Program Reviews

This program was really fun. I loved how it was a small group of students and we all got to know each other pretty well. The curfew was pretty early but I felt really immersed with the culture.

So much fun- really felt immersed in Spanish culture and daily life. Everyone that works for Aspire is amazingly helpful and personable- especially Marc! Would recommend this program to anyone!!

After coming back from Salamanca, Spain with the Aspire by API I wished it didn't have to end. Our group leader was fantastic and tried to integrate fun activities with learning. The weekend trips were amazing, one weekend we took surf lessons, which was SO much fun. Throughout the month I was there the I did so many things I never thought I would ever do, they made sure we soaked in the differnt cultural differences. Our other leader who lived in Spain, was very helpful in helping us understand what the locals were saying, as well as just the different day to day differences. The housing Aspire by API provided us with was amazing, my host family was absolutley wonderful, and I didn't want to leave. Never once when I was there did I once question my safety. If I had the opportunity, I would definetly travel with Aspire by API again, no questions asked.

I loved this program and I know you will too! The staff is very fun and chill. The people in the city are nice and welcoming. The host families are great (especially the food). Night life is full of events. I have meet people that I will stay in touch with forever. I really recommend this program and this destination. You will get so much out of it!! Good luck.

Most of the activities we did after school were excellent, like kayaking in a river and taking a bike tour of Salamanca. However, there were some activities that could have been better planned. For example, we did an interchange with a few high school students from the area and it was slightly awkward... we weren't sure what to talk to them about, and the students didn't seem all too interested in talking to us as much as they wanted to talk to each other. We also took a trip on the weekend to Santander, which included a visit to the Alta Mira Caves museum. The real caves were closed and the real trip was on the whole a disappointment.Many of the students would have preferred to have spent another day learning to surf (which we did the day before)rather than visit the museum. Besides that, spending time walking around cities with our group leader was excellent, and if you were willing to explore, there was always something to do in Salamanca. The only limit to this was the curfew, which was far too early in a country that tends to just be eating dinner at 10:00 PM!

This was a great program and I really had a great time. Being in a new country, meeting new people, being immersed in a new culture, and speaking a different language were all things that I will remember for a lifetime and have helped me even after the trip. Even the walk to school makes you feel like you are in a place completely new and interesting, and it has to be one of the best experiences that I will ever have, and I will never forget my time in Salamanca with the people I met.

And the food is amazing!

The Instituto San Joaquin de Flores in Heredia, Costa Rica was my perfect haven for traveling outside the U.S., learning the Spanish language, and learning about the world around me. This friendly town in central Costa Rica embodied just about everything I was looking for in a study abroad experience: a safe location, a beautiful setting, home stays with local “tico” families, and an affordable price. During my four month stay, I was able to make the most of my experience by living with a welcoming host family, taking classes in Spanish at the institute, volunteering teaching English at a local elementary school and travelling extensively throughout the country.

Arriving in Costa Rica for the first time wasn’t easy because I was filled with a whole jumble of emotions; sadness about leaving my family behind, excitement about finally living my dream of studying abroad and anxiety about being a whole new, unfamiliar place. Thankfully, while experiencing these typical culture shock emotions, the staff members on site in Costa Rica were there to guide me every step of the way through this rollercoaster of a ride. They provided safety information, numbers I could call in case of an emergency, and general information we would need to know while still acclimating ourselves to the country. One of the greatest gestures API made was providing the incoming students with a calling card to make the first call home just to check in with our families to let them know we had arrived safely!

The Spanish-intensive classes I took while at the Instituto San Joaquin de Flores were a very important part of my transition to a higher level of Spanish fluency. They were taught in Spanish and my classmates were all students from the U.S. Although sometimes it can be nice to be integrated with local university students from the host country, I liked that the professors at the institute were able to cater to my needs as a native English-speaking student. The school itself was set in a beautiful location right in the center of town. One of my favorite parts was grabbing fresh fruit and Costa Rican coffee that was prepared for us each day before class!

One of the most memorable aspects of my study abroad experience in Costa Rica was my home stay with three wonderful people who I have grown to care deeply for. I lived with a young woman and her two children, a son, who was four years old, and a daughter, who was eight. I found that by breaking out of my shell and really making an effort to make conversation with them, my Spanish was able to improve immensely! The family really made me feel welcome in their home as they invited me to many family events and gatherings which really gave me the opportunity to experience genuine Costa Rican culture. I also got to try typical Costa Rican food on a regular basis as my host mom would provide three meals for me each day. As someone who considers herself to be a picky eater, I was surprised by how much I loved the country’s food. Although I might have been a little too daring when I decided to try “lengua de vaca” (better known as cow tongue!), I would give anything to have another homemade batch of “gallo pinto,” a meal of rice and beans typically eaten at breakfast.

Aside from all of the aforementioned assets, I will never forget the country’s overall beauty! It was incredible to see such a diverse landscape. Well-organized API excursions, along with my own travel adventures, took me to the waterfalls of Montezuma, the beautiful beaches of Manuel Antonio and Puerto Viejo, the nearby Poas Volcano, and the unforgettable cloud and rain forests of Monteverde, just to name a few! API even included an international excursion to Panama where we were able to see the Panama Canal! For those who love adventure, zip-lining in Monteverde is a must! All of these exciting travel experiences introduced me to new friends, broadened my cultural awareness and played a key role in my own personal growth. I would whole-heartedly recommend this program. In my opinion, it is one of API’s hidden gems!

I enjoyed my 10 minute walk to the institute each day. My family was very welcoming and accommodating and I could come and go as I pleased. I felt very safe in the town during the day, however at night we were warned to not walk alone. I would go for a run each morning.

During the weekends, I would travel to different parts of the country by using the outstanding Costa Rican bus system.

The program was very helpful and responsive to our requests. We had a chance for tutoring and the instructors were always willing to help.

Studying abroad in Costa Rica was my first time ever flying, and my first time being out of the United States. The experience was great there were a few things that could have made it better; such as planning/timing, but overall it was a good experience. The people of API try to help you every way possible.

I truly enjoyed my experience studying abroad in Argentina for 5 months with API in 2010. I did the early-start intensive language option when I first arrived, which helped me to acclimate so well to the language that I placed into a high enough level of Spanish to take all of my classes in Spanish during the semester. This was after just 5 semesters of Spanish classes prior to studying abroad (unlike many people I know, I didn't take the language in high school)! I also lived with a host family, which was not only great language immersion, but was a great way to really experience the culture and people of Argentina firsthand.

One of my favorite parts about studying abroad was getting to travel. Argentina is about 1/3 the size of the U.S., so there is so much to see! I saw deserts (Salta and Tucuman in the northwest), waterfalls (Iguazu Falls in the northeast), penguins in the wild (Ushuaia, the southernmost city in the world), hiked snowy mountains (in Bariloche, also in the south), and even went to Oktoberfest (in a quaint town near Cordoba called Villa General Begrano). And that's just some of the more major trips. API does a bunch of really cool excursions, both within the country and to Colonia (in Uruguay).

Buenos Aires is amazing as well. I don't think I could have gotten bored even if I had never left the city at all! My favorite thing to do was to go to the weekend markets, and I also really enjoyed going to shows, taking tango classes, and the night life (which is unbelievable). I did a 3-month internship at a start-up while I was studying as well, which I loved.

To be honest, I wasn't a huge fan of Argentine food. I will say that they have some of the best steak I've ever tasted, and the wine, empanadas and medialunas (sweet croissants) are delicious. But other than that, I found the food to be very bland and flavorless. It's a lot of pasta, pizza, and TONS of beef which is all great, but I got bored of it quickly. That being said, most of my friends loved the food, so maybe I'm just spoiled/picky. :)

API was amazing, from the application process to the support staff in Argentina and even keeping in touch with students when we returned. Whenever I had questions during the application process, they always responded super promptly, and their online toolbox had more than enough information so that I felt completely prepared when I left (the language resources were especially great for last-minute brushing up on the plane).

When I arrived I was greeted by Carmen – our resident director – as well as a couple of API staff members who were visiting for the week, and some of the other students in my group. Carmen spoke to us in Spanish from day one (only translating when need be for the students who were learning for the first time), and became like a mom to us while we were there. She had everyone over to her apartment for a huge dinner the first night, as well as hosting us for several more dinners and events in her home and the API office. Gabby – who helps lead some of the tours and trips with Carmen – was also amazing. She knows more about Argentina’s history and culture than I think most history professors there probably do! She is also an amazing tango dancer, and took us to the milonga for our first lesson.

We were a small group of about 10 students, which I loved, because we became like family while we were there (unlike the huge programs some of our friends were in, which tended to be a lot more clique-y). I still visit with several of my friends from abroad at least a couple of times a year, even though we live all over the U.S. Another great thing about API was that they take so much care with choosing host families that live very central. So although the school was in a residential area, everyone in my program lived right in the middle of the busiest shopping/night life areas. That meant a longer commute to school but it was totally worth it for the conveniences that came with such a central location.

It would be impossible to articulate all the ways studying abroad changed me in just a few words (in fact, I’m probably not even aware of many of the ways I’ve changed!). That being said, I think the broadening of my horizons/perspective shift I experienced is the change I’ve been most conscious of. The mixture of seeing a completely new part of the world and immersing myself in the culture/history/politics/language, and meeting people from all over with fascinating stories – some traveling around the world “just because,” others working remotely so they could live anywhere – was very eye-opening. I was reminded of how big the world really is, but at the same time, how where you go and what you do is really only limited to what you can imagine and set your mind to.

I would go again in a heartbeat. I hope to take another trip to South America very soon, so that I can visit some of the other countries I didn’t make it to (because I was so busy seeing as much of Argentina as I could!), and I definitely want to go back to Argentina someday.

If you love adventure, want to learn or improve your Spanish and are looking for a truly unique and exciting study abroad experience, look no further! I highly recommend Argentina with API.