AIFS AbroadReviews of aifsabroad.com

The program and everything it offered was very well organized and I had a wonderful time taking a guided tour of La Sagrada Familia and the Girona and Besalú, things I would not have planned on my own. I do, however, highly recommend choosing to stay in a homestay. I was unable to due to my dietary restrictions and lived in an apartment with 4 other girls instead and it was a nightmare. This program attracts a lot of irresponsible party students who do not respect others or the culture of the country they are visiting. I believe living in a homestay would give you the full experience you're looking for.

I thought I would need more structure in studying abroad, but I don't think the AIFS program provided as much as you paid for. If I were to replicate the same experience, I would have looked into other options.

The location and relations with the school were great. Although the choice of excursions were good, it was quite limited in number. They did really well with introducing us to other students on the program and being available for any questions or help. The meal plans weren’t discussed beforehand and actually cost more after arriving there. I wasn’t told any information about my host family until the day I arrived, luckily, it was an incredible family. I’m definitely glad I went on this program but I felt there were things missing or ways the program could’ve done better.

The Program itself was great, but the accommodations were meh. Additionally, the food situation was horrible. As part of the Globe Program, our meal schedule made no sense, as we should've been provided lunch every day.

This program was not what I expected. I wanted to be more immersed in the culture, especially through my schooling experience. I believe the environment at Veritas is not compatible for students who want to meet other Costa Rican’s and become friends with locals. There were not very many opportunity’s to experience culture fully, and I was hoping to be immersed in speaking Spanish, but everyone spoke English around me. There were good aspects like the trios and experiences that we got to go on as a big group, and overall the experience was positive. It was just not what I was looking for as a spanish major and Latin American studies minor.

I made lifelong friends on this program and had the time of my life, but I think for the amount of money you are spending, AIFS could have included some more excursions or higher quality transportation/ meals on the excursion. I think AIFS did a good job in general but was comparable to the other exchange programs hosting students in Buenos Aires. The staff was great although was sometimes hesitant to make accommodations unless pressed.

My experience through AIFS had its ups and downs. I studied in Stellenbosch, South Africa, with Hestea as our AIFS director. She is an amazing woman, and AIFS could not have done a better job choosing her! Erin Craw, the woman who we were supposed to contact about financial things - was extremely difficult. She had never been to Stellenbosch and barely knew anything. Many students struggled with her. The website could have included photos of our housing to better prepare us for the trip as well.

AIFS’ program in India was a good bang for my buck. However, compared to the other program that was there, I felt under resources and under programmed. CIEE has staff on campus every day, an open office for students, and extra cultural classes that seemed to enrich the experience of students throughout the program. On the other hand, AIFS rarely has someone on campus, our office was open maybe once a month, and group excursions were few and far between. Ishmeet was the best part of the experience and the saving grace for the program. The Golden Triangle tour was the only other advantage.