Program Reviews

Oaxaca is an exceptional region to explore with so many cultural contrasts, highlighting a rich Zapoteca and Mixteca confluence, evident in all the places we visited. Our HS students enjoyed each unique activity, ranging from the Archaeological sites at Monte Alban and Zaachila, to the local history at Santo Domingo and San Pablo Cultural Center; while also volunteering at a local children's library, salsa dancing and cooking a delicious meal together with local market ingredients! Perahps more importantly, they accomplished all of this while not exactly feeling like tourists. This was due in great deal to the local knowledge and coordination displayed by our Program Director, Eva. She was a patient, knowledgable, and caring guide that made our journey in Oaxaca extra special! Our students responded really well to her, as well as their host mothers and families. It was inspiring to observe each day unravel, while some of the more timid students from our traditional classroom settings lost their fear of speaking and gained confidence with vital aspects of Spanish communication! My colleague and I are very thankful and honored to have been able to work with Sol Abroad and our HS students at this level- A very special thank you to Sol Abroad, Eva, and our Host Families... Compañeros y anfitriones de viaje!

I loved this program! I went to Buenos Aires, Argentina and stayed with my host mom in an apartment building across the hall from another host mom, and both were very friendly, happy, and easy to talk to (the food was also great).

Tips!
The Academia was really useful as a way to practice Spanish, but I recommend choosing a class that's somewhat challenging for you, or finding a class in which you get to talk a lot so that you get more out of the experience, either learning-wise or language-wise. My teacher was very engaging and the class was full of people who were having a lot of fun in the city and were very enthusiastic about learning and practicing Spanish, so I could overlook the fact that I was only doing review and not learning new topics, because I was gaining so much experience speaking.
Pack light, so that you can have some room for souvenirs like mate, which are surprisingly bulky!
Talk in Spanish to everyone you can, every chance you get. The students may not be immersive in the language and it is a great idea to practice the language as much as possible. I also watched movies and shows and read books in Spanish so that I could practice reading and listening.
Read ahead about fun things to do in Buenos Aires and where you want to go, because the longer you stay, the more free time you have to do things. Buenos Aires is a city full of museums and art, and it's an absolute joy to explore. Figure out what you want to do beforehand so that you can do it quickly and easily when you're there.
A lot of stores seem to be closed on Sundays and many museums are closed on Mondays, sometimes Tuesdays.

I think that the program really helped me to gain confidence in my Spanish-speaking skills and it helped me to get better at speaking and listening. I loved the museums and general culture of Buenos Aires. I definitely recommend this program to anyone looking to gain a once-in-a-lifetime experience and increase their comfort with and knowledge of Spanish. I loved the activities with the program and the flexibility and genuine friendliness of the directors and host parents. I also really enjoyed how we were given time to explore the city on our own, to eat out in restaurants, and to chat with our host parents. ¡Muchas gracias SolAbroad!

The Sol Abroad Summer program in Argentina is definitely a worthwhile experience. Buenos Aires is a beautiful city and there is always something to do. Even after two weeks of being there, I found that there were places I didn't have time to go to. The program is well run and takes good care of the students. The host mom that I had was wonderful and helped me with whatever I needed. The food is also a plus. The Spanish classes are immersive and based around conversation, so they actually help you improve your fluidity in speaking. The activities are for the most part very entertaining and help you discover more of Buenos Aires. The best weekend trip is by far Colonia, and while the other ones aren't bad by any means, they aren't on the same level as Colonia. In order to truly experience the city, walking is necessary, and so participants had better be prepared to walk at least a few miles every day. Much of the time is also spent without guidance, and so you have to discover things to do for yourself. This isn't a problem though, for the city is full of museums, cafes, parks, and other interesting places.

My studies in Buenos Aires were beyond amazing. My confidence speaking in Spanish improved significantly and I grew so much in my understanding of other cultures and different types of people. While in a safe environement, I was able to expand my comfort zone and have so many new experiences that I will remember forever. My favorite Experience was Mate Club de Conversación. In the Mate Club, we met other students studying Spanish and natives of Buenos Aires studying English and helped each other practice and develop fluency in each language. Our director, Kevin, was amazing and helped us with anything we needed and made sure we had the best experience possible.

My host family had a puppy named Hancock, and being able to get out and walk him everyday really helped with the transition of living in a foreign country and made me feel like I really live in Spain! At the park, I got to know neighbors who also had dogs, and was able to chat with other families about my experience in the U.S. and their experiences in Spain. Who knew the trick to feeling at home was just a walk in the park?!

My host family was one of my favourite parts of the trip because they were simply such welcoming, understanding, and heart-warming people. Living with a host family is not only beneficial for language development, but it is also significant because it adds to the personal connection and takeaway of the program. The location, Atenas, and the reliable host family program is what drew me to Sol Abroad as the sense of community that is built makes the trip much more interesting and unique. My most vivid memory of this program are the incredible people of Costa Rica, including the directors. I am an international student with complicated travel requirements; however, the directors were very helpful and knowledgeable before and during the trip.

One time, my roommate, Olive, and I were walking home from downtown Atenas. We were planning on having a night in; finishing some home, do some painting, etc. It didn't exactly turn out that way. On the way back, we passed by the indoor soccer rink, where our five year old "nephew" was having a game. Afterward, our adult "sister" invited us over to her house for a few minutes. We stayed there for three hours. We talked, played with our "nieces and nephews," making enpanadas. That's a perfect example of Costa Rican life. You can make plans, but chaces are, they're not going to stick. That's the beauty of it.

Signing up for Sol Abroad was awesome because i didnt know what to expect. But it was amazing because i got to learn so many new things about the Spanish colture and language! Elie was an amazing director and he was always there to help us whenever we needed it, even if it was a major inconvenience to him. My host family was also amazing! Overall, this has been an amazing and life changing exerpience, and i will remain in touch with all of the friends ive made !!

My name is Rachel Zoneraich, and when I went abroad I was 15 years old and going into my junior year of high school. I had an intermediate level of Spanish going in, and after 7 weeks in Argentina I came back proficient in Spanish. I went with the program SOL abroad, which was an excellent program. The school they use, Academia Buenos Aires, is fantastic. I had 1 on 1 classes for 6 weeks without an added cost because there happened to be no one at my level, and there is a limit of 5 kids to a class. The school has there own curriculum, and gave out homework. My home stay, Amalia, was amazing. She showed me around the city, took me to the movies, and had dinner with me every night. She knew English, but only spoke in Spanish so that I could practice my conversation.

I got an internship with Taringa! (a social media site), but my internship was not through SOL Study Abroad. This internship was the highlight of my summer, so I highly recommend it! The afternoon programs through SOL were great. There was tango classes, cooking classes, mate (speaking Spanish/English with natives over their local tea called mate), and tours of the best city attractions. We also went to Uruguay with the program, which was a cool experience.

Overall, I had an amazing time in Argentina and would highly recommend it to any other high school student!

The Sol program not only improved my Spanish immensely but also got me out of my comfort zone and brought out a more independent side of myself. I became much more comfortable speaking in Spanish to locals and learned to improvise with the language in all sorts of circumstances. The Academia for Spanish was an overall incredible experience with small class sizes, amazing teachers, and the opportunity to meet and get to know people from other backgrounds and parts of the world. I also got to make incredible friends and memories through the numerous activities and excursions our director Kevin had planned for us throughout my stay there, ranging from cooking classes to river boat rides to the Recoleta Cemetery. There is also a lot of freedom so that you can see the city and its many barrios for yourself and with other students from Sol or the Academia. Every day was a different adventure and I was never bored. Being on your own you learn a lot about yourself and how to handle different situations. Overall I couldn't have asked for a better five weeks in Buenos Aires in terms of experience and academic/personal growth and I hope to be given the opportunity to return to the city sometime in the future!