you could use to go all around. I was able to visit Spain, Copenhagen, Munich, Italy, Amsterdam, and London during my program which was an unbelievable opportunity.
Overall the support and opportunities that USAC gave me made this the best possible experience. I highly recommend studying through USAC if you want a program with a lot of support and options. Now it's time to plan my trip back to Germany!

This program literally changed my life. USAC is absolutely perfect for your first international experience because they handle almost all of the details that make travel difficult. I felt so supported and comfortable through the entire program, which allowed me to make friends and memories that will last my entire life. My time in Heredia inspired me to pursue more opportunities abroad in the future and changed the way I see the world and myself. Go in with an open mind and you will absolutely love Costa Rica and USAC!

I studied abroad with this program in the spring of 2017, and it was a fantastic experience! The coordinators of the program who live in Santiago and assist the students in their experiences (Jorge, Brenda, and Isabel) were outstanding individuals who were always willing to help in any situation. My Spanish language professor, Gabriela, was the best language instructor I have ever had, and I can say with confidence that I am conversational in Spanish (as well as the unique Chilean dialect) because of her instruction. Furthermore, there were only eight students in my Spanish class, which facilitated close relationships with the students and a fun and educational atmosphere. My homestay experience was instrumental in developing my skills in Spanish acquisition, and I had some fantastic home-cooked meals as well. One of the best parts about studying abroad in Santiago was learning how to live and thrive in not just a foreign country, but in an urban environment as well. Outside of Santiago, this program had excursions to Valparaiso, Viña del Mar, Pomaire, Isla Negra, and a field study in Patagonia, which can all be great ways to experience more of the vibrant culture and history of Chile.

You prepare yourself for all sorts of experiences as you get older: going to high school, to college, moving into your first apartment, but nothing really prepares you for the number of ways you grow as you study abroad. You learn how to be independent, mindful, curious, all while having an amazing time in a country that was more beautiful than you could've imagined through pictures. The homestay was definitely one of the best parts of my journey, and would recommend that anyone going to San Ramon take advantage of this. Not only is it more affordable, and easier than trying to find your own housing, but it introduces you to new foods, culture, ways of life, and a language that you really have no choice but to grasp by the end of your stay. Ticos are wonderful, accommodating people who really want to help you. The local food is different and wonderful, and the street art itself could take an entire day to find and admire. When you do leave your cozy little town to adventure, there's so much more than you could imagine. There's the vibe of the Carribean coast, or Manuel Antonio National Park, Rio Celeste waterfall, or beautiful beach towns in Santa Teresa or Montezuma. There's snorkeling, and ziplining through the cloud forests of Monteverde. All experiences were different, but equally wonderful. The USAC staff is very helpful, and very accommodating during your journey. They understand the concerns a student (or student's parents) may have while abroad, and they meet those needs promptly, while still assuring that the student remains independent and curious. The classes are immersive, and I visited some of the coolest places during my field study courses, such as the Alberto Brenes Wildlife Reserve. They also plan excursions, such as La Isla Tortuga, and an optional trip to Manuel Antonio, which was unbelievably gorgeous, and fun! But honestly, there really is not way you can go wrong, wherever you decide to go during your stay in Costa Rica. It's a beautiful, exciting ride from start to finish.