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I just want to thank you and all the directors in Atenas for giving Nicole the most wonderful trip. This was Nicole's first overseas trip without a parent, and I was such a nervous mother. You an ...
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I just want to thank you and all the directors in Atenas for giving Nicole the most wonderful trip. This was Nicole's first overseas trip without a parent, and I was such a nervous mother. You and your team answered my every question. I got a glimpse into the everyday activities planned in Costa Rica through Nicole's blog, and just relaxed. Thank you so, so much for everything! The whole experience went beyond expectation. "
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I want to thank you and your team again for taking such good care of Andrew when he wasn't feeling well while in Spain. Andrew had the best 5 weeks of his summer, ever, with Sol Abroad! "
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I just wanted to let you know that your program and its directors in Granada have been incredible! Beebs is having such a wonderful time. She has raved about how fantastic your staff is, her host fami ...
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I just wanted to let you know that your program and its directors in Granada have been incredible! Beebs is having such a wonderful time. She has raved about how fantastic your staff is, her host family and the activities. The proof is in the pictures that your team posts daily -- which is such a bonus for the parents stateside wishing we were on that trip. You've got a well run program which is organized, professional yet exciting and fun for the students. It's been an exceptional experience for Beebs with a lifetime of memories. She has loved everything from her group members to her host family to her directors and the activities. Kudos to you and your staff. If you need a reference in Houston, I'd be happy to help you out. "
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I think your program is very organized, timely and has wonderful follow through. The people we spoke with in the office were always friendly and helpful. "
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I attended this program with my high school son. We were both students and stayed with the same family. We picked this Mexico location due to it being cheaper and much easier to get to. We were a ...
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I attended this program with my high school son. We were both students and stayed with the same family. We picked this Mexico location due to it being cheaper and much easier to get to. We were a little worried about safety before we went but checked out those issues with friends who know the area and other national websites which reassured us this is far south of any of the troubles other parts of Mexico is having. Once we lived there we couldn't agree more! We felt safe walking around at almost all times. We had a 20 min. walk to school each day and the people we passed on the streets were among the most friendly we've ever met. It is a peaceful, quaint town that we loved to walk through. The university was much bigger than I thought. I think there are about 12 classrooms on two floors around a central courtyard. There other other departments that are located throughout this old city so no one site is overly large. The language institute is all in one location and there is a rotating set of students -- US abroad students from 9am - 1pm then Mexican students learning English before and after the abroad students. It makes for a very multi-cultural feel. Every one of the 10 students from the US was paired with one of the Mexican students to practice with a native speaker 2-3 times a week after school hours. It was an adventure for us all to get to know the locals and a great addition to the program that was offered. Since my son and I were both basically just finished with the equivalent of 2 years of high school Spanish we were placed in the same class after taking our placement test. We only had 2 other students in our class so we got A LOT of attention and NO English was spoken at all. Due to our level of Spanish we had 2 hours of grammer followed by a break then 2 hours of conversation. Our teachers were wonderful, local instructors. Although our conversation class was a bit slow we were able to work with the administration onsite for them to quicken the pace which helped a lot. They were very open to suggestions. The other 8 students in our program were all at more advanced levels so they had different classes and teachers. Home Stay - we LOVED the family that we stayed with. Our meals were terrific and varied. The mama of the family felt it her duty to introduce us to as many different foods as possible. She was always in tune with our changing activity schedule so that food was ready when we needed it. We each had our own room. We didn't have easy access to a TV but we did have internet. The other students mostly had internet and TV access. The rooms were clean, neat but very basic. The family had a larger home with their 4 grown children still living there so we got to interact with many different people... always in Spanish which was awesome! Cultural Programs - the in-country coordinator, Layla, did a terrific job coordinating all our different activities which were varied and frequent. We had dancing and cooking lessons in addition to walking tours and a weekend in the Sierra Norte mountains staying in an EcoTourismo. We loved the Sierra Norte trip! It was beautiful, interesting and an adventure especially since it was raining 1/2 the time. Everyone in the group was great about it all. The activities after class happened about 2-3 times per week, none were required but they were always fun and interesting so we went to all of them that we could. One last thing is about how flexible the language school was. My son and I only had 3 weeks to spend and they allowed us to attend the program anyway. They made special accommodations for us including having to write an extra final exam (yes! there are exams!). We didn't get as much college credit as the other students but we are so glad we were able to do all of this. Our Spanish improved 100%! "
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If your child is ready for an immersion experience-- this is the company to do it with. The people at Sol Abroad are awesome! I always knew my 15 year old daughter was well cared for, by her family ...
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If your child is ready for an immersion experience-- this is the company to do it with. The people at Sol Abroad are awesome! I always knew my 15 year old daughter was well cared for, by her family the directors and staff. Although she was homesick at times, by the end of her 7 weeks she didn't want to leave. I'm so happy she had this memorable experience and stepped up to the challenge of a longer stay. I see that she has matured more than if her time had been spent at home. I was worried that it was going to be too much school work for the summer but she came home very relaxed and refreshed. I'd highly recommend Sol Abroad. "
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Justin loved every part of it! He went to study. We sent him to have a wonderful experience and broaden his horizons. I'm sure some studying was done while he was there --- he no longer speaks ...
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Justin loved every part of it! He went to study. We sent him to have a wonderful experience and broaden his horizons. I'm sure some studying was done while he was there --- he no longer speaks Spanish like a white boy from Calabassas, but actually has started to pick up legitimate pronunciation. :-) But mostly, he came back full of new experiences, stories and adventures about the things he did. The friends he made. The country he visited. And he is hoping to travel again next summer as part of the Amigos de Americas program. We couldn't be happier! "
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We loved how many diverse, varied, and interesting activities you planned for the students! They were a wonderful mix that offered the students new experiences rich in the Argentinian culture. "
