I was in Morocco for the entire academic year and it was run very well, especially since it was only the first year of the program. The coordinator and director of the program make sure that the host families and apartments are in line, and academics are very well handled, as they are rigorous and the professors chosen are capable of explaining material in Arabic to non native speakers. The director and coordinator are very responsive to students' needs and are very personable; I did not feel alone because of them. The program was not perfect, as sometimes there were some scheduling issues with tests and some issues with some professors, but considering that it was the first year of the program it was very well run.

I studied in Rabat one semester after the program started in Fall, 2017 and was beyond impressed by how well-run and organized the program was. The two program directors make themselves very accessible: they're fun, attentive, and very serious about what they do. The program is full immersion, meaning all your classes are in Arabic. Despite misunderstandings with one of my professors, I felt culturally and linguistically comfortable in my classes, all of which I took with other Americans.

One major misconception about studying in Morocco is that learning Darija is impossible and ultimately useless if you'd like to end up in the Middle East. I do consider Darija challenging, but you can get around Morocco easily with MSA and, in the end, this experience is only one year (or semester) of your Arabic-learning adventure out of maybe 10 if your goal is to become fluent.

I loved my host family and still talk to them often. Hospitality is very important in Morocco, and my host family made an effort to include me in their parties and group outings while still giving me space. Not everyone felt the same--it's kind of a matter of luck--but you can talk to the program directors if you feel that you and your host family aren't a great match.

I really enjoyed living in Rabat. It's a small, safe city that has a growing art and youth culture (still small), and scenic, un-touristy neighborhoods. Traveling in Morocco is super easy and cheap--a train ticket to Marrakesh costs $12 and the trip takes three hours. Pretty beach towns are only about an hour away. Overall, I really enjoyed my experience and would recommend the program to anyone looking to improve their Arabic.