I absolutely loved Italy. The CISabroad program helped ensure me that I would be safe, a fear of mine since I was traveling alone, and made everything I needed to do easy to follow. I highly recommend CISabroad for any study abroad programs. I would definitely return to Italy, and would definitely travel again through CISabroad! With so many options, CISabroad will help you get to any destination!

Studying abroad in Florence, Italy through CISabroad was the best experience of my life. I recommend studying abroad to anyone! CIS was very organized and made the whole process a lot smoother. I loved the food, wine, friends, atmosphere, and so much more about Florence. :)

I studied abroad in Florence Fall 2014 through CIS Abroad. I was very anxious going into the process because there was so much to be done. I had two advisors, Rachel and Ashley, who were the representatives for my school in Connecticut, and they were so unbelievably helpful with everything; I couldn't even believe how easy they made the process. They walked us through the application process, course selection, visa applications, and they even booked our round trip flights, all costs included. When we got to Florence, we had transportation from the airport that brought us right to our apartments. The costs of our textbooks, programs/events through the study abroad school, and day trips in Italy were ALL covered by CIS which was such a pleasant surprise. Our advisors and representatives were always checking in with us to make sure that we were having the best possible study abroad experience. It was one of the best experiences of my life and I am so glad I did it through CIS Abroad!

CISabroad made this the best semester of my life. I would highly recommend it to anyone considering study abroad. Florence was small enough to make you feel safe but big enough to have all of the opportunities you could want.

I would recommend studying abroad to everyone, and I do. It is the most amazing experience to get out of your comfort zone and see the world. I don't know if it matters where you go, either way it will be an amazing time. Choose somewhere you've always wanted to go. And just do it. I met some of the most interesting, kind, and fun people on my trip. I also traveled to other countries once I finished studying because it is much cheaper to travel throughout Europe once you're already there!

Living in Florence for a semester was the experience of a lifetime! I went not knowing a soul and left with life long friends. When arriving, you feel as if you have stepped back into time. The buildings and streets are so antique but still absolutely breathe-taking. Despite it's beauty, it is still a city where you have to be aware of your surroundings (just like any other big city). After getting used to where everything was within Florence, I felt so safe! FUA was really awesome, I loved my professors and learned a lot from my classes. The staff was super helpful and planned a lot of really fun activities for students. A couple of my favorite things about Florence were the markets and the Duomo. I lived close to the Sant. Ambrogio market (off of Via De Macci) and I loved going and buying fresh produce, breads, and cheeses. One stand had this amazing gorgonzola spread and the man would always give my friend and I samples! The Duomo Cathedral is absolutely stunning. I would walk past it on my way to classes. Each day I would stop and look at it and just take it all in. That is one of my fondest memory of Florence, even if it's so simple. While in Italy, I took a cooking class at FUA and learned to cook a bunch of Italian meals, which was so awesome.There are so many wonderful memories I could share, but that would take all day to read! The only thing negative I had about my experience was housing at FUA wasn't always super helpful. They were nice, but if you need assistance with something, you must be persistent. Other than that, it was absolutely wonderful!

I took a Drawing class and a Photography class for a month while living in Florence for my CIS abroad experience and these were the best classes to take, never too stressful and the class time and homework were actually enjoyable, it was so beautiful and warm during the month of June in Florence and I enjoyed every second of it. I had class in the morning on Monday through Thursday then had the afternoons to wander, do homework, and go out or make a meal in with friends, and always a 3 day weekend to travel around the Tuscany region, which were awesome excursions, my favorite being Chianti.

Waking up every morning to the sounds of my neighbors, the smells of the city, and the knowledge that I was in a different country are a few of the things I miss about Florence. Classes, while often time-consuming, were such a small part of the bigger picture of my fall 2012 semester abroad. I met people I never would have if it were not for this program, people that I still find myself talking to and sharing stories with more than five months after returning to the U.S.. The food, the people, the architecture, the culture....it was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. Even when I was homesick and lonely, wishing that my boyfriend or family or friends back home could experience this amazing adventure with me, knowing how lucky I was encouraged me to keep going even when the homesickness was almost too much. My semester in Florence is something I will cherish for the rest of my life and I cannot wait to go back.