Program Reviews

I wanted to study/intern abroad to learn more about myself both personally and professionally, and Sage Corps gave me exactly what I wanted and more. My internship options were tailored exactly to my interests, and from seeing my cohorts' placements it seemed that was the case for everybody. The internship-matching process is one of the things that stands Sage Corps out from other intern-abroad programs, among their commitment to cultural immersion and student safety. We had lovely Sage Corps staff in Sydney that helped us feel looked after and supported while being in a foreign country, and this local staff was also able to pick out the best cultural and professional events for us to attend. Sage Corps also has a large and lively alumni base that was happy to connect with Sage Corps prospects before going abroad (I connected with alumni from the program in 2018 and 2019!). Despite all this, along with boosting my resume and professional experience with my dream internship, the people in my cohort are what made this experience the most special. Getting to live abroad for 2 months with students from all over the country in a multitude of disciplines (hand-picked by Sage Corps staff to ensure everyone is like-minded and driven) made for a truly life-changing experience that I am thankful for every day.

Last summer I had an unbelievable time in Paris. I completed a Marketing internship at Watch Certificate, a startup company that certifies and provides market valuations for luxury watches. At Watch Certificate I had the opportunity to create comparative analysis models of the international watch market, expand company contacts through global outreach, refine their unique selling proposition, and redesign their website using Figma to enhance the user experience. I met some of my best friends that I am currently studying and traveling abroad with. Sage Corps allowed me to experience Paris like a local and provided me with a sense of security in a foreign country

It was a great experience for a college student looking to get ahead over the summer! I was in the Chicago program and got to work for a startup in Merchandise Mart (one of the nicest buildings in Chicago right on the river). Here I had a great time connecting with like minding students and gaining real-life experiences. I was able to work for a growing company and worked directly with the ceo and finance director in order to create models to tailor their marketing strategies. It was a great experience and they helped me get more connected in the area as well.

When I first learned about Sage Corps and its study abroad programs, I didn’t think much of it. I applied for the program and chose to study in Sydney, Australia. I didn’t believe I was traveling to Australia, even when I got accepted into the Sydney Program! After boarding my first flight, I still didn’t feel like I was going to Australia.

My time in Sydney was an eye-opening and life-changing experience. The first thing I noticed was the Australian community. The places I traveled, people were welcoming and offered their help whenever they could. The amount of diversity and culture was astonishing! There were all types of people from all over the world here in one city. I loved it so much. Exploring Sydney’s nature, landmarks, and city life were beautiful. Sydney has the best of both worlds: nature and the city. If you prefer nature, there is plenty of natural aesthetics throughout the suburbs, as well as beaches, mountains, parks, etc. If you enjoy the city more, there are many activities to explore , like the famous landmarks: the Sydney Bridge, the Opera House, QVB, etc. When I traveled to Australia, there were always events that were going on that promoted culture, holidays, self-care, and many other things!

I was fortunate to meet a group of Sage Corps interns who shared a similar mindset and appreciated the opportunities in Sydney. The people I met made Australia feel like another home to me. I’m honored and happy that I had the pleasure of sharing the memories and experiences I created with this group of people. I still think of them today :)

My internship experience at Breakawave made a significant impact on my life. The company is about sourcing services and goods that customers need. The foundation and story behind Breakawave are inspirational and admirable because it is all about paying it forward. I had the pleasure of meeting the founder, Jonny Baird, who showed me how to view life with positivity and opportunities. I learned a lot about the little things in life that can make a huge impact. Zac Deane is another inspiring person who I met because of Breakawave. He showed me a side of health that I was not unaware and how everything can impact how you feel. Jonny and Zac both hold a tremendous amount of knowledge and share it to the world out of their kindness.

The opportunity that Sage Corps provides is more than I could ever ask. Everyone has a different story and path with their study abroad journey.
"Travel is the best investment you can make in yourself" is a quote I truly felt after Australia. Needless to say, I appreciate every experience with Sage Corps.

Thank you.

The Sage Corps Program was the best next step for me as a college graduate. I have a psychology background and a lot of research experience that have aided me in my experience with Marketing. In addition, Sage Corps has given me that solid foundation of training and experience to confidently enter the field. I have stayed on with the company I interned for as a content writer and marketer and couldn't be more excited about the possibilities/flexibility I have through remote work. Amazing program!

During the internship with Sage Corps in 2019, we work with the company's CEO, and build solutions to real problems with guidance and advice. Outside of working hours, we will have the opportunity to live like locals, both personally and professionally.

Before going to work, we need to take an online course designed specifically to integrate into the work life. The course is tailored to each student's characteristics. Courses include self-assessment, entrepreneurial skills, workplace networking and local cultural literacy. Upon arrival in Chicago, there will be a two-day orientation. The purpose of this training is to make us familiar with our working environment and the surrounding environment, so that we can enter the internship status as soon as possible. Finally, a team of career experts will assign us internships that match our situation according to our professional skills, background and goals. Every week, we will participate in a professional activity together with the person in charge of the city. Activities range from social events, visits to well-known companies or presentations by entrepreneurs/experts.

After the completion of the project, we can still feel the great benefits brought by the company: in the eyes of future employers, the unique overseas internship experience will give us more advantages.

I spent 8 weeks this past summer interning in Barcelona, Spain. As someone who really couldn't make study abroad work with getting two majors and two minors, this was a great alternative to that. As for my working experience, I was placed at a startup in a team of 5 and at Barcelona Tech City, a beautiful incubator space overlooking the marina and steps away from the beach. Although my liberal arts skills were not a perfect match to what their traditional candidate might have been, I was given a lot of flexibility as to what I worked on. My work ranged from UI and UX to website design to one-pagers for marketing - all things I that I had worked on in various capacities through student orgs and past internships. I really enjoyed this as an opportunity to get out of my comfort zone and was able to include a lot of new skills to my background and to my resume. It was a bit on the expensive side for a program but if you can get school to help sponsor it or get a scholarship, I would absolutely recommend this to anyone with the means to do so.

I worked about 50 hours a week and really got a lot out of my experience but some of my fellow cohort members generally worked about 10 to 30 hours a week. If that's the kind of working experience you want, setting expectations early on with your boss will be key if you want more time to travel and work flexibly. I did travel almost every weekend but my bosses were very understand of my having to leave early or working longer on Monday to Thursday if I was traveling Friday. I think it also did vary widely in terms of student/boss relationship and amount of work allocated to student but the saying rings true - you get out what you put in!

As for the accomodations, you were surrounded by Americans and other foreign students traveling so it made for a young and fun atmosphere. One recommendation I have to Sage Corps is to put the whole cohort on the same floor or hallway if possible because there was about half of our program all together and the other half that were scattered through the various buildings of TSH Marina.

This past summer has been the most rewarding and exciting summer of my life because of the Sage Corps Experience in Amsterdam. Not only did I further develop my professional skills, but I also felt like I learned more from working at a startup company than I would in a class in college. The internship experience with a startup will give you so much more than any typical corporate internship because the work I did directly impacted the success of the company I worked at.

Also, the people in my cohort are now some of my best friends, and the opportunity to live and work in Amsterdam (or any city) with other people your age is unparalleled. The process of getting placed into an internship might feel stressful because you have to wait, but it works out and you definitely will have an internship before you take off to whichever city you choose. All I would say that needs to change for the Amsterdam Sage Corps Experience would be to house the cohort somewhere more secure than our last apartment complex. Although my apartment got robbed, it did not feel like it ruined my summer experience. The way that the people back at Sage Corps headquarters took action to first make sure we were all okay and safe and then help us out to receive compensation from the apartment management was really remarkable. All in all, the hands on and impactful work experience I had coupled with the friends and memories I made this summer are all thanks to Sage Corps! If you want a fun summer with other college students and a rewarding internship abroad, Sage Corps is definitely the way to go.

I stayed two months in Quarry Bay, Hong Kong. I worked as a marketing intern at an accelerator company called Brinc, which invests in startups around the world. My coworkers were all young and really nice. I definitely felt welcome among them and valued their kindness and mentorship. In Hong Kong, there are tons of great restaurants, cafés (including a mame shiba café I didn't get to visit), beaches, hiking trails, clubs, and bars. There is always something to do, which is really great. Despite the current political climate in HK, the city was super safe and I never once felt worried about my safety. The only thing is that international residents (20% of the population) stay in their bubble and do not really feel as welcome by local Hong Kongers.

My Sage Corp internship in Hong Kong was life-changing. Before, I didn't have a strong grasp on who I was and what I believe in. It wasn't until I got accepted into Sage Corp that I knew what the summer of 2019 was meant for. After some thought, I realized I had a purpose for going to Hong Kong and what that means to an Asian-American. I was able to spend more time with my extended family and meet people like me from across the globe. I met students with similar life experiences and others unique all the same. I got work experience that will help me stand out in the sea of recent graduates. I was able to learn I met an amazing group of people, expanded my network, and made connections that will stand the test of time. After, I had an experience that couldn't have been timed more perfectly.