Summer in Costa Rica

It was my first time ever traveling outside of the country. I was so nervous and unsure, but my home and host universities were so supportive. They walked me through every step of the way. I met amazing people, tried new food, and experienced culture in a way I never could’ve in the United States. The connections I made while there have changed me as a person. I still talk to my host mom, my Mama Tica, to this day. Even with the language barrier between us, we built such a close connection in such a short time. When it came time for me to leave for the airport, we were both crying. This is an experience I would reccomend to anyone, especially those who are scared to take the leap.

I'll just go in order of the 6 categories of academics, living situation, cultural immersion, program administration, healthy and safety, and community. Academics - I found this study abroad because I was interested in the program for health professionals. As it turns out, you can only choose session 1 or session 2 if you do that specific program, but if you want to do both sessions, apply to the double session program and then just choose health-related classes. There were lots of different course offerings, some in English, some in Spanish. I took 4 classes total, 2 in English, 2 in Spanish. I thought the academics were too easy. For some people, that sounds perfect, for some people, that sounds boring. It just depends on what type of person you are. Living Situation - Genuinely the best part of my trip. I love my Tico family so much. I had a wonderful room and support system, and ate some amazing food. I know that other people in the program didn't have as much of a great experience as I did with my family, but you can also always talk with the program staff if you ever have any concerns/needs. Cultural Immersion - The program had some really amazing experiences for us to do together, and if you participate in both sessions, it will be different experiences for you to try in the 2nd round. Probably my favorite was going to La Fortuna to swim around a waterfall, but we also hiked a dead volcano (Irazú), and tried fresh cacao. In terms of really learning the language and culture, explore the city, and really get to know your host family. Program Administration - The program staff were wonderful. All of our questions were answered, they learned everyone's names, and really wanted to provide us with the best experience possible. There are pre-departure sessions for students and for parents, which I think is a great idea and also helped my parents feel more comfortable with me leaving. Health and Safety - If you follow the recommendations of the program staff, you will be safe and comfortable. Avoid walking around at night at all, but if you have to, do it in a group. It's pretty basic things like that to be aware of, and everything will be good. For medical insurance, you pay for it before you leave, and if you get hurt or sick while there, you pay in-person out-of-pocket but then get fully reimbursed afterwards. Community - I'm not a party person, so when I rate the social scene, I'm not including that. (Although I have friends that had lots of fun going to bars and parties while there.) What I am including is the people on the trip, the local places to go, and the offerings on campus. I absolutely loved the weekly dance classes that are offered at no additional price. For fun local places, I explored book stores, weekend markets, and cafes. I definitely recommend Feria Verde that's open every weekend. You can find good food, gifts/souvenirs, and art.

These are three descriptors I would use to summarize my time in Costa Rica. On this trip, it felt like my 3:00pm class was just a fraction of my overall experience. What was truly exceptional was my time spent white water rafting, going to the beach, taking an afternoon to enjoy live music in the heart of the city, and hiking up one of the many mountains that loom over the capital city. Travelling far away from home does not just bring about a change in the way you learn, but also in the way you live. Surely, you learn plenty about history, cultural norms, environmental conservation initiatives, and much more, but the way in which those lessons impact your outlook on the world influences what beliefs you take back home with you. Regardless, travelling to Costa Rica will be a lot of fun, no matter what. There is something for the thrillseekers, the researchers, the athletes, the extroverts, and anyone else you can think of.

My experience in Costa Rica truly was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. There wasn’t a day that didn’t go by where I wasn’t mind blown by the scenery I was surrounded by on my walk to school, the adventures and possibilities to be planned, among so many other things. If there is an opportunity for anyone to branch out, experience something new, and step outside of their comfort zone, I would encourage it.

I studied abroad during the Summer of 2023 in Costa Rica through CIS Abroad and it was an amazing experience that changed my life. The application process for CIS was relatively easy and well-laid out so I was rarely confused and whenever I was it was easy to get in contact with my application advisor to get answers. Once I was accepted, the pre-departure steps and preparation were also easy to follow and I think they prepared me well for my study abroad trip. Once I was in Costa Rica, my on-site directors were super friendly, and helpful, and provided us with so many opportunities to immerse ourselves in the culture. We had two included trips as part of the program and they offered two additional ones we could add for extra payment. They worked with us on prices and what we wanted to do in these places and were great guides throughout all the trips and kept us very safe. I went on both the included trips and one of the optional ones which allowed me to experience various locations around Costa Rica and I wish I stayed for longer so I could see more of the country! Luckily, I had a field trip included in one of my courses as well that was free of charge! CIS and Veritas University offered so many interesting courses to choose from and it was relatively easy to switch classes and get assistance if needed.

I LOVED my time in Costa Rica. I truly enjoyed every moment. The CISAbroad staff was so helpful and always just a text away whenever I needed them. My host family was kind and provided everything I needed and more. I enjoyed my classes and the student culture at the Univeristy and felt as my education was truly enhanced by my time. I cannot recommend this trip enough to students who are looking to expand their Spanish language abilities as well as immerse themselves in the beautiful Tico culture!!!

Over the summer, I visited San Jose, Costa Rica for 8 weeks. I took 3 classes, lived with a host family and visited all 7 provinces in the country. Costa Rica has to be one of the most beautiful countries I've ever seen, the study abroad experience I had was absolutely amazing from the trips to multiple beaches, living with my host family, the food, and the classes I took at the university. In two of my classes I honed my Spanish skills and I now know so much more Spanish than I did before and in my third class I swam with giant sea turtles and caught sting rays and saw dolphins, it was absolutely amazing. This experience pushed me out of my comfort zone and showed a simpler much happier way to live and I am grateful to have had this experience.

CIS Abroad helped me in many ways in choosing the right program for me. I lived with a host family which was an amazing way to learn and be a part of the culture. Also, CIS Abroad is one of the most affordable programs to study abroad.

My study abroad trip to Costa Rica marked this past summer as the best one I've ever had. The immersive cultural experience, amazing friends, and incredible adventures made possible by CISabroad made my study abroad experience in Costa Rica one I will never forget. Thank you CISabroad!! And ¡Pura vida!

When my mom was in college, she studied in Costa Rica and absolutely fell in love. Because I had Spanish experience, and because my mom had gone there, I decided it was where I wanted to have my first study abroad experience--and I have absolutely no regrets. Costa Rica is an amazing country, and very different from the States. Universidad Veritas had a great vibe--they had cool indoor/outdoor spaces inside the university, complete with trees and other plants. My class instructor was excellent, and I found the students at the school very oriented towards foreign exchange students. I got to help model some clothes for a group studying clothing design, which was really cool--if a little nerve-wracking at first! If you're nervous about going abroad--maybe it's your first time leaving home, maybe you don't speak perfect Spanish--CIS is the perfect program to help you get your feet wet. The onsite coordinator in Costa Rica was super knowledgeable, compassionate, and fun-loving. She made our excursions and socials exciting and enjoyable, but was also there for any questions or concerns we had. The CIS staff will help you through every step off the application and acceptance process, and through every day you're in your host country. Studying abroad is one of the best things I've ever done for myself. I grew in self-confidence, learned to let loose a little bit, and fell in love with Costa Rica, its people, and its ecology--just like my mom did.

Whether it's in Latin America, Europe, etc., I HIGHLY recommend studying or interning abroad to EVERYONE. Studying abroad in Costa Rica has definitely been one of the highlights in my undergraduate career, and if I had the chance to I would go to Europe, preferably Italy, France, Spain, or Czech Republic! While I was abroad, I faced my fear of heights by ziplining across Latin America's highest and longest zipline. It was terrifying, but awesome! I made life-long friends and travel buddies. And I definitely took away great life pointers from this experience. For example, cultural competency, open-mindedness, safety within foreign environments, economic differences across the globe, and many more. Sometimes finances inhibit students from studying abroad. The best advice I can give is to make it happen by any means necessary because you CANNOT miss out this life changing experience. I applied last minute and missed a bunch of scholarship deadlines, so definitely don't do that. However, my program was understanding enough to still provide me with a minor, but very helpful, scholarship. Apply and take a leap of faith! It will change your perspective on life forever. Happy and safe travels!

This trip was an amazing experience. My host family was amazing, the professors at the university were great, and the people I met are what I consider lifelong friends! The cultural immersion forces you to learn Spanish, and it is honestly the best way to do so! I highly recommend this program to all!

My experience in Costa Rica was incredible. Everyone that I had the opportunity to meet and talk with was incredibly friendly and fun to have a conversation with. The professors and staff at the university were some of the greatest people I've ever met and they stopped at nothing to make sure that I enjoyed my time in a foreign country. I loved taking trips every weekend and I even went to a soccer game while I was there. Overall, I had a great experience and would recommend this program and this trip to anyone who was looking to go.

thjs program was great, they help you through everything and are always there for you. I do wish the program was more organized when it came to excursions. There were a few times we were told we would have extra time for additional activities on the excursions, but it changed once we were there. Other than that the people are great!

I loved coming to Costa Rica. The language spoken here was easier than I though it would be. The living situation worked well, communication between my host family was easy and convenient. I give it a 10. I wish more people would have stayed for 8 weeks, but I understand their situations. I plan on advising others to come to Veritas and Costa Rica because of the quality of education I received.

I will never forget this study abroad experience. My academic experience was the best, the program coordinator Lisa made me feel very comfortable and helped me access everything I needed in Costa Rica. Before leaving to Costa Rica CIS prepared me well to go abroad and gave me information that I needed to take with me.

Costa Rica was an incredible time and is a very special country. It is considered the happiest country in the world, has everything from perfect weather, beautiful sights, and some of the nicest people I have ever met. It is a very special and unique country to Latin America. Although it is a small country it has a huge amount of things to offer. After being there for over 9 weeks, there were still countless things I wanted to do. I went in with a positive attitude and knew I would get a lot out of the experience, but after going there I got the most amazing experience that I never imagined I would get.

I loved Costa Rica. Everything about it made me a better, more well-rounded person. I would go back in a second! Everyone was very welcoming and treated us like we were at home. The locals were interesting, kind people and my homestay was great.

Everything about my experience was fantastic. From Brian in the States helping me organize everything I needed to Lisa in Costa Rica and her extremely helpful hand. The school was awesome and my host mother was amazing. All of my excursions, planned with CIS or not, we're a blast. I would relive this experience a thousand times over.

Loved the entire experience. CIS did a great job. Plan on doing another trip with them in Spain.

It was a good experience. Being emerged into the culture really helped learn the language.

It's important to remember you're in another country, so just use your common sense when traveling. Academics: Veritas was a great school, especially for study abroad students! Health and Safety: as long as you aren't alone, everything will be okay. Traveling in groups is so important, especially since there is automatically a target on you as a tourist/ exchange student. Social Life: San Jose has a lot to offer, but traveling to other areas is also very fun! There are many Ladies nights, so definitely try to find those spots and take advantage. On the same note, make sure you travel in groups!!! Never ever go out at night alone.

Costa Rica is an awesome place to study abroad. Great people, beaches, and food.

Very scarry but very cool! Academics: Little supplementary information provided by instructors. Work load is generally fair. Living Situation: Wonderful! Cultural Immersion: Most people spoke english even when addressed in Spanish. Health and Safety: Just stay in groups and be aware of your surroundings.

I enjoyed this program a lot. My family taught me so much about Costa Rica and the culture of the country. The classes were interesting and I was able to earn 8 credits in five weeks. The adventures I went on were things that most people only dream of...ziplining and waterfalls. My only complaint is that the better excursions cost money out of your own pocket and aren't included in the program fee. Also, the university set up a field trip to the same place that I had gone on with the CIS abroad program. Health and Safety: I didn't always feel safe walking in San Jose. I had class at night and it was difficult to find someone to walk with. There was no shuttle at that time either.

Every experience is what you make of it.

Reviews are difficult because each experience is so unique and depends so much on the individual's attitude on experiencing life. For me, I was able to accomplish what I came to do. I was able to learn more Spanish, go on adventures, and experience the Costa Rican lifestyle. It was made stellar because I was surrounded by strangers (now friends) who came to accomplish similar goals. We traveled on the weekends together, we studied together, we danced the nights away. We lived. The best thing in life is having the opportunity to be in a place like Costa Rica that allows you to really experience life and even better when shared with friends. Academics: The school is wonderful, very modern and clean. Class time was well organized, challenging, fun, and included excursions and time to watch the World Cup. Living Situation: It wasn't a five star hotel and I was not expecting it to be. It was a real experience staying in a home in a different culture. I appreciated it. Cultural Immersion: I truly experienced the Costa Rican lifestyle by interacting with my host family. I loved my host mother's cooking and am grateful for the time we spent every night after dinner practicing Spanish. Program Administration: There were some wrong emails and billing sent to me, but were corrected promptly, and I had some personal problems understanding directions (which is operator error, not the program). Health and Safety: The barbed wire fenced homes are intimidating, the catcalls annoying, the streets a bit dirty . . . but I never felt that I was in danger. It really helped that we had our own personal "knights in shining armor" who would make sure we got home safe after school. Social Life: It helps when you make friends :)

Musa Confusa is the spot to go if you want a decent priced meal that is delicious. Academics: Advanced courses for native speakers are challenging to a point then it becomes redundant. Living Situation: I LOVED the host family i lived with. They treated me like one of their children as well as were super nice and super supportive. they were flexible to our schedules when they changed. Cultural Immersion: The excursions were a great way to learn more about costa rica as well as the culture of the locals. I wish the students would practice their spanish during the excursions but one cant control that. Program Administration: Our on site director ROCKS!! i honestly think she should have an application on iphone or droid for places to eat because all the places she recommends are amazing. Health and Safety: people need to be more aware of their surroundings so stupid things wont happen to them Social Life: love the night life

I overall had no regrets of anything I did it was awesome meeting new people, trying new food, and adapting to another. You must have an open mind with everything to have a full experience. Academics: Classes were extremely long hard to keep focus the whole time. Living Situation: Great living situation didn't expect too much for my first time going to a foreign country. So good experience overall. Health and Safety: Couple incidents occurred to females mainly because of alcohol was involved. Social Life: It's extremely easy to meet people especially Americans because you already share common interest by being in Costa Rica. Locals are excited to meet you as we'll because you're Americans.

this has been the best experience of my life so far. Ive enjoyed the ups and downs of being here and im so grateful to have lived it.

You won´t regret studying abroad in Costa Rica!

It was good experience. The country as beautiful. the touristic places were expensive yet beautiful. The people were helpful and my host mom was very nice and intelligent and passionate about religion and politics like I am Living Situation: It was clean and neat Cultural Immersion: I wished I could have stayed longer Program Administration: They were very helpful. Health and Safety: It was very safe . they had barb wires and several locks

I had the privilege of landing in Costa Rica with amazing roommates. We quickly became friends exploring the city and local beaches. The school, Veritas, is small but amazing and the classes are right on target with what you want. My spanish class was fantastic, I learned more in my 4 week class than I did in 3 years of high school spanish. My teachers were amazing. I would do it all again. There is so much to see in Costa Rica and so much to do. Cultural Immersion: You are dropped in the middle of everything, it was awesome Health and Safety: I never felt unsafe, but I did take precautions. I was always in a group and kept my purse or bookbag close to my body.

This trip solidified my desire to immerse myself in the spanish language and culture. Academics: Both classes I took were fun and interesting but neither my Spanish or elective class were challenging. Living Situation: I loved my host family! They were very welcoming and you could tell that they really wanted to give us the best possible experience. This is where I learned and used the most Spanish. Cultural Immersion: There are so many activities provided both by the school and CIS director that make it easy to immerse yourself in the culture. The only downfall was I did not participate in all of them. Program Administration: Everyone who assisted me in this experience was knowledgeable and helpful. Any problems I had were dealt with quickly and efficiently. Health and Safety: Before arriving I had read that Costa Rica was a dangerous place where you couldn't go out alone and people would steal your bags. I was shocked to see that what I read on the internet was far from the truth. The area of my house and the university was very residential and very safe. When walking in down town it was best to stay with a small group and watch your belongings, but it was no different from being in any major US city. Social Life: There are so many activities provided by both the school and company where many students go. There are malls, bars, and restaurants all very close by.

Ideally, the program includes magnificent excursions with comfortable methods of transportation, a modern university, good academic professors, and decent homestay assignments. The most important thing though is that students are mainly doing this for credits they need for their major or for their college requirements-and that is the area where CIS is shaky. My advisor didn't know the correct time classes were offered during the day, so I was told I was able to take Spanish for Health Professionals, and one or two electives. That's wrong. The time for the health professional classes overlapped with the time for the electives. And one of the electives wasn't even offered at Veritas--although I picked all these classes from a list given to me by CIS. It was very stressful to find that all out on the first day there after I had already gotten those classes preapproved by my university after a long arduous process, realizing I had to pick a new class which didn't even count for credits back home. If the advisors had just called Veritas and asked, all this would have been avoided. Also, filling out all the forms before traveling abroad (although necessary) was very disorganized. My on-site advisor couldn't even find the page online they kept telling us to go to..which only had like half the forms needed. So, if the program could just make just one webpage, or just one email, with links to every single form we need to fill out, with the deadline, that would smooth the process over a lot more, and I guarantee they'll have a lot less late forms. Also, I do NOT recommend this programs for those of you who are spanish majors and need to be fluent to graduate. This program is great for students learning spanish for the first time since high school, or for those who are maybe spanish minors, but at the school, you only speak English outside of class, since everyone else you see speaks English. And you're usually at the school for 6 or more hours a day, so most of the time you're speaking English. Also on the weekend long excursions its all English as well. And Spanish is only spoken in the home, which you won't be in that often because you'll most likely be out exploring the city with your English classmates or speaking English to your host sister who only wants to practice English. I was lucky and got an only Spanish speaking family, but it wouldn't be hard to ask if you could only speak spanish in the home because youre paying a lot of money to learn the language :) All in all, I don't want this review to scare people away from this program--I was able to see nearly the whole country from the excursions-I went bungee jumping, I swam under a waterfall, I went ziplining, I walked up a volcano, went to a five star hotspring resort and rode a waterslide that wouldn't be legal in the states, I learned how to surf and I got to see just about everything the beautiful country had to offer. The school was very modern and high tech due to the "art and design" part of the institution (and also had filtered water fillers). Academics: The classes were sufficiently challenging Living Situation: I'm very glad I was with a family that acted like I was a part of the family, and not a guest in a hotel room. Cultural Immersion: The homestay definitely helped introduce me to the cultural aspects of Costa Rica. However, this program was not a "total immersion program" since most of the time at Veritas I was surrounded with US international students. There was a spike in the amount of international students in the month I went (I believe 300 some). I think this is a good program to practice spanish, but it should not be advertised as a program in which you can reach fluency, since there were so many english speaking US students. Program Administration: Lisa Pinheiro was excellent. She is what really organizes this CIS program, and without her everything else would fall apart. I came to Veritas with pre-approved classes, and my first day here I found out they didn't even offer one of the them. My CIS advisor should have had a correct/updated list of classes. Because I ended up wasting time taking a class I already had credit for. Health and Safety: The neighborhood where they put you is more safe that the rest, but even the safest neighborhoods you don't want to be walking alone. Social Life: I met a lot of interesting and cool students from all over the states.

I initially came for an internship but unfortunately the people in charge of setting me up with an internship failed at doing so by placing me in a fair trade business organization. I specifically asked for something in the environmental or geology fields and got business. The only other option for me after of week of wasting my time was to take an environmental science course. Since I had taken all of the environmental science courses offered at Veritas already at my home school, I decided to take one with field trips so I could get the most of my experience in Costa Rica. I find that there is a lack of transparency sometimes in communicating with staff of the program. I did everything I needed to do in advanced or on time so I could be placed in a successful program but despite that I wasn't placed in an internship that would benefit my career. This was very disappointing. I feel like a wasted a whole summer and a lot of money since I now to need to pay extra for switching programs. This experience turned into a vacation and I was expecting to gain work experience in my field. Health and Safety: At first I was scared of walking on the streets alone but there are other students around and there are security guards most of the time. Social Life: The international students were very nice and fun. The Costa Rican students were also very nice. The salsa class was super fun.

Find local bakeries and eat there as much as possible. Many Costa Rican prices are comparable to U.S. prices, except for the bakeries which are very inexpensive. Everything is fresh-made and delicious. Academics: Wonderful professors with an effective teaching style. Living Situation: Kind and generous and wonderful cooks. Health and Safety: Same as any major city anywhere in the world. Social Life: Very easy to make friends. Everyone lives within walking distance of each other. Get ready to enjoy yourself.

This experience was great. I got to really dive into Spanish during class, then I could explore the area and see the cool attractions. I wish I would have taken the initiative and met more locals but I made many friends from around the US. Academics: It was challenging and I learned a ton. I enjoyed my classes. Living Situation: My host was very receptive and excited to have me there. She was helpful and patient when I didn't know how the words in Spanish. Cultural Immersion: I got to experience many different aspects of the culture but it was way too easy to only make friends with other students from the US Program Administration: They were very helpful and welcoming. Health and Safety: I felt pretty safe as long as I was not alone. I did not feel scared when I would go out, because I always took precautions. Social Life: I wish I would have met more locals, but the friends I did meet are great and we did a lot of different things together most days.

The people here are great! Food wise I recommend a donut filled with dulce de leche and gallo pinto :) Cultural Immersion: Hard to diversify yourself from the other international students Program Administration: Lisa Pinhero is awesome but Tristan Brosnan is very unsure of himself and is not comforting to talk to when you have never been abroad before and need to know facts. Health and Safety: The house is extremely safe however when walking to school several people wistle and honk at you and make comments like "que quapa." I have been told they are harmless but it still made me extremely uncomfortable.