CIEE College Study Abroad in Seoul, South Korea

CIEE was a great study abroad program. It had different events to get the us engaged in the Korean culture. They took us on different excursions to see other parts of South Korea other than Seoul. And gave us tours of places like the DMZ. Through CIEE we got to meet other South Korean students as well and got to see how being a student in South Korea is different than in the US. The university that CIEE connected us with was also very nice. It was nice to be in one of the highlights of Seoul!

Overall, the program was great and I would receommend this program for anyone that wants to study abroad! It makes things much easier and much more convenient!

CIEE was the reason it was so easy to adjust to going abroad. There is an orientation that starts over a week before classes begin and it gives you the opportunity to explore with their guidance of the staff, learn about the culture before you settle in, and get comfortable with your new surroundings. Throughout the semester, there are continuously activities being planned that help you to get know your community and there are even excursions that provide a refreshing look at the country outside of the city. Whenever issues or questions arise, I always trusted the staff to assist with their full attention, so I never felt unsafe or lost since their support was always readily available. I had an amazing time going abroad and it was all the more enriching and fulfilling because of CIEE.

Studying in Korea was the greatest experience of my life and going with CIEE only made it better. Non-CIEE international students often expressed jealousy that our program allowed us to be close to one another and provided us with an easy network to make friends with which to go on our adventures abroad. The staff is extremely helpful and supportive and they always respond quickly, especially when we need help with stressful situations (such as somehow managing to lose your entire purse while out clubbing). Academically, the coursework wasn't too difficult in comparison to my home university, with the exception of Intensive Korean Language--which is, indeed, "intensive." Thankfully, CIEE has a great optional study group for its students to help with language skills. Yonsei is beautiful (to the extent that many reality shows and tv dramas actually film on our campus!) and the chances to participate in clubs and other student activities are seemingly endless. CIEE, of course, organizes amazing cultural activities and volunteer opportunities which allow you to get the most out of your time abroad. All in all, I would definitely recommend studying in Korea--especially if you have the chance to do so with all of the advantages that CIEE has to offer.

I truly recommend this program to anyone interested in learning more about Korean culture. The CIEE Seoul program introduces you to many aspecte of the culture over the course of the summer program. You'll spend several days before classes start traveling around South Korea, exploring historical sights and trying new and different foods. And when classes start, you'll notice you already have an enormous group of friends to call when you need anything. CIEE Seoul allows you to make lifelong friends from both America and from Seoul. My favorite aspect of the CIEE program was the opportunity to make close connections to both the staff and the interns (Seoulmates <3).

I traveled to Korea because I wanted to escape where I was.
When I travel abroad, I reinvent myself. I start with a new wallet. Move onto new bags, new notebooks, new stationery, new clothes, maybe even a new personality.
People always say the journey is very important, and others claim that it may be more important than the destination. I tend to disagree to some extent. If you have a bad destination your journey will never be that valuable.
Seoul was a location I chose with a purpose. It is dear to my heart. The interesting thing is that I teeter back and forth a lot between being out going and staying to myself. However, Seoul was a destination that made me want to go out, and the staff and people at CIEE drew out parts of me that I never thought about.
It's like this. I've always wanted to go to Korea, learn Korean, and travel by myself and answer to no one. This destination meant that I was looking for answers about myself. Arriving in Korea, CIEE provided everything to make that search possible. They provided the necessary structure to make me feel comfortable, while allowing me to move about and do what it is I wanted to do.
The journey that resulted was one where it was only possible because of CIEE. It was nice to go with a program because the program gave you a reason to talk with the people that came with you. It helped you branch out if you needed the extra comfort. CIEE however also allowed you to do what it was you need to do. If you wanted to go off by yourself to make friends outside of the program, you would not have been held back. It was truly a free feeling experience.

I would recommend the program highly. The staff at CIEE Korea truly does nothing besides provide a great experience.

Studying abroad in Seoul was an absolutely incredible experience. The host university (Yonsei) is one of the top schools in Korea and offers a huge selection of classes in English, so finding courses suited for your major shouldn't be difficult. Seoul itself is a dynamic city where you can experience Korea's rich cultural history and at the same time see some of the most cutting edge technology and development in the world. The people there are so friendly and will often go out of their way to help you if you are lost or have any questions, and the food is fantastic! While living there, you will be able to broaden your understanding of not only Korea, but also the rest of the world. Also, the intensive Korean language classes offered through Yonsei will greatly improve your Korean no matter what level you're starting at.

So why choose CIEE's program?
Studying through CIEE's Seoul program will make your experience in Korea so much more memorable. The program includes multiple trips to places outside of Seoul so that you can experience other parts of Korea too. The program coordinators also organize weekly and monthly events like volunteering and field trips within Seoul, taking you places that most other exchange students don't have the chance to go. These are optional, but taking advantage of these opportunities will help you make the most of your time there.

From the start CIEE feels like a family; you will get to know the other students in your program and make friendships that last even after you return home, and the program coordinators are some of the nicest and most genuinely caring people I have ever met. They really do go above and beyond to make your stay in Seoul great, and are always available to help you whenever you need. Also, CIEE helps you with a lot of the technical parts of moving to a new country: getting a visa, alien registration card, housing, medical, etc. I know some students who did exchange outside of CIEE and had to do all this themselves, and these things could be very difficult for them. With CIEE these issues were never a problem. Basically, CIEE streamlines your whole experience and organizes an extensive program that will provide you with the adventure of a lifetime.
I would highly recommend studying abroad in Korea, and if you do, CIEE is definitely the way to go!

This was my second time studying abroad, but my first time in a large university setting. I'm a Korean language major and was looking forward to improving my language skill, immersing myself in the culture, and experiencing life abroad. CIEE made life at school effortless. Any problems I had whether it was with school or my visa or creating a bank account the staff were always there to help me. Moreover, the staff became almost like family while I was there. I could always go to them with problems or just to talk. I still converse with my staff from time to time. When looking back on my time abroad, I really think it shaped me as a person. Upon my return, many people asked me "how was Korea?"
This question both frustrated me and made me reflect on my time abroad. It frustrated me because it's virtually impossible to sum up 11 months of my life in an essay, let alone a sentence. However, it also made me reflect on how much I did and experience while abroad and it makes me happy and proud that I can't sum my experience up easily.
For anyone who is thinking about studying abroad through CIEE, my advice would be to just do it. Whether it's to Korea or another country, it may seem scary, but the experiences you have while abroad will make that fear seem silly in the long run.

After coming back from Korea, I keep getting one question: What did you like the most?

Every time I've heard this question, I find myself giving a different answer. There's no way I can decide on just a single thing out of the many, many experiences I had abroad - I loved every aspect of being abroad, and am dying to go again. From the CIEE excursions that left us trekking through Mudd flats and experiencing rural Korea, to exploring the city night-life in Seoul, to sitting down and eating traditional meals to getting McDonalds at 3am with friends - I had so many varied amazing experiences that picking any single one of them is impossible. My time in Seoul was by far the best time I had had during college, because not only did I get to meet new friends, experience a new culture, and have fun, I actually got to learn a lot. Not just through classes, but through interacting with so many people from various backgrounds and learning how to navigate a country that speaks a different language and lives a different culture, I was able to learn things I would never be able to in my college in the US.

The only downside that this program had - which, for me, wasn't a downside at all - is that the academic program itself is not very rigorous. I personally preferred this, since it gave more time to explore the country itself, though I know some other people would prefer a more rigorous academic environment. The Korean language program, however, was quite good, and my skill in Korean improved a lot.

All in all, I would recommend this program to anyone, regardless if they have a previous interest in Korean culture or not. There's no way you can go wrong with this program.