SAI Study Abroad at John Cabot University (Rome, Italy)

I truly recommend SAI's amazingly seamless study abroad program. SAI prepares you for your adventure before departing and provides support through every step of the way (if you need it). I really admired the SAI on-site staff - they led with authenticity, were very helpful, and always made sure we knew their offices were available to us for anything and everything. SAI also provides program enhancements like cultural experiences (cooking classes, day trips, etc.) for FREE which is just incredible and provides amazing opportunities for foundational friendships to form! The Global Leadership Certificate is another enhancement that makes this program unique - it allows you to (if you choose) complete a number of community service hours and reflect often on how your experience abroad is helping you grow as a global citizen. I chose to complete the Global Leadership Certificate and am so grateful I did - I met wonderful locals during community service and gained a unique perspective by reflecting on my time abroad. Rome/Trastevere in itself is an amazing place to study - it is rich with culture, many locals, and a bustling yet home-y feel. By studying there and befriending SAI friends, locals, and JCU students, I grew immensely and became more spontaneous, appreciative, present, and joyful. If I could say one thing that really captures this experience, it would be this: SAI has great resources and runs a seamless program, but what really makes it memorable is the heart put into every part of the experience. That's what leaves me still thinking about it and so grateful for every moment.

SAI was by far the best program I could have chosen to work with during my time abroad. From the moment I registered all the way to months after being back in the States, SAI went out of their way to meet my needs. They picked me up from the airport and took me to my apartment (which they provided), making me feel safe in a country I’d never been to. They had an orientation teaching us the do’s and don'ts of being abroad and the difference in our cultures, which was very beneficial. All semester long, they hosted events that allowed me to explore different parts of Italy and meet amazing people in my program. My favorite events were the pasta making class and wine tasting, as well as making chocolates in Perugina. Even when I got back to the states, they continued to reach out asking how I was adjusting and what they could have done better, to improve their program for the next students. SAI is dedicated to giving students an amazing experience abroad and you can truly see that by the way they care for you. Couldn't recommend SAI enough!

I highly recommend choosing a program like SAI for your study abroad experience because it offers you much more flexibility and opportunity for free time unlike university sponsored trips. I was able to travel to different cities around Italy whenever I wanted by simply taking the train after class. We also had very free weekends to do anything we wanted, like travel to other countries (I went to 4 others in only 5 weeks!). My experience was even greater than I expected because SAI helped make everything go so smoothly and I was never stressed out about anything. They also had plenty of activities for us to get to know each other before classes started which helped with making friends and getting familiar with the city in general a ton. The location in Trastevere was the perfect combination of locals/non-tourists and other study abroad students or families who ventured over the Tiber to our side of the river. Such a cute town with great restaurants and night life (from dancing in the street to little bars!). Close enough to walk and see plenty of the touristy or historical areas in Rome too. SAI takes care of your transcript forms at the end and everything too which was so helpful. I can’t recommend them enough!