Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

All classes and materials in Spanish. All submitted work (i.e. paper and Independent Study Project) accepted in either Spanish or English, as the level of Spanish varied among students. Students were, however, encourage to write in Spanish if capable of doing so. The work was much easier for students who came into the program with a high level of Spanish.

On-site administration of your program

Administrators were accessible, and all documents were taken care of. They were not entirely familiar with American higher education. The style of administration was different and sometimes overdone. I would have liked more freedom as far as administration goes.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Small apartment in the Belgrano neighborhood. Two host parents, both in their 60's, no kids living in the house. <br /><br /> Host mother was extremely overbearing at times. Seemed like she was only hosting for the stipend. Home was not in the heart of the city, but was very close to the metro, so it was easy to get to school, nightlife areas, cultural areas, etc. Neighborhood seemed relatively safe, I never had any problems with safety, never felt very unsafe.

Food in Buenos Aires is cheap and excellent. Eating may be challenging for vegetarians/non-red meat eaters, as the majority of meals contains some sort of meat. Food in my homestay was very, very good. Quantity of food, however, was too much, and host mother often pushed more food onto my plate.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Buenos Aires has quite possibly the best nightlife of any city in the world. People are friendly and there are an infinite number of bars, clubs and restaurants. It has a huge art and music scene. There is truly something for everyone. My program did not arrange any cultural events. Travel to nearby cities and provinces (i.e. Rosario, estancias, small towns in BA province) is cheap and easy, thanks to an excellent national bus system.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I had to seek medical attention twice, once for an ear infection and once for poison ivy. The program was very helpful in both cases and I immediately received the correct treatment and medication. No complaints as far as medical and safety go. The quality of the health care in Buenos Aires seemed to be up to the standards of what I am used to at home, although neither of my medical issues were extremely serious, so I cannot comment conclusively.

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

The other students were all Americans, so Spanish was not spoken amongst ourselves. My host family spoke no English. There were very few opportunities to meet local students/young people within the program.

Select all that apply

• Host Family

Select all that apply

• Americans