Hyderabad is wonderful, but don't go CIEE Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

There was a broad range of class options, either with direct enroll classes in the University or with SIP courses with the other study abroad students, and we were allowed a sort of "shopping period," so I was able to survey a number of courses and find ones that met my academic needs. However, in some ways the ease with which American undergraduate students are allowed to enroll in graduate and PhD courses is inherently problematic and detrimental to the quality of the courses for those local graduate and PhD students who expect and are paying for a rigor and expertise that we, as undergraduates, often cannot keep up with.

On-site administration of your program

In my experience, the CIEE staff at Hyderabad are untrustworthy and incapable of being confidential, especially with serious issues (including violence, racism, sexism, mental health concerns, etc). I'm happy to give more specific information if needed, but I and many of my peers were made to feel incredibly unsafe and uncared for by the CIEE administration. They are also quite unhelpful with administrative things, though that's a much lower-stakes criticism.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I stayed in the International dorm. The amenities were unexpectedly luxurious - air conditioning, hot showers, laundry facilities, good food, etc. However, I did not feel it was a particularly safe environment - I was told by CIEE staff that multiple men living in the dorm long term had been caught sexually assaulting study abroad students, for example, yet they were still living and eating alongside me, with no repercussions. There were a number of other instances which threatened my and others' safety - again, if anyone would like more detailed information, let me know.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

You are given plenty of opportunities to immerse if you are active in pursuing them.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I prefer not to get into detail here, but there were a number of instances in which it was clear that health emergencies were not well handled by CIEE staff - especially serious mental health concerns - but also concerns relating to women's health and safety.

For the most part I felt quite safe on campus, and Hyderabad is just like any other big city - be smart and aware of your surroundings, and you should run into few issues. However, again, safety concerns within the CIEE program and living environments were not in any way taken seriously.

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

Hyderabad, especially in comparison to American prices, is incredibly cheap.

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

Hindi is taught, but not spoken by many in Hyderabad. Telugu is the local language, but within the University only a small percentage speak Telugu, because it is a federal university with students from all over the country, speaking dozens of other languages. English is usually the easiest common language on campus.

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• Dorm

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• Americans
• International Students

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• Local Students
• Americans
• International Students

• Ease of travel
• Direct enroll classes
• Being in a city

• Administrative staff
• Safety for minority students
• Handling race/gender/privilege

The Academic or Linguist