Study Abroad at Universidad San Franciso de Quito Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

I took an indigenous language that would be difficult to take here in the states. I gained different perspectives on topics in my majors from professors educated in a different tradition.

On-site administration of your program

The program is long-standing and has a good relationship with the host university. Both universities were exceptional at dealing with the entire process. People in both the United States and Ecuador helped me remember everything I needed to do and they helped me get it done. Everyone helped with all that I needed. The partnership between the institutions was such that the transition to another country was seamless. The program exceeded my expectations for quality and value.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I lived with a family hand-picked for me. They had had students before and they lived close to my school and were very helpful. The neighborhood felt very safe; we lived in a gated community with a 24/7 armed guard (the area apparently has problems with petty thefts, not so much violence or armed robberies). I was also close enough to downtown Quito to do things I would want to do.

My family made sure I was always very well-provided for. They had a housekeeper who showed off her full repertoire of local foods for me and they always respected things I would prefer not to eat. Eating at school was expensive for Ecuador's standards, but the food was good and would have been much more expensive in the US. Restaurants outside of downtown were incredibly cheap but still offered quality food.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

My program included several culture trips as a group. The fees were included in the (very low) price for the program. We visited indigenous markets, towns, artisans; beaches; and natural attractions and parks in addition to sampling local cuisine wherever we went. We also went on adventure trips and got to know our host city of Quito very well too.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

The city's main crime problem involved petty theft (which affected members of my program, but not me directly) and not violence; I felt very secure. The program alerted me to all health risks and appropriate precautions to take in addition to helping me get medication/vaccinations as appropriate.

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

I lived with a host family and took all of my classes in Spanish. I had ample opportunity to improve greatly.

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• Host Family

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• Local Students