If you want to learn good Chinese, go to Beijing Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Great Program, Great Materials, Great Teachers, Great Management, Great City, Great Opportunities (e.g. homestays), badass students, so-so area studies courses, and an overall lack of a single good cup of coffee (in the whole of Beijing)

On-site administration of your program

The administration is very willing to listen to critiques of the program, and make changes thereon. There's always somebody available, even though the program does a lot of different things in a very short period of time. The two heads of the program are American college grads, and thus very helpful for anything college-related. Expectations exceeded.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Lived with a Chinese homestay family, a local couple who spoke little-to-no English. Extremely useful for practicing the language, wonderful people, great gateway to Chinese society.

Duck, white rice, pigs feet, Steamed Veggies, and Baijiu.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

See Above

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

The Chinese government quarantines all sick people and executes petty criminals, so these things are less of a problem there than in, say, New Orleans.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

A combination of a strongly enforced language pledge and a homestay led to a very marked increase in listening & speaking abilities, and character recognition is at an all-time high and still increasing

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• Americans