This program was awesome and I had an amazing time. The educational opportunities were great. I loved the school and the location (Academia BsAs). The directors were amazing. They were always there if you needed anything, and they were so knowledgeable about the history of every place we visited on excursions which was super helpful whenever I had questions. They were always able to answer them. The excursions themselves were always well planned and amazing experiences, and we still had time to travel outside of the program by ourselves if we wanted to. The home-stay was awesome, and I absolutely loved the woman I stayed with. She was wonderful! Overall, it was an amazing experience that I would highly recommend to anyone who wishes to learn a new language.
Sol Abroad
Sol Abroad provides High School Study Abroad & Spanish Immersion programs in Argentina, Costa Rica, Mexico & Spain! Our company mission is very simple: to treat you the same way we wanted to be treated when we studied abroad. Join us!
Going to Oaxaca, Mexico was an incredible experience, and Sol Abroad helped make that happen. The director of our program, Ena Aguilar, was informed and very active in making sure that everyone in our group was happy and taken care of. Near to the end of the trip, I got a bit sick, and even though it was never anything too serious, Ena made sure to check in with me whenever she could about how I was doing.
The program itinerary was very thorough and gave us an opportunity to see and do things that normal tourists would not be able to do. One day, we took a cooking class with an esteemed Oaxacan chef. Another, we took a guided tour through Santo Domingo, a temple in Oaxaca. We even took a trip to a small beach town called Huatulco for a weekend and relaxed.
All in all, the trip was incredible, mostly thanks to Sol Abroad and it's services. I couldn't recommend them enough!
There's no way possible to write a review that can accurately capture the marvelous experience that is SOL. I actually studied abroad in Costa Rica the semester before going to Mexico, and they were both fantastic! They're completely different, but both worth every minute. The program is extremely affordable yet still manages to offer everything a student studying abroad could imagine: cultural activities, excursions, immersion, awesome classes, and fantastic teachers. The support system is incredible as well! Sol also lets you basically design your own program. You choose your classes, housing situation (if you want apartment, dorm, or host family), and activities. Sol really sets you up to experience the cultural in a way that works for you yet also brings you to a higher level of confidence and independence. I highly recommend Sol Education Abroad for any level of Spanish speaker and world explorer!
Sol was the most cost-efficient program my university had to offer, but no amount of quality was sacrificed. The academics were excellently challenging and engaging and the university administration was very attentive. My Sol site director always responded promptly to my questions and concerns. She lives in Oaxaca and is available by phone, email, or can meet with you in person. When I came to her about certain academic problems, she accompanied me for emotional support when I met with my teacher. My director helped explain the situation and propose solutions. Together, the three of us resolved the matter quickly and effectively. My director is bilingual in Spanish and English but when dealing with my university, she often gave me the option to resolve my own problems because she knew I spoke Spanish and that I had come to practice it. I really appreciated that. If I was ever uncomfortable, though, she was happy to step in.
Outside the classroom, I really enjoyed the cultural activities Sol arranged for us. These included dance classes, a beach trip, museum tours, and craft workshops. This was a great way to experience Mexican culture and bond with the other students in my group. At my host family home, I felt completely integrated. After a long day of classes or group activities I liked coming home to speak Spanish with my host mom over meals in a way that was more natural than a classroom. My host mom made it a game that if we spoke anything but Spanish at the table, we received "punishments." These were always fun, though, and might require that we tell a joke or story in Spanish, do a dance, or play charades. I was even invited to family events like birthday parties that made me feel included in a genuine and completely comfortable manner. On weeknights and weekends during the semester I would go out with Oaxacan friends I'd made at school. My study abroad experience felt well-rounded and balanced nicely between academic and social components.
I have grown so much here and have fallen in love with the nature
and culture! Really try to experience a "pura vida" attitude and be
open to everything and everyone because you don't know what you'll
get out of it. It's the experience of a life time. The directors are
so fun and helpful! Every day was enjoyable. Though this will be an experience out of your comfort zone, I always felt comfortable
because of the people. I have grown so much and genuinely loved
everything I have done here. The culture, the people, the nature,
everything is so beautiful and through Sol I was able to experience
it all!
