Thinking of studying abroad? Do NOT go with KEI Past Review
By A student (College of DuPage) - abroad from 02/17/2020 to 03/19/2020 with
KEI Abroad in Gold Coast, Australia
Not to go through KEI for my next study abroad experience. I loved Australia, the people, the friends I made but, unfortunately, my experience has been tainted due to KEI's poor handling of this covid19 situation.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Would have given 3 stars (no more rigorous or intense than what I'm used to) but gave two due to my one professor who would not accomodate U.S. students when he taught online due to the covid19 situation. He only taught during AU hours and would make available materials only during AU hours, which meant I had to attend class at 2:00 AM CST. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Often times were not available or hard to reach to ask questions, get assistance. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Loved the apartment and view of the beach. It was clean and spacious. |
| * Food: |
Overall, the food in my area was mediocure. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I had classes with and met many locals. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
NA |
| * Safety: |
Overall I felt very safe |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
Against their own policies, KEI provided no help whatsoever in getting kids home when the pandemic hit. Their communication during the evolving shut-down/boarder closings was very last minute, which left a lot of us scrambling to get flights home. 7 weeks later and we still don't have any reimbursments/refunds and we were told that KEI is choosing to pass the loss it's experiencing from the housing company they work with on to its customers. Other study abroad programs helped to get thier U.S. students home and are providing refunds, including housing. |
Finances
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* Money: How easily were you able to live on a student's budget?
(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost) |
The area is very expensive |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $200-$300 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Whatever your budget, increase it |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? |
A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Other study abroad programs are better at and more equipped to deal with significant events such as covid19 and have significantly better customer service. |
