Program Reviews

I worked at ASEM English center in Vinh, Vietnam, through API, in 2016. I and the 6 other teachers I lived with, some of whom were university students and some of whom were independent clients, expressed some very serious concerns about our safety and about the mistreatment of both Vietnamese and foreign employees at the site that API has refused to address and that continue unmitigated as of 2018. API has never sent a represnetative to visit the site or to meet your employers. They have no knowledge of conditions at the site and know very little about the city more generally. After you pay them and arrive in Vietnam, they will not help you.

I cannot emphasize this enough: there are many, many English centers in Vinh and throughout Vietnam, and you do not need to pay API or any other third party to be able to work at them.

When most students go abroad for the first time they do so with caution, classmates, and a well-tested support network. I did none of that. I am the guinea pig for my University testing the waters to see whether other students should come over and whether or not the classes are rigorous enough to be counted as transfer credit. In addition i was the only one from my school who ended up going the distance with this particular program. It was also my first time, living in another country, living in a city, flying in a plane and later I would add my first time in an amusement park. This might not sound too crazy until one realizes that it was for six months, an entire semester, and the plane flight was around thirteen hours. However, the staff in this program, my wonderful host family and my great professors at Torcuato Di Tella and Longwood University all supported me. Where I lacked experience I had a sense of adventure and a million people behind me always interested in what I was doing. the classes themselves were some of the most challenging I have ever taken, but worth the effort for all I learned. The trips and activities are just what one needs after a long day of hard work and open a whole other world of possibilities to explore and my host family has provided a caring home for me to retire to at the end of the day when I learn all about the daily life aspects of Argentina like games, cooking and mate. Although studying abroad for a semester in a foreign country with your second language is not for everyone and a lot of work everyday, it has truly changed my perspective. I would not trade my experience for anything.

Study abroad is presented to students as a way to experience another culture by immersing yourself in a new country; to improve your language abilities by being forced to practice with locals; to challenge yourself to go outside of your comfort zone. My time in Buenos Aires with API was all of that and more. The only regret I have from college is that I didn't spend an entire year abroad. This program, along with my resident director Carmen, had such a positive impact on me that I lived abroad two additional times after graduating and chose a career path in the study abroad so that I could assist students and having a life-changing experience like I did. The semester taught me more than classic Argentine literature and the history of Eva Perón, it taught me about learning from the stories and lives of locals around the city. It taught me to be a global citizen and to fight for diversity and inclusion because equality and understanding other perspectives is of the gravest importance. It has directly influenced my career goal: to find ways to make study abroad accessible to every student, to help them learn about the world, and learn about themselves.

I chose to go abroad with API for many reasons, including the company's great feedback from former students, the sensible price for what was included, and the selection of coursework that was offered. I selected the International Studies program at UAB because not only did the classes interest me, but all four I enrolled in covered a requirement for me. While abroad I was able to cover a History General Education class through Spanish Civilisation and Culture, a Communication major class through Intercultural Communication, and two Social and Behavioral Science Global Education Requirements through Urban Interventions and my Spanish Language course. Opportunities are endless here, as I was able to see a great deal of Europe between my studies since the Barcelona trains and airport are at our convenience to travel in-and-out of. Living as an international student in a foreign city greatly improved both my problem-solving skills, as learning how to maneuver a new city can be daunting, and detail-oriented planning, understanding that there is a lot that goes into organizing trips. API: Barcelona was a great program for me; no matter what program you decide it is up to you to mold the experience that you want!

My main goal for studying abroad was to improve my Spanish. I believe I did just that on this program. I took part in the early start program with intensive Spanish classes. It was a great way to start the program so I would definitely recommend that. I also took classes with Argentine students. Generally most of my classes were with Americans or a few other foreigners. One draw back is that the program is mostly Americans studying at the school, so there’s a good amount of English, although all my classes were in Spanish. I enjoyed my classes with argentines cause it did really make me feel like an exchange student. I had to do the same work, tests as them so I thought it was a great challenge and overall very interesting to see what school is like for them. My housing was great! I lived with an amazing host family in Recoleta. What I liked a lot about the housing is that only one student is placed per a family, that way it’s a lot more Spanish and then there’s no favorites. Also Carmen and Jimena, the program directors, are fantastic and are always there to help. Everyone LOVES them. Overall Argentina is an amazing experience and unique if you’re looking to study abroad outside of Europe. I would recommend it 110%

First, I need to say I love the city of Seville. When it came time to choose a program, I had to pick between Barcelona and Seville, and I ended up choosing Seville because I wanted a truly immersive Spanish experience. I wanted to brush up on my Spanish speaking skills, and people were less likely to speak English in Seville. In addition, I knew about Seville's history with Arabic culture, and I had a strong interest to learn more about it.

However, Seville is not a popular program, so I ended up being the only student. The on site API coordinators were amazing and helpful, so I had no complaints there. However, I was slightly disappointed with my internship placement. I was placed at a startup where I was meant to do marketing for a kids phone app. While I loved my co-workers and their support, I didn't have much to do. I helped them with the initial setup of their product, but there wasn't much for me to do after the second week there. The best experience I had at my internship was my ability to practice my Spanish at the workplace.

As for my living situation, I was placed in an apartment. I was the only one in my program, so I had a room all to myself. There were others in the building, but they were mostly graduate students from other countries. We did talk/hang out every so often. I ended up traveling most weekends and meeting people at hostels/couchsurfing so I can be a bit more social.

Truthfully, I wish I had done a homestay instead, or had the chance to study at the University instead of partaking in an internship. Perhaps I would have been more social otherwise.

While I don't regret my Spanish experience (and I will always choose Seville over Barcelona) I wouldn't recommend this for people who aren't willing to be independent and try new things. Seville isn't as popular as Barcelona or Madrid, but that's exactly why I loved it more than those cities. Seville was a truly an immersive Spanish experience, and that's what made it the best.

This experience made me more confident in my abilities to travel, communicate, and explore. I learned a lot about the world and myself, and while lonely at times, I think it was worth it.

I cannot say enough good things about API. Every single aspect of my program went smoothly. From my application process, to my arrival, to my departure, everything was handled for me and that was so amazing. My on-site director was beyond helpful with ANYTHING I asked for help with and my program director in the US was the exact same! My internship placement was interesting and in my field and my director was always willing to plan fun things for us to do. Thank you, API, for an extraordinary experience!

Although it was almost 10 years ago (eek!) that I studied abroad in Florence, Italy with API, I still have fond and positive memories of my time there. They were extremely accommodating and helpful as at that time I was the only student doing the year long program. I lived in two different apartments each semester and they did a fantastic job with matching me with compatible roommates. I am still in touch with some of them today! My apartment during the second semester was steps from the Duomo.. absolutely incredible!
For future participants I would highly suggest using API. I would only remind you that Florence is extremely touristy and one of the more popular study abroad destinations. Perfect, if this is your first long term trip as I'm sure you'll make lots of new friends from your home country and even find American style restaurants. If you want a more cultural and authentic experience I would suggest trying a different city, but continue with API!

Leading up to my study abroad experience, I was extremely nervous of the uncertainty that happens naturally when living in a new country. However my nerves began to calm almost immediately after meeting the on site staff of API upon my arrival in France. In fact, the on-site support throughout my entire semester abroad was incredible. Marie and Anna were there for any questions I had, offered to make doctor's appointments when I was sick, and proved to be an essential resource of support when I was going through difficult times (or really any time at all). Specifically, I remember one day I was talking to the on-site staff about how I did not know how to snowboard, but I had always wanted to learn. Their response: Why not now? They provided me with information regarding the best slopes near Grenoble, how to rent equipment, and how to purchase a bus and ski pass. Without that extra encouragement and useful tips about the local slopes, I probably would have not pursued my dream of learning how to snowboard. Overall, API provided me with the tools I needed to succeed, while also challenging me to grow personally, professionally, and academically. Furthermore, my experience with API inspired me to pursue the field of international education upon graduation, instead of continuing in my previous fields of study.

I studied abroad in Seville, Spain with Academic Programs International for the 2016-2017 academic year. This program stood out to me because of the options to take both courses in Spanish and in English, live with a host family, and the included excursions! The program began in Madrid with an orientation, and the program staff was very helpful and informative. We left Madrid and went to Toledo, El Escorial, and Cordoba on our way to Seville by bus. This beginning orientation was a great way to become acquainted with the other students in the program, and see more of Spain than you maybe would on your own.

Universidad de Sevilla is a centrally located university in Seville, and it's close to many shops, restaurants, and historical sites. I was able to take some traditional and non-traditional courses, and received credit for all of them. My favorite classes included Painting in Literary Seville, a water color class, and Literatura y Cocina, a combined literary and cooking class. I also took some incredible history courses that actually involved a lot of time outside of the classroom, at historical sites and museums in and around Seville. I think that the classes were challenging in that many of them were long lectures entirely in Spanish, but the workload was very manageable.

I chose to live with a host family in Seville, and I think that this really added to my overall experience. My family consisted of a host mom, a host grandmother, and a host uncle. I also had an American roommate, another student from API. The family provided all of our meals, and also provided a lot of helpful information about the city. If you are looking to really improve your Spanish, choosing to live with a host family is the way to do it! I ate most of my meals at home, which meant a lot of my time was spent in Spanish conversation with my host mom.

My favorite aspect of my program with API was the availability of such incredible excursions, all included in the program! This is something that really sets API programs apart from other program providers. I was able to see and experience so many things in my host country that I know I would not have even known about otherwise. My favorite excursions include a trip to Extremadura, where we hiked 13 miles to the Our Lady of Guadalupe Monastery, and a trip to Aracena to make bread. The international excursions were incredible as well, and during the 2016-2017 year we went on an excursion to Paris and to Lisbon. Although the excursions are constantly changing, no matter where you go with API, you'll have an incredible time.

If you are considering studying abroad in Spain, Seville is a lively, warm city with close proximity to an airport, which is important if you are planning to travel during your time abroad! I looked at many of API's programs in Spain, but the proximity of an airport was a deciding factor for me, as well as the size of the city. Seville has a population of about 700,000, which means that you'll never run out of things to do or see. The excursions and affordability of API's programs in particular really sold me, and I'm so glad that I made the decision I did! Having the ability to take a wide variety of courses in both English and Spanish also helped me to find credits that would transfer to my home university. I was able to finish my Spanish minor at the Universidad de Sevilla, and am now participating in the Global Leadership Academy through API, to continue integrating international experience into my final year at my home university. I could not recommend studying abroad with API more!