I had the most incredible experience!
Best time EVER! Would highly reccomend this program to everyone. I met some of my best friends for life. It was so nice to have a whole team of worldstrides staff onsite to support me in any way I needed!
As a leader in international education since 1987, ISA by WorldStrides is committed to providing university-level students with the opportunity to discover, learn, and enjoy a way of life other than their own. We offer a diverse portfolio of study abroad programs across Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, and the Pacific. We continuously seek to provide high-quality experiences for university students at an affordable price. Each year, thousands of students participate in our programs, including custom programs, service-learning and internships, Gap year programs, Veritas Christian Study Abroad, and EuroScholars undergraduate research. We distinguish ourselves by maintaining our dedication to each student and our comprehensive on-site support offered through resident staff in nearly 75 program locations across the globe.
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Review this ProviderBest time EVER! Would highly reccomend this program to everyone. I met some of my best friends for life. It was so nice to have a whole team of worldstrides staff onsite to support me in any way I needed!
I absolutely loved my time in Florence, Italy through WorldStrides this past spring. I had a ton of support leading up to my arrival in Florence, and once I got there, the staff quickly welcomed me and made it feel like home. My only regret is doing the 15-week program and not the 18-week program! There is so much to do and see within Florence and all over Italy, let alone the rest of Europe! I didn't grasp how easy it was to travel by train and plane until I got there. My time in Florence taught me how to put myself out there and try every new thing that came my way, and for that, I am eternally grateful.
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I recently completed a Study Abroad in Madrid Spain and I had the best summer of my life. I meet so many people both in the program and locally. I was immersed in so much culture from festivals to food to clubs. There will be something you love there. The academics were great not too easy or hard and a good balance with school and life. The only issue I had was with my host family. It was a small family with a mom and a son (23yrs). We barely talked or saw each-other, the rare times we eat it was microwave food. Despite this my time was not ruined and I know plenty of people with better host family experiences!
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I studied abroad in Madrid this past summer, and it was the best time of my life. I thrived and would do anything to go back. Worldstrides was extremely helpful while I was in Spain if it was feeling home sick, needing something that I forgot at home, or just being lost an dneeding directions on how to get home. Also, their planned excursions were very fun and planned very well, with fun schedules and activities planned throughout the entire. I would recommend this to anyone.
Studying abroad was without a doubt the most transformative experience of my life. World Strides made the process so much easier with their quick and detailed communication. I felt like I had so much support and resources to be successful while abroad. They also provided multiple excursions that were already included with my trip. If you get the opportunity to study abroad with world strides I highly recommend!!
There was so much provided with the program that made me feel very secure about my decision to study abroad with WorldStrides. For example, we had a very clear schedule and an overnight excursion to the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu was included. I felt very safe the entire time I was there and knew that if I ever got sick or needed help the program leaders would be there to help me immediately.
Spending a semester in South Africa reshaped the way I see the world and the way I write about it. As a writing major and African and African American Studies minor, I took every history class I could fit into my schedule, learning about liberation movements, identity, and global interconnectedness right from the source. When I wasn’t in class, I was at the beach — literally every minute possible — journaling with my toes in the sand or doing yoga as the sun came up over the water. Spring break took me all the way to Tanzania, where new landscapes and new conversations stretched my perspective even further. I met people who became lifelong friends, the kind you still text years later because the bond formed abroad never really fades. More than anything, the experience gave me a deeper understanding of myself, my studies, and the world I want to help shape. Studying abroad didn’t just change my semester. It changed my life.
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Studying abroad was the best choice I've ever made. Worldstrides, as a partnership program, was the best. The first week, we met for orientation in Cairns, Australia, and they took care of hotel and excursion expenses (this includes the Great Barrier Reef). It was a great first week getting introduced to Australia and my program. They were very helpful before and during my time in Australia, always there for questions, concerns, and planning a handful of group activities + one overnight trip! They were truly a blessing while abroad.
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My study abroad was the greatest time of my life. I met countless friends from the United States and all over the world. I have friends that I am actively planning trips to see again in Paris and am coordinating trips in America for my American friends abroad. Within 3 weeks of my return I went from Ohio to Idaho to see a good friend I had met just months earlier. Every night was an adventure. My French is very good. I would love to go back but also inspire others to take that step in their journey.
My time in Barcelona was unbelievable and unforgettable. I did a semester at UAB in the spring 2026 semester and had the best experience. I met so many amazing people and went so many amazing places. There was something for everyone in Barcelona, it was the perfect city. And it was a great hub to explore more of Europe. I was able to visit 12 countries and 16 cities in an 18 week program. WorldStrides staff in Barcelona were so amazing, they were so helpful and friendly. The living accommodations that they set up for us were perfect as well. I was living very comfortably and all the friends I made in the program agreed that they loved their setups. The WorldStrides excursions were amazing as well, they were so fun and I met even more friends. Truly could not recommend it enough to anyone looking to go abroad.
My time with WorldStrides in Salamanca was incredible. Prior to my departure, I received consistent communication and advice about my time abroad. Once there, I spent time with an amazing host family that truly immersed me in the language and lived right in the middle of the city. The University itself was a wonderful source of global learning with students from all across the world. Throughout my time there, the WorldStrides team in Salamanca supported me every step of the way, offering assistance and support with any questions I had. My month in Spain was the time of my life, largely due to WorldStrides!
I recently studied abroad for 6 weeks in Florence Italy through Worldstrides! Studying abroad was never something I thought I would do, but im so glad I took the opportunity! Worldstrides was incredibly helpful in making me feel comfortable and confident both before and during my program. I had an amazing time exploring Florence, experiencing culture, and on weekend trips. I would definitely recommend studying in Florence through Worldstrides to anyone interested in having an amazing experience!
Deciding to study abroad in Lille with WorldStrides was the best decision of my life. The trip to Paris before going to Lille was amazing. The accommodations were nice and the classes were even better. I met the most amazing people who I'm still friends with, I had amazing food, trips and adventures. I would do it all over again and pick WorldStrides for another study abroad too!
I recently studied abroad for 5 weeks in Lima, Peru with WorldStrides. This experience genuinely changed my life, and the staff and accommodations provided to us by WorldStrides were a huge part of this. The on-site team was extremely supportive, and the additional trips planned by staff made my experience 10x better. I highly recommend using WorldStrides if you are considering studying abroad anywhere!
I studied abroad with Worldstrides in Barcelona during the spring semester of 2026, and it was genuinely life-changing! I was able to connect with professors at my university and my peers and create lifelong friendships. It was easy to make meaningful connections because the academic curriculum revolves around group work. I was able to work with students from all around the world and grow my international interpersonal skills. I can not recommend going with WorldStrides enough! They eased any potential worries I had before and during my time abroad. The team is there to help you and make your experience incredible!
I absolutely loved my time in Florence with World Strides! I had never been out of the country and didn't know anyone else going, so I was terrified, but the experience was amazing. World strides was really easy to work with and offered a lot of free activities in Florence, such as a cooking class and a weekend trip to Lake Garda. The staff were all really kind and welcoming, and I made very good friends in the program. I could not recommend this program enough!
Going abroad was such an amazing experience that I definitely reccomend to everyone! This program in Chile was so immersive and very supportive throughout my time. Worldstrides planned great excursions for us that made it very fun with always something to look forward to!
I had the wonderful opportunity to study abroad in Malaga for the month of June, and I would recommend it to anyone considering it. There are a multitude of reasons why studying abroad is beneficial, but it is important to figure out why it's best for you. For me, being abroad gave me the time to learn new skills of independence and learn more about myself. It taught me how to be self-sufficient and to really grow into who I am. Additionally, Malaga was the most amazing city. It was relatively close to many other popular travel destinations (Sevilla, Granada, Nerja) and very accessible to other destinations via public transportation (for example, I went to Madrid on the train). There were endless options of amazing things to do, whether that be shop, go to the beach (there are SEVERAL nearby), hike, go to museums, etc. I also really enjoyed improving and practicing my Spanish. I came in with an already high base level of knowledge, but I got to improve my skills significantly. The best part of the trip was the amazing excursions we got to go on. Our resident director was amazing and all of the excursions were planned out perfectly with adequate time for us to do some exploring on our own as well. 10/10 would recommend!
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Before embarking on my trip, I was super nervous because it was my first time traveling outside the country on my own. As soon as I landed, I immediately felt at home and ready to explore Seville. I was amazed at how beautiful the plaza de España was and overjoyed that it was a part of my daily commute. From the moment I met all my peers, I knew we would become great friends! I also had an amazing time getting to know the Seville staff as they welcomed us all. The excursions were perfectly planned, but they gave us time to explore cities on our own. I also felt that the academics were easy to manage, but challenging nonetheless. Overall, I was so sad to leave the city behind and the beautiful architecture. I enjoyed sketching the beautiful sights in my free time and trying new cafes!
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I am so happy that I chose WorldStrides for my study abroad experience in Madrid, Spain. Going into the semester, I was worried about adjusting to a new country, a new school, and new people. The second I met the WorldStrides team at the airport, I immediately felt welcomed and safe with them. Throughout the entire semester, they went out of their way to support us and were there every step of the way. I lived in an apartment with five other girls, and they ended up becoming my best friends. Despite being in a completely new environment, I adjusted quickly because of the amazing support system I had. Madrid was the loveliest city, and I fell in love with it. I'm so glad I took this big leap because it ended up being the best and most formative experience of my life!
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Read interviews from alumni or staff

Interviewed in 2025
StaffOriginally from a quaint Czech city, Hedvika has studied in multiple European cities and explored South America extensively. She served as ISA Germany...
The impact it has on shaping future generations by building bridges between people and cultures. It's so inspiring to see how students transform during their study abroad experience.
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Interviewed in 2025
StaffAndy is the office manager at ISA Cusco by World Strides, with over 12 years of experience managing programs in Peru. A Cusco native, he loves introdu...
I love sharing my culture with my students. They get to learn something about my country and also end up learning about themselves. We have exchange activities with students from Cusco, where our students can learn or improve their Spanish.
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Interviewed in 2025
StaffLizette, born in Valparaíso, Chile, has worked with ISA since 1996, guiding students through transformative study abroad experiences. A graduate of PU...
I always wanted to study abroad and meet people from other cultures. I did not have the chance to study abroad, but I was so happy to meet foreign students and be part of their abroad experience.
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Interviewed in 2025
StaffMichelle is an international education professional with a Business degree from Baylor University. Since joining ISA in 1998, she has led programs wor...
Studying abroad as an undergraduate student inspired me to work for ISA. I traveled on direct agreement programs through my university, without the support of an organization like ISA.
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Participated in 2024
AlumniShayla Bergene is a first-generation college student from Wisconsin, now in her fourth year at Arizona State University. She works as an ISA Global Ca...
From a very young age, I knew I was going to study outside of the United States. I was always inspired to learn from other cultures, especially to study there, which I knew would be life-changing.
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Participated in 2024
AlumniKatelyn Karwick is a junior at Eastern Michigan University studying abroad in Paris, France through ISA. She now serves as a Global Campus Ambassador ...
If I’m entirely honest, one day I just decided to. I don’t know if it was some post I saw or something that reminded me of it, but I was determined ever since.
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Interviewed in 2025
StaffLaura holds a Master’s in International Business and works in higher education internationalization. Based in Medellín, she supports international stu...
I'm inspired to work for WorldStrides because my study abroad experience was challenging and life-changing. I want to help others have the best experience of their lives while studying in my hometown.
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Participated in 2024
AlumniTucker is from Raleigh, NC, and is a Psychology and Spanish majors student at NCSU. Granada was his first time in Spain and second time in Europe. He ...
I wanted to study abroad because it felt like the perfect opportunity to step out of my comfort zone and experience new cultures firsthand. Learning and practicing Spanish was a key motivator, as I had always been drawn to the language and its rich heritage. Being immersed in a Spanish-speaking country was the best way to truly understand it. I was also eager to travel around Europe, exploring its diversity and history. Beyond that, I saw this as a chance to learn more about myself. It would be my first time completely alone in another country, pushing me to grow, adapt, and find my independence.
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Participated in 2021
AlumniKira loves education, the outdoors, and traveling. They studied at Western Colorado University and Bilabo nature-oriented subjects and Spanish. Kira h...
I wanted to cement my Spanish language skills. I studied Spanish, and I knew I needed immersion to become fluent. I also wanted to travel; I had never left the United States before I studied abroad, and I wanted to see other countries. I also wanted to become comfortable traveling by myself. Study abroad seemed like the solution to all of the above!
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Participated in 2019
AlumniAlayna is a recent graduate from Arizona State University where she received a BA in Global Studies and a minor in Sustainable Tourism. She is passion...
I have a passion for travel and learning about history and culture. My passions even influenced what I chose to study in college. I have been lucky enough to travel internationally a lot with my family, but I always wanted to make it a goal of mine to study abroad and live and learn on my own.
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Participated in 2015
AlumniNicole Springer is currently a senior at Iowa State University majoring in Child, Adult, and Family Services, with a minor in Chinese language. One of...
I have always loved traveling ever since I was a little kid. My parents were fortunate enough to be able to take us to Florida to go to Disney every Christmas. As I grew older, I was able to travel more and had some amazing opportunities. I always knew that I wanted to go abroad specifically to China because I love the culture and the people and I wanted to know as much as I could.
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Participated in 2015
AlumniElena Conklin is a recent music industry graduate from Ramapo College of New Jersey. She studied abroad in London, England, in the Fall of 2015. Elena...
The reason why I decided to study abroad was that I knew I needed some change in my life. I was going through personal struggles right before I applied to go abroad and figured that I needed a change of scenery, and I was completely right about that.
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Participated in 2016
AlumniJayde is from North Carolina and she is currently attending the University of North Carolina in Charlotte. She hopes to work for a magazine publishing...
The hunger to break my routine. I hit a point in my college career where I thought, “Is this it? Do I just get a degree and continue on with a career?” I wanted to see new things, meet new people, and begin to experience my life in a different way. I was scrolling on my Instagram feed and I saw someone mention they were going to study abroad for a week; I thought to myself “This is exactly what I’m looking for. I’m going for it.” That same day I contacted my school only to find out that I called at the perfect time to attend orientation within the next two hours. That day, I chose Greece. It was my only choice.
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Participated in 2011
AlumniAlexandra is a self-proclaimed world traveler from the rural foothills of Northern California. She studied abroad twice during her undergraduate years...
I had two main reasons for choosing ISA. First was the price - ISA stood out as one of the most reasonably priced study abroad programs I found in my search, and their program in Meknes was less expensive than the other programs I was looking at in Morocco. Second, and probably most important, was the reviews. I was very involved in the study abroad community at my university and I was constantly hearing good things about ISA. The representatives who visited my campus were super friendly and had had great experiences, and when I mentioned the idea of studying abroad through ISA instead of a program sponsored by the University of California, my study abroad adviser loved the idea. She told me, "We have a really good relationship with them, they're great!"
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Participated in 2012
AlumniScott is from Green Bay, Wisconsin but he currently lives in Fort Collins, Colorado. His academic experiences revolves heavily around international re...
Both of my brothers had previously studied abroad, so they had instilled into me the importance of immersing oneself into another culture and taking advantage of a special place in life where we are afforded the luxury of time and encouragement for exploration (aka college). From my point of view, in order to become a global citizen, one should encompass learning and living a life perspective outside of an American centrist view. I felt the passion to become better-rounded and equipped to handle potentially adverse situations, which is a common phenomenon in international programs when adjusting to a new culture.
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Participated in 2013
AlumniDeirdre is from Virginia and has a B.A. in English from Lynchburg College. She will be pursuing her M.Ed. in higher education in the fall of 2015, and...
Growing up, my mom always told me about her study abroad experience in Florence, Italy while she was in college. She described it as one of the best experiences of her life. Contrarily, my Dad talked about how he wished he had studied abroad. With these influences, it became a dream of mine to spend a semester in a foreign country. I would not call myself an adventurous person; I like my comfort zone quite a lot. However, I often find that my best experiences are when I push myself to go outside my comfort zone and explore something new. Studying abroad, especially with ISA, was the perfect way for me to do this, and it was the best decision I ever made.
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Participated in 2014
AlumniMandy is from Florida and graduated from Florida Southern College in 2013. She is currently living in New York City and hopes to plan a trip back to E...
I had a strong desire to travel and wanted to do it in a setting where I could meet other people who shared the same enthusiasm of exploring the world as me.
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Participated in 2015
AlumniBen is from Cleveland, Ohio and is currently finishing his junior year of university. Aside from Spain, Ben also did a month-long excursion to Bolivia...
I wanted to see Europe and improve my Spanish language level.
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Participated in 2014
AlumniPaola is a junior at the University of Texas at El Paso, where she has lived her whole life, majoring in organizational and corporate communication wi...
I decided to study abroad to expand my horizons. I had chosen to stay in my hometown for college, so I really wanted to explore what else the world had to offer. I chose to take it to the next step and apply to a summer program in beautiful Rome, Italy. I had grown up so sheltered and dependent, I wanted to test my limits and see what I was capable of.
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Participated in 2014
AlumniChelsea is a senior at Georgia College in Milledgeville, Georgia majoring in Marketing with a minor in international business. Originally born in Onta...
I decided to apply for an international program for so many reasons. I have always had the travel bug and the desire to see everything the world has to offer. After learning a lot about doing business in other countries, from my minor in International Business, I knew that studying abroad was something I had to do. I never imagined however that I would learn so much about myself.
Show Full InterviewAs a leader in international education since 1987, ISA by WorldStrides is committed to providing university-level students with the opportunity to discover, learn, and enjoy a way of life other than their own. We offer a diverse portfolio of study abroad programs across Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, and the Pacific. We continuously seek to provide high-quality experiences for university students at an affordable price. Each year, thousands of students participate in our programs, including custom programs, service-learning and internships, Gap year programs, Veritas Christian Study Abroad, and EuroScholars undergraduate research. We distinguish ourselves by maintaining our dedication to each student and our comprehensive on-site support offered through resident staff in nearly 75 pr...

WorldStrides

WorldStrides
As a leader in international education since 1987, ISA by WorldStrides is committed to providing university-level students with the opportunity to discover, learn, and enjoy a way of life other than their own. We offer a diverse portfolio of study abroad programs across Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, and the Pacific. We continuously seek to provide high-quality experiences for university students at an affordable price. Each year, thousands of students participate in our programs, including custom programs, service-learning and internships, Gap year programs, Veritas Christian Study Abroad, and EuroScholars undergraduate research. We distinguish ourselves by maintaining our dedication to each student and our comprehensive on-site support offered through resident staff in nearly 75 pr...



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