Program Reviews

Honestly, this program was everything I was looking for and more. Not only was the academic environment pertinent to our major but it shed an exciting light on what the future holds. This class provided an excellent social atmosphere in which we could learn actively and enjoy ourselves along with everything the city has to offer.

Dr. Sterns and the rest of the staff were amazing to say the least. Rungis was a once in a lifetime experience but the culmination for me was the scavenger hunt that tested everything we learned throughout the week. Soooooo much fun I wish I could do every country in the world like this. Don't miss out

I decided to study abroad through API because they truly wanted me to immerse myself in the culture and helped me to do so! They took us to great restaurants, cultural activities like flamenco classes and local movies as well as took us on excursions outside of Spain! (I went to Portugal and API paid for the flight AND hotel!) THE best choice I ever made was to study abroad and explore the world around me. I found out I occupy quite a small area in the world-and need to reach out to others more. 100% recommend.

Studying abroad at the Sorbonne in Paris through API was quite honestly one of the best choices I've ever made in my life. It was fulfilling on both an intellectual and personal level, and I would absolutely go again. The staff were always available and extremely supportive, the courses transformed my ability to speak French, and the excursions and food were wonderful. I lived with a host family, which I would encourage everyone to do because it allows you to have much more insight into French culture, as well as to really challenge yourself to improve your language skills. I felt very safe and integrated into the local community, and I loved the sense of independence and constant curiosity that I felt when I was there. Everyday was a learning experience, and dull moments never existed. There were endless places to explore, things to do, and experiences to be had. I'd recommend this program to anyone looking to enhance their sense of independence and learn more about the French language and culture.

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.