To use GoAbroad, start with the type of experience you want, filter programs by destination, subject, and timing, then read each program's details, inclusions, and reviews before you decide. You can save programs in MyGoAbroad and compare up to three side by side, or ask the Online Advisor or the AI Program Finder to suggest matches.
With so many programs to choose from, a clear process matters more than a long list. GoAbroad is the original online resource for meaningful travel, helping you find and compare study, volunteer, teach, and intern abroad programs worldwide since 1997. The steps below show how to get the most out of that, from your first search to your first message to a provider.
The key is to narrow before you compare. Start broad with a program type and a destination, add filters until you have a shortlist of three to five programs, then read each one closely, because the details are where programs differ.
This guide walks through finding programs, reading a program page, and contacting providers. It then covers 16 things you can do on GoAbroad that many people never use, from saving and comparing programs to reading interviews and setting up travel insurance and an eSIM.
Where Do You Start on GoAbroad?
Start with the kind of experience you want. GoAbroad organizes programs by type, and the Choose Experience menu at the top of the site moves you between them:
- Study abroad: Semesters, summers, and short programs at universities and with providers.
- Intern abroad: Placements with companies and organizations.
- Volunteer abroad: Service projects and community placements.
- Teach abroad and TEFL courses: Teaching placements, plus certification.
- Gap year and degrees abroad: Structured time between school and work, and full degrees.
- Language schools and high school abroad: Language study, and programs for younger students.
- Adventure travel: Trips and expeditions.
If you're still deciding between types, it helps to read through how to pick the right program abroad before you narrow your search.
How Do You Search and Narrow Your Results?
Within each category, you can narrow by country or city, by subject or field, and by season. It usually works best to start broad, such as a country and a program type, and add one filter at a time so you can see how your results change.
Aim for a shortlist of three to five programs. That's enough to compare meaningfully and few enough to read closely, and the tools described below make it easier to get there.
How Do You Read a Program Page?
Once a program catches your eye, open its page and work through it from top to bottom. Most pages follow the same layout, so you can check the same things each time:
- Overview and highlights: What the program is about and what a typical week looks like.
- Quick details: The location, starting price and length, terms offered, age requirement, and eligible nationalities.
- What's included and exclusions: Housing, meals, insurance, transfers, and extras. Exclusions often include airfare, visa fees, and deposits, so read them as closely as the inclusions.
- Program details: Education levels, accommodation options, application steps, durations, payment terms, and the refund policy.
- FAQs and interviews: Providers answer common questions, and some pages include interviews with alumni or staff.
- Recognitions and awards: Badges such as Top Rated Program, shown when a program has earned one.
Pay attention to what a page doesn't say. In GoAbroad's program data as of October 2026, about 35% of programs ask you to contact the provider for costs, and only about 15% show a starting price tied to a length. Around 3 in 10 programs record a refund policy type, and most of those say "refund with conditions" or "other," so open the full policy before you pay a deposit. Where a page is silent, ask the provider.
16 Things You Can Do on GoAbroad to Get More Out of Your Search
Most people use GoAbroad to search and stop there. The site also has tools for matching, saving, comparing, funding, and pre-departure planning, and using them together saves time and helps you catch details you'd otherwise miss. Here is everything worth using, in the order you're likely to need it.
1. Get matched with programs
If you'd rather have help narrowing down, Get Program Matches lets you share your interests, destinations, and program types. GoAbroad's Online Advisors review your inquiry and send suggestions from the program database. Because each match comes from an outside provider, your contact information is shared with the providers selected so they can send you details.
2. Ask the AI Program Finder
The AI Program Finder works as a conversation. You describe what you're looking for, and it returns recommendations with requirements, inclusions, and reviews from past participants. It's useful for testing an idea quickly, such as a destination or a budget, before you commit to a search.
3. Create a free MyGoAbroad account
A MyGoAbroad account gives you a personalized dashboard where you can bookmark programs, save articles and resources, and organize your travel plans in one place. It's the tool that turns a long search into a shortlist, and most of the features below work best once you have an account.
4. Compare two or three programs side by side
From your dashboard, you can compare two or three saved programs at a time. Look at inclusions, locations, projected costs, and feedback from past participants, and use the same checklist for every program so the differences stand out:
For more on weighing your options, see this guide to comparing study abroad programs.
5. Read reviews closely
Reviews are most useful when you can trust where they come from. GoAbroad has been connecting travelers with meaningful programs abroad since 1997, with thousands of verified reviews from past participants to help you compare your options confidently. GoAbroad's reviews team authenticates reviews before they're published, so the useful skill is reading them well.
Read the overall rating and the number of reviews together. In the program data, about 40% of programs have at least one review and about 13% have ten or more, so a long review history gives you more to work with. Check the category scores for areas like living situation and health and safety, read the lowest scores as well as the highest, and favor recent reviews that describe housing, staff, and daily schedules in detail.
6. Read alumni and staff interviews
Many program and provider pages include interviews with alumni or staff. They go into detail that a star rating can't, such as what inspired someone to go abroad and what the experience was really like, which makes them a good complement to reviews.
7. Look for the Verified icon
The verification system vets providers to confirm they're established, legitimate companies. Look for the Verified icon on provider profiles, program pages, and search results. If it isn't there, GoAbroad hasn't verified that provider yet, so ask more questions. This guide to telling if a travel program is legit adds more ideas.
8. Apply for scholarships and deals
You can submit a single application through MyGoAbroad to get exclusive discounts on travel programs, and the scholarships pages and articles cover funding options from other sources. It's worth doing this before you commit, since some funding has early deadlines.
9. Compare travel insurance
You can compare travel insurance for your trip without leaving the site. Check what your program already includes first, since many include medical and accident coverage, and then decide whether you need more.
10. Set up a travel eSIM
The eSIM and mobile data pages help you arrange data for your destination before you leave, so you're connected when you land. It's an easy item to forget until the last week, and it's simple to handle early.
11. Book flights and find a place to stay
The pages for flights and transportation and accommodations cover the logistics around your program. Wait for your acceptance and any visa decision before booking anything you can't change, and check whether your program already arranges housing.
12. Plan your money abroad
The finances and credit cards page covers travel credit cards and financing for your trip. Looking at your options before you leave helps you avoid surprise fees and gives you a plan for paying while you're away.
13. Check passports, visas, and embassy information
Entry requirements depend on your citizenship, your destination, and how long you'll stay, so check passports and visas early and use the embassy information to find the right office. Visa timelines can be longer than people expect, which is another reason to start early.
14. Read travel articles and guides
GoAbroad's travel articles cover choosing programs, funding, safety, and preparing to go. You can save the ones you find useful to your MyGoAbroad dashboard and return to them when you reach that step.
15. Search for jobs abroad
If you're looking for paid work rather than a program, jobs abroad is where you can browse international jobs. It's a useful companion if you're weighing an internship or a teaching placement against a paid role.
16. Share your own review
After your program, you can write a review of it. Your experience helps the next traveler decide, and the details that helped you most, such as housing, staff, and costs, are usually the ones worth including.
How Do You Contact a Provider and Apply?
Each program page gives you three ways to take the next step. Inquire Here sends a question to the provider, Visit Website takes you to the provider's own site, and Apply Now goes to its application. A Provider Inquiry Form shares your information only with the provider you contact.
Before you apply, ask for an itemized fee sheet, a sample schedule, and the refund policy in writing. If you're comparing several providers, send each one the same questions so the answers are easy to line up, and keep the replies together in one place.
Frequently Asked Questions About Using GoAbroad
Is GoAbroad free to use?
Yes. Browsing programs and using MyGoAbroad and the Online Advisor are free. Programs are run by independent providers, so you pay the provider directly if you enroll. Confirm all costs, refund terms, and deadlines with the provider before you pay a deposit.
Does GoAbroad run the programs it features?
No. The programs are run by independent providers, and GoAbroad connects you with them. When you inquire or apply, you're dealing with the provider, so ask the provider about fees, dates, refunds, and anything else you need to know.
What else can I do on GoAbroad besides search?
You can save and compare programs in MyGoAbroad, read reviews and interviews, apply for scholarships and deals, compare travel insurance, set up an eSIM, and check flights, accommodations, visas, and embassy information for your destination.
What does the Verified icon mean?
It means GoAbroad has vetted the provider as an established, legitimate company offering meaningful travel programs. The icon appears on provider profiles, program pages, and search results. If you don't see it, GoAbroad hasn't verified that provider yet.
How are reviews checked?
GoAbroad's reviews team authenticates reviews before they're published, confirming that each reviewer took part in the program, either through the provider or by asking the reviewer for more information. Read the overall rating and the number of reviews together.
What if I don't know what kind of program I want?
Use Get Program Matches or the AI Program Finder. Share your interests, destinations, and goals, and they suggest programs from GoAbroad's database. Then save the ones you like in MyGoAbroad and compare them using the same checklist.
Is my information shared when I use the Online Advisor?
Yes, with the providers selected. The matches come from outside providers, so your contact information is shared with them so they can send details. A Provider Inquiry Form shares your information only with the provider you contact.
Make the Most of Your Search
Using GoAbroad well comes down to an order of operations: pick the type of experience, narrow by destination and subject, read the program page closely, check the reviews, interviews, and verification, then compare a short list side by side. Each step removes options, which is what keeps a large database from feeling overwhelming.
The tools around the search matter just as much. A MyGoAbroad account keeps your shortlist and articles together, scholarships and deals can lower your costs, and insurance, an eSIM, flights, and visa information turn a decision into a trip. Doing those steps early, instead of the week before you leave, makes the whole process calmer.
The details you can't find on a page deserve a question, whether it's a cost that says to contact the provider, an inclusion that seems shorter than the highlights, or a refund policy that depends on conditions. Send the same questions to every provider on your list, and by the time you choose, you'll know what a good answer looks like.
