Design Study Abroad Programs in Costa Rica

Altogether, I had a great time. We got to see so much and I believe the pacing of the program was great, spending the right amount of time at each location. La Fortuna was my favorite! Traveling in a large group brought up trouble with waiting on students, health issues, etc. but I still think they were able to make the most of it. Having a flexible schedule and being open to adjustments definitely helps. Our guide Rodrigo and our bus drivers were the best!

I really enjoyed this experience. My review is based off of a free trip less expenses such as food and transportation, as I received scholarships for this course. I do know that many students paid upwards of $7,000 on this study abroad trip, which I do find to be a bit much. Considering we were staying in $80 / night hotels with non-working lights, mediocre amenities, and bad air conditioning and bedding coupled with the scarcity of included meals, the figure should have been more around $3,000 without airfare cost. I do not understand how the cost was so high for what was received. I also found living in the dorms with random Costa Rican people to be fun, but a bit restrictive. The morning meals were literally eggs, a piece of bread, and really bad coffee. I was also staying in a really small bunk bed which was uncomfortable. Staying in an affordable hotel would have been better. Next time I recommend the school book out Ester’s Place which is closer to the tech campus and run by a lovely lady who has many rooms available in her home hotel. She also had a much better breakfast and the cost was only $65 / night per person. I stayed here my first night flying in on the 12th and wish I could have gone back but due to restrictions I was not allowed. My family of four at the time in 2019 went on an all inclusive cruise to Italy, Spain, and France for under $10,000 with included meals, drinks , stay, etc. So this trip being $7,000 + for just ONE PERSON is a bit crazy. Regardless, the activities were awesome and for me, price was not an issue as stated before. So, my review without price factored was it was amazing. Great tour guide Rodrigo was so knowledgeable and a very nice guy. He took us to authentic places and not just generic touristy places. I enjoyed seeing the stark contrast in sustainability initiatives between exotic resorts, quasi-governmental organizations, and design firms. I truly did get a wonderful experience with understanding how firms work and the metric process used to gather sustainability info, as well as how to tell if a company may be kind of BS-ing the situation with their sustainability initiatives, or holding themselves accountable. I loved the zip line tour and the coffee and cocoa bean tour. The history tours around the towns was cool, but truly was not necessary. I feel we could have just had an informational PDF sent to us instead of touring these relatively boring historical landmarks. Activities are always more fun than learning about history. I think it would have been much more effective to fly into Liberia, tour the beach and Penninsula Papagayo’s HOA office, then make our way back to San Jose and visit firms, then fly out of SJO. The amount of time driving was frustrating. Or, instead, we would just fly into SJO and tour the Caribbean side of things and skip the western side of Costa Rica altogether. This way the time could be allocated more effectively. I also wish the professors would have split us into groups so we could have gotten to know everyone. There were certain folks I never really got to have conversations with because the groups would naturally clique and we never had forced exposure to each other. Overall it was a wonderful trip and, with a few adjustments I know the next one will be awesome as well!

Coming to TTU Costa Rica was an amazing experience and allowed me to try lots of new and unique things. Rodrigo was the absolute best and the entire trip wouldn't have been half as great and smooth without him! Gonna miss him back in the states, thank you so much for an amazing time!

AIFS CR, helped me des over parts of myself I never would have imagined. Creating life long connections, memories that I’ll never be able to put into words, and a sense of belonging that I will carry with me. The team at AIFS CR made my experience that much better. If you’re in between programs or looking for some change I highly, highly recommend AIFS CR!

I have never traveled outside the country and I am beyond blessed to have gotten the opportunity to! I would 10/10 recommend and do it again! I miss everyone I met and all the friends, but I always get excited to share my travels because it has so far been the best thing I’ve done in my 23 years ! PURA VIDAAA

AIFS Costa Rica gave me the best study abroad experience I could ask for! The staff were super friendly and outgoing, making sure that we were taken care of and adjusting to our new environment. They offered many different excursions and activities that immersed students into the culture and community, as well as tips and tricks for navigating the country. AIFS made me feel at home in a foreign country, and I will cherish this experience for the rest of my life.

My study abroad trip in Costa Rica was something that I will never forget. I had never travelled alone before, but with the aid of the people at AIFS my trip was amazing. I studied Biology and Spanish, while also immersing myself into Costa Rican culture. I am an aspiring bilingual physician, so the program aligned with my goals perfectly! During the 5 weeks of the program, I was able to travel to different areas of Costa Rica every weekend. So not only did I get to experience San José on the weekdays but I got to experience other wonderful cities in Costa Rica. All around, it was an unforgettable experience that I would recommend to anyone!

I loved spending the semester in Costa Rica and I have no regrets about going. It was an amazing opportunity to get out of my comfort zone and really practice my Spanish skills. The excursions were great and the staff was so kind. I'd go back in a heartbeat!

AIFS Costa Rica created the perfect environment for an amazing study abroad experience. They communicated very effectively and prepared us well for every step of the process, anticipating any concerns or problems ahead of time. The classes I took at Universidad Veritas were uniquely eye-opening and I built excellent relationships with my professors. The trips organized by the program directors were super fun bonding and learning experiences that are some of my best memories from Costa Rica. I also had a kind and accommodating host family and I had a lot of time to explore the city and connect with locals.

The choice to study abroad was the best decision I ever made epsecially in my academic career. I studied in San Jose Costa Rica for a spring semester. AIFS was the perfect program to go ith because the staff was super helpful and friendly and the program was very inclusive and inviting. I met so many new people while studying abroad and new friends bith in and outside of my program. AIFS made it much easier to transition from normal academic life to a new country and living style. I was able to take biology classes that really interested me and went on field trips to coral reefs, mangroves and hikes in the jungle. I was able to swim with sea turtles and venture up mountains and down into rivers. Living with a host family was such a wonderful experience and something I had never done before. I was able to see hoe the locals live, where they go, and the community within San Jose. The country is beautiful and full of wildlife. I saw mammals, sea life and exotic birds everywhere I ventured to. I spent some time exploring the beaches as well since they are pristine with crystal clear water. The university is very welcoming with open concept to the outdoors, less roofing and a tree growing right in the middle made it feel like I was studying in nature. I wish to go back one dsy but I highly recommend studying abroad in Costa Rica if you love wildlife and culture and want to learn more.

I am so happy I chose to study abroad with AIFS in Costa Rica. I took my courses in Spanish grammar, Spanish dialects, Ecotourism/Business, and a Mural Painting Course— all of which were much more interactive than a typical US university course and my professors were passionate, awesome people. We had field trips and/or cultural events in every class. With my host family, I had an immersive experience through language, food, and cultural practices which rapidly improved my Spanish language skills and overall cultural awareness. AIFS took our group on three excursions for the first few weekends of the semester, which provided awesome opportunities to see more touristy parts of the country (Manuel Antonio, La Fortuna, Arenal Volcano) and make new friends in the program. They also did smaller excursions into the city throughout the semester, such as museums or butterfly gardens, and had a goodbye dinner at the end of the semester for all of us. AIFS, unlike the other study abroad programs partnered at Veritas University, has a small student center right near campus. This place was a lifeline for me during the semester; I loved having a place to make lunch, reconvene with friends, or talk to the incredible program staff. I loved my experience abroad because of the support I received and would definitely recommend any program with AIFS!

My experience is in Costa Rica was PURA VIDA!!!. Living in another country for a semester has changed my life for the better. During this experience, I was able to immensely improve in my Spanish skills. I am now at a proficient level and working my way to achieve fluency. I would like to thank my AIFS Resident directors for making Costa Rica my home away from home. I have made local friendships that will last a lifetime. I truly enjoyed my experience. I highly recommend AIFS for any student that want to study abroad.

I went to Costa Rica for my spring semester and did AIFS spring extended semester. It was the most amazing time of my life. I made incredible friends who had the same passion to want to explore Costa Rica and grow together. AIFS was by far the best program offered. They were kind, helped with any problems we had, took us on adventures, had a welcoming office, and it was clear how much they cared for us. I recommend that everyone studies abroad and if you chose AIFS it will be the best time of your life. I know I sound like the AIFS poster kid, but I really did enjoy my time with them and have no complaints. I will forever remember my past 4 months in Costa Rica.

I don't have enough good things to say about studying abroad with AIFS in Costa Rica. It was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and AIFS was hands down one of the best parts of the experience. Not only does AIFS have an office building near the university (and none of the other programs do!), but Karla (resident director), Jessenia and Pablo (assistant resident directors) go out of their way to make sure everyone feels safe and comfortable. AIFS was by far the most organized, professional, and kind program that I saw and would 1000% choose them again to study abroad. The classes weren't hard and there was a really good balance of academics while also being able to explore the country. If you're deciding which company to choose to study abroad: GO WITH AIFS. You won't regret it.

I really enjoyed my time as part of the AIFS Study Abroad program in Costa Rica. My host family was so nice and the food was phenomenal. There were some hiccups towards the end of my travel journey in terms of getting transportation to the airport, but the staff overall was helpful and perceptive to my needs. I learned so much about Costa Rican culture in ways that I would not have if I had chosen to visit the Costa Rica on my own. Thank you for everything!

Everyone was so kind and welcoming when I first got there. They really helped to make sure I adjusted and helped me with everything, from classes to the living situation to when I got sick. I had so much fun and wish I could go back.

I have several friends who studied abroad (in different countries and in Costa Rica) not through AIFS and I can say with 100% certainty that my international experience was much better because I studied abroad with AIFS! They provide so much support and information that many others miss out on such as excursions, cultural activities, insurance support, daily presence, amazing living arrangements and the best moral support!

I don't want to take up too much of your time, but this program is amazing. There are many programs that allow students to study abroad in San Jose, but I recommend AIFS over all of them. The staff is incomparable. Speaking to people in other programs, I learned it wasn't the status quo to view Resident Directors as family. That was a special perk of studying with AIFS and so was having access to the AIFS office every weekday. I spent so much of my time in San Jose hanging out with people in the office and learning about Costa Rica from the perspective of people who live there because of that office, and I still had plenty of time to explore for myself. The last thing I'll say is that the excursions were absolutely the best. It seemed like every week in September and especially October, I was explaining to people yet another awesome place we were going. Hot springs and ziplining in one weekend? Rafting and making my own chocolate? Those are forever memories. And there were other, more intimate things unique to AIFS, like a Thanksgiving dinner and a farewell dinner. I truly never felt lonely or bored studying with AIFS.

This trip was filled with amazing moments from beginning to end. During the first month when we took all of our program trips to different places around the country, it really gave us an amazing perspective on the country and brought everyone in the program closer together. The field trips for classes at veritas were also a great experience and a chance to learn through hands on field work. The staff at AIFS San Jose Costa Rica was excellent and were always available to help the students in any way.

I loved my experience through AIFS, and Cata and Karla were so helpful and supportive. I met amazing people, visited beautiful places and learned so much! I recommend this experience to people who want to experience both the natural and urban parts of Costa Rica.