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.

Seoul and South Korea were absolutely fascinating from beginning to end. Through CIEE Seoul, I was able to live in a homestay with an actual Korean family. I looked forward to this the most because I would immerse myself in the culture and learn more of the language. My host family was so gracious and they took great care of me. I miss them dearly! Due to the commute to my university, homestay life also allowed me to become quite acquainted with the transportation system in Seoul. This proved super handy later on when I wanted to explore during my free time. My university, Yonsei, was one of the most beautiful schools I have ever visited. It was on the foot of a mountain and the campus itself had so much greenery! The social work and Korean language classes I took there were very interesting. I am not going to lie though, sometimes it was a struggle to study because I wanted to be out and about exploring the city! I just had to keep reminding myself that I was still “studying” abroad despite the fun I was having.

CIEE Seoul also provided its students many educational, cultural, and fun activities throughout the semester. Coordinated events included: visiting the DMZ, exploring temples, trying out new food, traveling to other parts of South Korea, organized tours, volunteering opportunities, checking out museums and allowing us to interact with current local students in Seoul. Even though Seoul is a huge modern city, the history of this country is all around it. Even within the city you can find areas that are side by side but completely different to each other. In other words, it is a city where you never get bored because there is always something to do!

All in all, I miss Seoul. I miss getting lost in the subway station. I miss visiting novelty cafes that print your selfie on the drink you ordered. I miss seeing the awesome friends I met there. I miss the food!!! Wow, do I miss the food! If you want to experience history and modernization simultaneously during your study abroad experience, add Seoul to your list of potential destinations. I did not even fathom falling in love with a city and country in such a small period of time. Four months was just not enough and I plan to go back one day if God allows me to. This experience was a true blessing and I thank Him for that.

While most students go abroad to learn new languages and to explore new cultures, I chose to go abroad to rediscover my heritage. My mother and I last saw our family when I was four, so the opportunity to study abroad in Korea while fitting it into my academic schedule was a once in a lifetime opportunity. As a science student, going abroad can be unfeasible, especially in many non-English speaking countries. However, a summer term fit perfectly as it allows you take a small break but will not interfere with your academic schedule. CIEE also allowed me to live with my grandmother, which helped me make sure I was able to spend more time with her and my family. CIEE also made sure to expose us to Korean culture through cultural activities. We visited the DMZ, museums, temples, volunteered in the community, and attended lectures on Korean culture.

As for the university we attended, Yonsei University, it is a beautiful campus! It is located next to Ewha Womens University, another beautiful campus, and Sinchon, which has plenty of restaurants and stores. Since we only had classes four days a week, we took the opportunity to utilize Seoul's public transportation system to explore. The system is fast, reliable and there is plenty of instructions in English. When it comes to Seoul, it is a city that seems to never sleep and never runs out of things to do! Coffee shops and Karaoke are everywhere alongside department stores, outside markets, and clothing stores. After getting a taste of modern Seoul, you can glimpse into Korea's history by visiting the many museums, palaces, and temples throughout Seoul.

My summer in Korea was amazing! The list seriously never stops, and the entire day you just see so much. It's impossible to take it all in. But never fear, after an entire day of touring and being a tourist, they give you the entire night to do what you will with your time and money. The student helpers were key in having a great time, suggesting great places to go and how to play Korean drinking games (which are really fun). One of the great things about the program is that they pick a variety of students throughout the US, so you'll always find a group of people with similar interests who want to explore the same parts of Korea as you. But really, they give you so much time to just go out and do whatever, and if you're that kind of person who likes to walk around the city and talk to random people (when you find young people who speak English), it's a pretty awesome time.

They took us out for all of our meals, and they always took us to nice restaurants. So don't worry about not liking the food. You have to be curious! And it's not as spicy as they think it is. I mean, I could list the food, but they pretty much served us all the main food people think is Korean food.