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Princeton in Beijing
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On Semester in Costa Rica, you will study in English or in Spanish at a local university, Universidad Veritas, in the bustling capital city of San Jose. In your free time, explore nearby volcanoes, go zip lining in the rainforest, and get to know Costa Rican culture while sipping some of the best coffee in the world with classmates at a l... read moreOn Semester in Costa Rica, you will study in English or in Spanish at a local university, Universidad Veritas, in the bustling capital city of San Jose. In your free time, explore nearby volcanoes, go zip lining in the rainforest, and get to know Costa Rican culture while sipping some of the best coffee in the world with classmates at a local cafe! You will experience:
* Local and international students - Your fellow students will be a great balance of local Costa Ricans, known as Ticos, and international students.
* Choose your language - Take courses ranging from Costa Rican culture and environment to art studies taught in English, take Spanish-language courses, or, if your Spanish is strong enough, choose from a variety of courses in Spanish to immerse yourself with local Costa Rican students and professors!
* Perfect location - Being minutes from the heart of the Costa Rican capital, you can explore the city with ease, but beautiful national parks, picturesque mountain villages, and relaxed beach towns are also nearby.
* Extracurricular activities - The University provides weekly dance classes, intramural sports, martial arts classes, Costa Rican cooking classes, religious organizations, volunteer opportunities, and more.
* Great excursions - During your semester in Costa Rica, you and your fellow study abroad students can take advantage of 2 day trips and 2 weekend excursions, both included with the program. Take a city tour, wander through the local markets, and try some exotic tropical fruit as you explore the rain forest. Less
I thought Latin America was happy and friendly, just like the Caribbean, well I was wrong. The "pura vida" concept doest really reflect the way Costarican act with people from other countries.Many are not friendly and are not open to learn from other cultures. In many occasions I didn't feel welcome or even part of the university. I'm not saying i had the worst time but it could have been better. Read more
I do not have any regrets with my decision to study abroad in Costa Rica, yet alone with Cis Abroad. I was exposed to many opportunities for which I am grateful for. Read more
I absolutely loved every minute of my trip, from the original discomfort of a completely new environment, to the overwhelming feeling of fitting in somewhere so foreign. I will forever cherish the times I have had and the friends I have made. Read more
Going abroad was one of the best choices I made. I encourage other's to do a lot of backpacking. I wasn't a big fan of the city, but the country has a lot to offer. Also, try to go to other countries. Bocas del Toro was is beyond beautiful. Read more
Overall I loved my experience in Costa Rica. It truly is a once in a lifetime experience. I met so many amazing people and rarely ever encountered any prejudice. My biggest complaint is there wasn't always hot water to shower in, but depending on the house a change in shower time can resolve this issue. I always had someone to talk to in Spanish from the neighborhood or school and someone to help me out with the cultural differences.
Costa Rica... Read more
I went into my study abroad experience with little expectations. I was very happy with my experience in Costa Rica. I love the food, climate and the friendly people. I would most definitely go back to Costa Rica to study abroad again. Read more
As much as I miss my family and friends, this was the most incredible experiences of my life. My host family was incredible and I made so many local friends as well as friends from all over the world. I will cherish these memories forever. Going home is going to be the hardest thing I have ever done and I plan on coming back to Central America the moment I graduate. Read more
Studying abroad is an adventure. CIS Costa Rica is an amazing program, with great mentors to guide you through your experience. I could not have asked for a better program! The director is there whenever you need her and the host families you live with become your family for life. There are so many places to visit while you are here and everywhere is very accessible from San Jose, where Universidad Veritas is located. I have only stayed in San... Read more
My experience here in Costa Rica at Veritas was truly once in a lifetime! I will never forget the friends I've made, things I've learned or memories I have made here. The professors were caring, knowledgable, and good at their jobs! I have learned more in three months here than I have in eight years of studying Spanish before coming to Veritas. If I had the chance I would do it again... and again... and again!! Read more
I didn't think I would learn this much. I didn't think that I would meet people and after a coupl days of knowing them, be like wow, how did I live my entire life not knowing these people. I didn't think I'd make life long friends, life long family. I didn't think I would feel like Costa Rica was my hom and not some place that I was studying abroad for a school year.. Read more
The experience was amazing. I had the opportunity to meet tons of great people and learn spanish not only in school but also from friends I met along the way. By far the best four months of my life. I learned so much not only about spanish but just life in general. Deffinitely recommend that everyone has an experience such as I had. Read more
As much as I miss my family and friends, this was the most incredible experiences of my life. My host family was incredible and I made so many local friends as well as friends from all over the world. I will cherish these memories forever. Going home is going to be the hardest thing I have ever done and I plan on coming back to Central America the moment I graduate. Read more
I absolutely loved every minute of my trip, from the original discomfort of a completely new environment, to the overwhelming feeling of fitting in somewhere so foreign. I will forever cherish the times I have had and the friends I have made. Read more
I loved living with my family in San Jose, but the city is huge! If you don't like the city or aren't used to living in a city, I would not recommend San Jose to you. There are a lot of things to do, but it is dangerous and dirty. Read more
I enjoyed the time I spent studying in San Jose, Costa Rica but I enjoyed most of that time when I was traveling to the other countries or to some of the beach towns of Costa Rica. Costa Rica is very touristy so it tends to get sucked in and lose its cultural aspect because of it but what I found when traveling to other parts like Limon or Puerto Viejo de Talamanca the culture is preserved a little bit more and you see the side of the Tico Cultur... Read more
My time abroad was amazing. The country was great, the school was great, my host family and the other girls i lived with were awesome! I couldn't have asked for a better experience. Read more
Costa Rica was one the best experiences of my life because of the people, culture, cities visited, social life, and all that I learned in school as well. My tico family was great also. I can't think of one bad experience I've had here. Pura Vida. Read more
I was placed with such an amazing family. The classes were way too easy and didn't challenge me, but experiencing life with a Costa Rican family made it all worth it. Read more
San Jose itself was not quite what I expected. The excursions to other cities in Costa Rica and to Nicaragua were more what I had in mind. San Jose is a big city with more crime and busy streets whereas the other cities hold the adventure and more charming towns. It's no more dangerous than my college town though. Don't be scared, just be smart. I have loved my time here in Costa Rica, have not felt stressed with schoolwork, but am glad to b... Read more
I had a lot of fun in my study abroad experience but very little of it had to do with the actual program or school. My advisor was very helpful and kind throughout the entire experience but the academic part was a waste of time and money and the home stay made it a lot worse. The families need to be seriously reviewed and selected better. Had the school and living situation been better I would have enjoyed my semester a lot more Read more
I was not impressed with CIS, I feel like more could have done with what I put into the program financially and there should have been more get togethers to discuss our travels throughout the semester... we didnt even have an official fairwell meal at the end. Like I said before, I was slightly underwhelmed. Read more
DONT DO A HOMESTAY. If you are accustomed to living on your own or away from parents a homestay with few exceptions is like returning to middle school with no curfew. If you can go to UCR not veritas its a joke and most of the english speaking teachers do not care at all. The country is beautiful and the best part is by far traveling and exploring on the weekends. Read more
If you want to learn spanish this is a great place to learn. The spanish is very clear here compared to other countries like Puerto Rico. If you are coming to learn about biology or be academically challenged like I was I would stronger suggest to find a different program. I wish I tried harder to meet locals as well. Read more
My homestay was great. However I did hear from several students that their homestay family did not really integrate them into the family. The school (Veritas) is not great in intergrating locals w/ students. The spanish classes are ok but the vibe and culture is too Americanized Read more
I thought Latin America was happy and friendly, just like the Caribbean, well I was wrong. The "pura vida" concept doest really reflect the way Costarican act with people from other countries.Many are not friendly and are not open to learn from other cultures. In many occasions I didn't feel welcome or even part of the university. I'm not saying i had the worst time but it could have been better. Read more
I thought Latin America was happy and friendly, just like the Caribbean, well I was wrong. The "pura vida" concept doest really reflect the way Costarican act with people from other countries.Many are not friendly and are not open to learn from other cultures. In many occasions I didn't feel welcome or even part of the university. I'm not saying i had the worst time but it could have been better. Read more
I do not have any regrets with my decision to study abroad in Costa Rica, yet alone with Cis Abroad. I was exposed to many opportunities for which I am grateful for. Read more
I absolutely loved every minute of my trip, from the original discomfort of a completely new environment, to the overwhelming feeling of fitting in somewhere so foreign. I will forever cherish the times I have had and the friends I have made. Read more
Going abroad was one of the best choices I made. I encourage other's to do a lot of backpacking. I wasn't a big fan of the city, but the country has a lot to offer. Also, try to go to other countries. Bocas del Toro was is beyond beautiful. Read more
Overall I loved my experience in Costa Rica. It truly is a once in a lifetime experience. I met so many amazing people and rarely ever encountered any prejudice. My biggest complaint is there wasn't always hot water to shower in, but depending on the house a change in shower time can resolve this issue. I always had someone to talk to in Spanish from the neighborhood or school and someone to help me out with the cultural differences.
Costa Rica... Read more
I went into my study abroad experience with little expectations. I was very happy with my experience in Costa Rica. I love the food, climate and the friendly people. I would most definitely go back to Costa Rica to study abroad again. Read more
As much as I miss my family and friends, this was the most incredible experiences of my life. My host family was incredible and I made so many local friends as well as friends from all over the world. I will cherish these memories forever. Going home is going to be the hardest thing I have ever done and I plan on coming back to Central America the moment I graduate. Read more
Studying abroad is an adventure. CIS Costa Rica is an amazing program, with great mentors to guide you through your experience. I could not have asked for a better program! The director is there whenever you need her and the host families you live with become your family for life. There are so many places to visit while you are here and everywhere is very accessible from San Jose, where Universidad Veritas is located. I have only stayed in San... Read more
My experience here in Costa Rica at Veritas was truly once in a lifetime! I will never forget the friends I've made, things I've learned or memories I have made here. The professors were caring, knowledgable, and good at their jobs! I have learned more in three months here than I have in eight years of studying Spanish before coming to Veritas. If I had the chance I would do it again... and again... and again!! Read more
