Verto Education

Program Reviews

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Halliday
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

I Love Verto

The staff on my trip were incredible. I made friends that I will have for the rest of my life. I had life-changing experiences and adventures that truly made this semester irreplaceable. I wish I could re-live this trip and experience it all again. Ziplining, white-water rafting, and repelling down waterfalls were just some of the many incredible excursions we had. I can not imagine having spent my first year as a college student anywhere else. I love everyone here and it breaks my heart to have to say goodbye.

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?
Put yourself out there! I made some of my closest friends by stepping out of my comfort zone and being myself.
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grace
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Costa Rica Semester

If you're ready for new experiences with strangers who become your best friends and PL's who will always have your back then Verto is the place for you. I got to experience so much in such a short period of time and I couldn't have asked for a better semester abroad. I enjoyed all the activities we did and the education activities were also very interesting and activated learning instead of always being stuck in the classroom. I also loved the community and the people that surrounded me the community meetings are always filled with love.

What was your funniest moment?
When I fell backward out of the white water rafting and then had to be pulled back onto my boat.
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Jelissa
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

I wish I could do it again

When I finally arrived I met 27 random people I'd never met in person before from all around the US and even outside of it. I was nervous about alot of things, covid being the main concern. But I quickly learned I had no reason to worry. After a week long quarantine with masks and strict restrictions and one covid test we were free. And I became closer than I ever thought I could with those 27 random people. I met my family and lived in paradise. I am so lucky to have experienced this so young.

What was your funniest moment?
When I cried tears of joy after one of the boys bought me queso dip after I got bad news from home and was feeling sad.
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Luke
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Verto is amazing!

Verto has been one of the best experiences of my life. I have built a family on this trip as well as had so many fun excursions throughout this semester of Spring 2021. I have felt a sense of community and I have loved every day of this trip. I was able to earn college credits through some very fun classes whilst also being able to have fun with activities such as ziplining, hiking, kayaking, etc. This trip has been a blessing and I have no complaints! I would highly recommend Verto for any student headed to their first semester of college!

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?
Just go for it! It has been so much fun and I loved every minute!
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Gracie
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

A Formative Experience

This program is ideal if you’re looking for a small classroom environment and a strong sense of community. The classes are interesting and definitely college-level. The combination of education, experiential learning, and fun, non-classroom activities and freedoms made this experience so wonderful for me and allowed me to grow into my future and who I want to be. I was honestly not super sure about Verto when I first showed up in Costa Rica. But everything here, the culture, the people, the experiences, made it so easy to be certain about the decision I made for myself.

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?
Throw yourself into the experience. It will be what you make it and the opportunity for a close-knit family while you’re here is something you should not pass up. You don’t have to do every optional hike or activity, but if it’s something you want to do, don’t stop yourself because you don’t want to be a burden. Do it, because the friends you make will make it all worth it.
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Maddie
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Costa Rica semester abroad

I’m so blessed I had the opportunity to travel to a different country and get college credit for it! I met some of my best friends on this trip that I will be friends with for life! The traveling aspect was amazing as well, I was submerged in the culture the whole trip and loved it! I would recommend this program for any seniors that want to get out of the typical classroom. This is the greatest choice for those who feel that way, because that’s how I felt and you will be able to get everything you want out of this trip!!
Thank you Verto!!!

What was your funniest moment?
I had so many moments I can’t count but one that stuck out, was when my best friend fell out of our raft while white water rafting! She did not get hurt and she fell out in an area with little rapids but it was hilarious!!
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Tessa
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Amazing experience

I truly believe I was put with the best group of people. My program leaders were always very supportive and I became very good friends with all of them. The other students became my friends very quickly, our community really felt like a family. The activities were all well planned and I had a great time zip lining, rappelling, and rafting. I am going home with so much more knowledge about myself and others, I have really developed and changed during my semester here. I know that the friends I have made and the experiences I have had will never leave me.

What was the most surprising thing you saw or did?
During a bike ride through the mountains, it was pouring down rain and we stopped halfway up this hill. In one of the trees at the side of the road was a quetzal. This is a super rare bird to see in Costa Rica and it was amazing to be able to see it and the faces of our guides as well.
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Cameron
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Something I did not expect

Spring of 2020, I was beyond excited to go to Costa Rica, but like most things this year covid has taken that opportunity away. To say the least when Verto offered a hybrid semester as an option I figured why not it's something to do and it'll help for next spring 2021. I was not expecting this semester to be overall very fun and inviting. Even though being online sucks again not expecting to make a good amount of connections with classmates that I think will last a long time, great thing is I'll see most of them next semester as well in Costa Rica! Huge coodos to Verto staff for working so hard behind the scenes to provide a great experience overall for us students!

What was your funniest moment?
Trying to get a professor to check out a funny link, we spent almost an entire class period talking about funny stuff and it was just a well needed break in the semester to just have fun and get to know our professor more and ultimately build a lot of good connections.
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Maleah
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Global Impact Year

Obviously, like the rest of my classmates, I had wanted to travel abroad. I had to finish my senior year online and I was ready to go back to learning in person. Because of the pandemic, Verto was not able to send anyone abroad. I found the mission of Verto to be interesting so I decided to do the online semester. They hadn’t run an online semester before. They, like the students, wanted to be traveling abroad. Verto had to find teachers, find an online platform we could use, split all of the students into cohorts, and come up with activities to make the semester fun. I believe they found great teachers for the semester. The teachers that I had were all very understanding and relatable to the students. We had speakers, clubs, and we were even able to do activities like a murder mystery game. Ideally, we all would’ve been traveling abroad this semester, but Verto did a great job of pulling off an online semester.

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Lucas
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Verto Online Fall 2020 Hybrid Semester

Verto admission representatives visited my high school college fair; I approached their booth, and immediately felt a connection as soon as we started talking. After speaking with them, I felt an immense warmth of positivity. Everything about the program perfectly appealed to me so of course I was so eager to sign up! The semester started online in September of 2020, and I expected it to be not as monumental as it has been. With the addition of having many events, games, speakers, and student lead clubs outside the part of academics it was always made the program super fun! I've learned so much this semester by building friendships with my fellow students; I must give credit where it is due the pinnacle of my success was having the support and encouragement of the amazingly awesome Verto staff from Community Guru and Program Leader to professors and academic counselors. This year of 2020 and unique Hybrid Verto Semester has been an influential experience, and wouldn't have chosen any other path. Besides with Verto I'll be able to travel this coming Spring. I definitely recommend doing your study abroad with Verto Education because the knowledge that you gain from it is truly extraordinary. Through Verto your opportunities are endless and your adventures will be legendary!

If you did this all over again, what's one thing you would change?
Don't use Minerva Forum as the learning platform instead use Zoom and Canvas in conjunction with Google application and services.