Program Reviews

I will remember this program for the rest of my life. Our activities and excursions were so wonderful because there were things someone visiting Paris on their own would either not be able to do or not think to do. We attended the Foie de Paris, a huge fair/expo that featured goods from all across Europe. Most memorable was our tour of Rungis, the world's largest wholesale food market, as seen on the Paris episode of No Reservations. It was such an experience, and so unique being able to see all the food (and flowers) from all around the world in one place.

Commodities to Cafes was a great trip throughout which I was able to learn a lot about French agricultural practices, food marketing, and terroir. When you're not participating in class, field trips, or scavenger hunts there is plenty of time to sight see.

Dr. Sterns is one of the most knowledgeable professors I have ever had the pleasure of studying under as well as an excellent guide to Paris.

Very well organized program. Sent information about process in an orderly manner.

Great experience here finding our way in the city.

The teachers understand that Spanish is not your first language and therefore they are very patient.

API is a wonderful program provider to go with. They are one of the cheapest program providers for Spain, but everything they do is very high quality! We have always stayed in nice accommodations when traveling, the housing they arranged for me with a host mom was perfect, and they really do a great job of taking care of the students. There are several excursions built into the trip, all of them worthwhile, informative, and fun experiences! API makes sure that students get to see the highlights of the cities they visit, arranging tour-guided trips to El Prado and El Palacio Real in Madrid, and El Escorial, and around the city of Toledo rather than just releasing us into foreign cities. I highly recommend studying abroad with API!

Granada is a beautiful city. Though API bills it as a smaller city, there are over 200,000 people and it has a big city feel in the main shopping district (at least, it does to a midwestern suburbian girl like me!). After dark, it is NOT wise for girls to walk alone, and in fact it is not advisable for girls to walk alone in empty streets. One afternoon, I was approached by drug dealers when walking with a girl and a guy in a deserted neighborhood close to the Alhambra. That section of town is a little sketchy.

But on the whole, Granada is really a perfect location. The weather is temperate, the people are reasonably friendly (more so than in other Spanish cities I visited), the scenery is GORGEOUS, and it is a perfect picture of the typical Spanish town. Street vendors display colorful goods, some priced and others for barter; buses, motos, and pedestrians fill the busy streets; and cute little shops line the roads, some very sophisticated and expensive, others selling cheap souvenirs and hand-made goods.

The Alhambra, a great palace and fortress built in the 1300's by Moorish rulers in the area, overlooks Granada, and it is well worth seeing at least once -- ESPECIALLY the gardens!! They are gorgeous. I could have spent hours in the gardens, snapping perfect beautiful photo after perfect beautiful photo. And the views of Granada from the gardens of the Alhambra are hermosa, as well.

The food in Granada is very much like what we are accustomed to in America. Though it is Spain, and some native dishes are foreign to the American tongue, I have found very mainstream food selections everywhere in Granada, from the Burger King on the corner to the dinner my host mom cooks at home! But beware, the Spanish have bread with every meal. At first, it is tempting to load up on the ever-present carbs available at mealtimes, but soon you may notice that your pants don't fit as well, and you'll have to cut back. I certainly did!

API stood out to me as a fantastic program provider from the start. Before deciding to study with API, I was actually planning to study in Australia with AustraLearn, and I spent several months working with AustraLearn. But when they informed me, two months before I was supposed to leave, that the program cost was going to be $3,000 more than the printed price, I started researching other abroad programs and found API Granada and quickly applied and was accepted last-minute.

With API, the prices were exactly what they said they would be. API was candid about EVERYTHING. In contrast to AustraLearn, API had all the questions answered upfront, and they were very honest about the pros and cons of studying in each location, and even about ordering a cell phone through API. They made all of the information very easy to understand, unlike AustraLearn, and were always cordial and helpful over the phone. After comparing my experience with AustraLearn to my experience with API, I am convinced of API's superior quality as a program provider!

Not only is it a more efficient and more user-friendly company, but API really makes an effort to accommodate students. Before taking our Spanish language placement exam to determine which classes we could take, the directors informed us that if we didn't do as well as we needed to do to receive credit, we could appeal the decision and probably get moved up where we needed to be. This was a HUGE relief for me, while taking the test. It's the little things like that, that really distinguish API from other program providers. They want us to have a fantastic experience, and it shows. I HIGHLY recommend API as a fantastic study abroad experience!

Every day I would walk the 40 minutes to class instead of taking the bus because I loved just walking in Rome. I felt like I got to see more by walking, and the second half of the trip I would walk by the Tiber River. My on-site classes would go around the city, and we would learn about ancient through modern Roman art and architecture while actually there!

Studying abroad was something that always crossed my mind, and I didn’t decide to really check it out until my senior year. I attended my school’s study abroad fair, spoke with representatives from several companies and although I wasn’t sure which company to choose, I felt pulled to Buenos Aires, Argentina.

After all the paperwork, countless e-mails and endless days of waiting, I finally stepped on a plane and arrived in Buenos Aires 16 hours later. I knew instantly that spending four months in Buenos Aires was going to be more fun than I could imagine. I knew it from the beginning, and API was determined to make sure that Argentina would be a dream come true.

We had a week to adjust to our new home before beginning classes. During this week, API conducted workshops and orientation sessions to make sure that we were educated on Argentine history, how to use public transportation, how to stay safe and how to make the most of our time.

Classes at the Universidad de Belgrano began, and after two weeks, I was settled into my new routine. I was already dreading the day I would have to leave. Classes at UB were based more on participation than tests and projects. This was difficult at first because my Spanish needed work, but I learned so much from class discussions and listening to what my classmates—young people from all over the world—had to say about art, politics, cinema and language. Although I learned a lot at UB, I did not feel as challenged as I did in classes at home. This is not to say that UB doesn’t focus strongly on academics, but that UB and API both understand that students abroad are going to learn more from daily life than the classroom. Walking to the subway station, riding the bus, relaxing in the park, cruising museums and eating the local cuisine were the experiences from which I learned the most about culture, language, society and most importantly, myself.

I also learned a lot from my host family. I lived with a lady and her youngest son who was my age. They were extremely hospitable and patient with my broken Spanish. Some of my fondest memories in Argentina took place on Sunday nights when the three of us would sit around the kitchen table eating pizza and chatting. It was great for my host brother and I because he was learning English, so we were able to take turns practicing our second languages. They were also very respectful of me and my privacy. They gave me plenty of space and understood that some days my brain was just too tired to process any more Spanish.

Buenos Aires is an INCREDIBLE city with endless things to do, see and enjoy. Museums, concerts, parks, movies, plays, markets, restaurants, boutiques and sports fill the city thus making it an ideal place to live and learn. It can be intimidating at first, but having an open mind and heart is crucial. API was there every step of the way. Our resident director was available at all times in case we needed anything or just wanted to say hi. API also made sure that we experienced other parts of the country. We did day trips to a nearby river town and into la pampa—Argentina’s dreamlike prairie in the middle of the country. We also spent three days in Ushuaia, the southernmost city of the world. I will never forget the moment that I first saw a penguin in the wild!

At the end of the four months, I was completely in love with Buenos Aires, with Argentina and with all of its quirks and charm. I will be forever grateful to API and to all of its employees who worked tirelessly to make sure that my experience in Buenos Aires was the time of my life!

The on-site program director is a god-send. Whenever we had a problem, got sick, etc, she was a phone call away and would help us maneuver through the problem.

The housing is nice flats in central Budapest. Located a few minutes away from the school by tram or subway. You are provided a transportation pass as well!

All the extra trips, events, and tours were also very enriching and what makes the program so awesome! Whether it's a tour throughout Transylvania or just going on a tour of the 8th District of Budapest. API allows you to see a lot of things that would go unseen if you just were in Budapest by yourself.

I initially decided to study with API because I had a handful of friends who studied with them a year before me (Barcelona, Florence, Ireland, and London) and had nothing but great things to say. As I researched more and more, I learned of the "perks," if you will, about choosing a program that is with you every step of the way. It was super easy: I filled out the paperwork and got my letters of recommendation together, and they essentially took care of the rest. API helps in obtaining a student visa, and you are constantly receiving emails about what items may or may not be missing, so you never get behind in the application process. Once I hit ground in BCN, my Resident Directors were there to greet us at the airport...they put us up in a hotel for the first three days in the city, where they showed us everything from transportation, to great spots to go, to just plain getting closer with people in the program. They help move you into your host home, apartment, or dorm (whichever you choose) and literally work 24/7 in case you ever need anything. Lastly, they took us on monthly excursions to other countries, which was included in the price. For me--and especially for my parents--it was a relief to know you weren't just dumped in the city to fend for yourself. I had freedom to hang out and do WHATEVER I wanted, but if I needed anything, it was just a metro ride away to their Barcelona office.
The city has everything a person could ever want: the beach, the mountains, awesome food, beautiful architecture, an unreal nightlife and concert scene, and loads of things to do in the daytime. I just love being out of my comfort zone, and this was the perfect country to do so in.

The class I took at UAB were great. There was a mandatory 6 credit Spanish class, which you are tested for and placed in based on your level before you get there. I also took a 3 credit course which focused on the economic system in Europe, and a 3 credit course which dissected the architecture and art around the country. All were super hands-on, and rather than sitting in class all day every day, we would go on "field trips" and have discussions. It was great.

Now let's get to what everyone wants to really know: how was the nightlife?

Barcelona is considered one of the best in Europe. There is so much to do at night, and so many diverse bars that you'll never get bored. From a 5 story club with different music on each floor, to a bar that revolves around the Stock Exchange, to townie dives, there is EVERYTHING. And if you're ever feeling homesick, there are plenty of Irish Pubs around too ;)

I studied my junior spring semester in 2010. I chose API's Florence program primarily because of the course offerings; specifically, the food courses. I ended up discovering a passion for food and now plan on going on to study the field for a career after graduating. I went with API because it was the most all-encompassing program, and I would do it all over again in a heartbeat. The staff support (both abroad and at home), excursions, apartments and all the extra help were invaluable and I know that my experience would not have been as amazing had I gone with a different program. I started writing my food blog, When Bread Is Broken at the start of my semester and you can see all of my adventures and daily routine in Florence there.

The study abroad experience is priceless; there is just something about knowing you can navigate international foreign airports that is absolutely liberating and has given me a confidence in my adaptability that I'd never had before. I think it also helps open your mind, which helped me to appreciate and embrace not only other cultures, but my own. If you can look at every obstacle as a learning experience (and learn to laugh!), it is the best experience of your life.

This was the most unforgettable and rewarding experience I have been fortunate enough to have. I have been home (my home in the states, I still consider Salamanca my home)for over 4 months and day after day I still think of the time I had traveling throughout Spain and other countries of Europe. I meet the most wonderful people, who I will never forget. Salamanca was so full of the Spanish culture (and they spoke pure castellano)I didn't go a day without learning something new. Of course, tapas (little plates of various foods) were incredibly tasty and not to mention, pretty to look at. Salamanca had a wonderful nightlife for any age, and as a college student, I definitely got my fill. I volunteered and taught Salamanca natives english, which was even more fulfilling. I will never forget this phenomenal time in my life and thanks to API, it was all I could ask for!