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Reviews From Carleton College Students
Carleton College Preapproved Programs

SIT: Quito - Comparative Ecology and Conservation

Ellen Drews
05/09/12
SIT Ecuador: Comparative Ecology and Conservation -- BEAUTIFUL ECOLOGY, not much "conservation"
4
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Not Helpful
I felt overall that the traditional educational experience was weak at this program. They focused on experiential learning--and were vocal about this from the start--and as a result the lectures felt kind of random and disconnected and we did not have to do any reading at any point. Our assignments were challenging and were almost all group projects. My grades were lowe... view full review

ACM (Associated College of the Midwest): Florence - Arts, Humanities, & Culture

Michelle_8951
05/07/12
Florence: A wonderful experience
5
Helpful
Not Helpful
I thought the workload was very well balanced. Students were given enough work that was applicable to the learning environment and the lectures. It made a huge difference to have on-sight classes, rather than in class lectures. view full review

AHA International: Siena - Italian Language & Culture

Zoe Cohen
04/19/12
Italy: How I Fell Head Over Heels for an Entire Country
5
Helpful
Not Helpful
I fell in love with my italian teachers. My art history teacher, an italian man, was incredibly smart and extremely passionate about italian art history. He taught us a lot about the italian renaissance and took us on invaluable field trips to museums in Florence and Rome. My italian language teacher was also fantastic. She was a wonderful patient woman who stressed the as... view full review

International Studies Abroad (ISA): Madrid - Spanish Language and Culture Trimester

Keenan
04/19/12
ISA Madrid
5
Helpful
Not Helpful
0 of 1 people think this review is helpful
Lots of class time that was well spent learning how to use the language correctly. view full review

Pre-Architecture Program

N/A54
03/28/12
Review of pre-architecture program at DIS in Denmark
5
Helpful
Not Helpful
The quality of instruction was dramatically lower than one typically finds at Carleton. In the architecture program there is no instruction on fundamentals and as a result I frequently felt like I had no idea what I was supposed to do. The grading, however, is just as inflated as it is at Carleton. view full review

French Studies in Paris

Katie_3416
03/26/12
En France, La Belle Vie
4
Helpful
Not Helpful
Fair workload that allowed us to enjoy Paris while still learning lots about each of the subjects. The professors for the most part had a lot of experience with the American grading system and therefore understood our expectations. One was more demanding as per cultural differences in expectation but that did not negatively affect us in the end. Lecture-heavy art history c... view full review

ACM (Associated College of the Midwest): Traveling - London & Florence: Arts in Contect

Abby12
03/24/12
Italy: Learn it, Live it, Love it.
4
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Not Helpful
It was great. view full review

Arcadia: Syracuse - Mediterranean Center for Arts and Science

Megan_6616
03/23/12
Sicily's Incredible History and Culture Will Find You Ready or Not
5
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Not Helpful
I learned a lot about Sicily, a place I didn't know a whole lot about before going abroad. I also was able to take the chance to look reflectively on my own culture and my choices that led me to Sicily and I learned a lot about myself. I am more culturally aware than I was before, definitely. And I have a lot of respect for anybody who would move somewhere where they speak... view full review

AIT-Budapest

Veronica Lynn
03/22/12
Rewarding Computer Science Study Abroad in Budapest, Hungary
4
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Not Helpful
Some of the instructors aren't professors by trade; rather, many of them work in industry most of the time. That doesn't necessarily make them bad teachers, but it can lead to unreasonable expectations (either too much or too little work), unclear lectures, or just a general disorganization/lack of focus. view full review

Asian Studies Program at Kansai Gaidai

Jessica McCormick
03/22/12
Kansai Gaidai Experience
4
Helpful
Not Helpful
The Japanese language courses were excellent, taught by local professors and all taught well. The other courses were all very easy, the professors were not very good or very dedicated. view full review

American University Center of Provence (AUCP): Marseille - Bridge to the Middle East

Morgan_6809
01/08/12
"Marseille n'est pas la France" : Life in a Port City
3
Helpful
Not Helpful
I think I gained a lot of insight into who I really am by breaking down ideas of what I thought I was and was not, while reaffirming other ideas. I think later I will find my experience worthwhile, but it will take a lot of time - not simply the three weeks that have passed - since as of right now I am quite apathetic towards my experience to avoid regretting my program de... view full review

SIT: Ho Chi Minh City - Culture, Social Change, and Development

Elise Gurney
01/01/12
Travel, Immersion, and Engaging Study in Vietnam
5
Helpful
Not Helpful
We were assigned lengthy readings that were not usually addressed in lecture or discussion. In addition, discussions did not delve as deeply as those at my home institution. However, the lecturers were extremely interesting and came from a range of backgrounds. The lecture component, and the independent study, were the strongest academic points of the program. view full review

University of Minnesota: Quito - MSID in Ecuador

Alex58
12/30/11
Public Health in Ecuador
4
Helpful
Not Helpful
I give this program a 4/5 for educational experience because I'm taking into account the differences between the Ecuadorian educational system and the American educational system which are quite different. The workload was much less than at my home college and the structure of the classes was more lecture based and somewhat less participatory. I felt that there were a lot ... view full review

ACM - Business, Entrepreneurship, & Society

Robert Groen
12/30/11
Entrepreneurship, Innovation, and Ideas in Chicago
5
Helpful
Not Helpful
At first you have very little work which allows you to explore the city and do a bunch of fun stuff. This is very nice as it gives you a lot of time to form friendships with you fellow students. As the semester progresses the workload is still very manageable until the last two weeks in which the two big projects are due. If you do all your work with a considerable amount ... view full review

CIEE: Khon Kaen - Community Public Health

Taylor_289
12/29/11
Public Health Studies in Thailand
4
Helpful
Not Helpful
Overall, the workload was less than my normal workload. The classes felt less structured because they did not follow a specific syllabus, paper assignments were given with little criteria and even less feedback, and there were no reading assignments. Because of feedback given to the program directors, the classes gradually got more structured, and the assignments were clea... view full review

Arcadia: Oxford - Oxford University

Emmamarie_409
12/29/11
Oxford: An Intensive and Beautiful Experience
4
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Not Helpful
For my two tutorials, I was given two reading lists: one 16 pages and the other 8 pages long. I wrote a total of twelve essays, which amounted to over 90 pages in 8 weeks. This was quite an intensive study experience as a result. I received comments on my essays when my Tutors gave them back to me, but I did not receive marks to indicate how I was doing until the end of th... view full review

Nepal: Tibetan and Himalayan Peoples

Rhys Lindmark
12/26/11
Nepal and India are not School...They are Places to Become an Adult...Go Be Somebody
5
Helpful
Not Helpful
Workload was low. Grading system was fine (I didn't care too much about grades, I was only getting pass/no pass credits with Carleton). Teaching methods were annoying and hilarious. Each lecturer had a unique lecture style. All of the academic staff had their own teaching styles (English, Pakistani, Indian, Dutch). Differences in educational systems is an irrelevant que... view full review

SIT: Nairobi - Health and Community Development

Grace4
12/25/11
Kenya: Love at first sight.
5
Helpful
Not Helpful
The lectures and experience in the classroom was not on par with what I am used to at my home university. Yet my academic directors were very good about planning visits and trips that gave us a lot of opportunities to learn through experience, which I think is the best way to learn, especially when studying abroad. view full review

DIS - Danish Institute for Study Abroad: Copenhagen - Various Programs

Bridget_641
12/25/11
Danish Institute for Study Abroad: Opened my eyes to new perspectives and innovative ideas
5
Helpful
Not Helpful
I was able to experience a different teaching style than I am used to in the US. There were more hands on opportunities, and the professors were qualified and committed to increasing our knowledge in their area of expertise. view full review

Post-Genocide Restoration and Peacebuilding

Claire_9097
12/24/11
Rwanda: challenging, emotional, in-depth understanding of the political environment
4
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Not Helpful
I would have never been able to learn the things that I did about Rwanda had I not been studying in the country. I have such a good understanding of the country, and it has prompted me to continue to study this very complicated and interesting region. I now have a better idea of what I would like my comps to be. view full review

Budapest Semester in Cognitive Science (BSCS)

Benjamin Altshuler
12/22/11
Hungary for knowledge: Budapest stimulates the palate and the palette.
5
Helpful
Not Helpful
The BSCS program follows the European scale of grading 1-5. The teaching style was inherently different from the discursive methods I am used to at my home institution. Rather than relating the student to the material, many lecturers presented their arguments in isolation. view full review

CET Academic Programs: Harbin - Intensive Chinese Language

Becca131
12/22/11
Learning In and Out of the Classroom
5
Helpful
Not Helpful
This program focuses on academics more than most study abroad programs. I was thus not very good at getting out by myself during the first few weeks, although I did participate in all the program-run activities. You do get a week off in the middle to go traveling, which made me realize that I should go off by myself more often, which I'm very glad I did. Talking with lo... view full review

IFSA-Butler: Heredia - Universidad Nacional

Julia11
12/22/11
Costa Rica: Biggest challenge of my life, but so glad I did it.
4
Helpful
Not Helpful
The work was not distributed very equally. At the beginning I had nearly no homework, but then after midterms it seemed endless. There was a ton of group work, which could be good and bad. It was a way to interact on a personal level with Costa Rican students, but could be very frustrating with the language barrier and differing views of punctuality. view full review

SIT: Jaipur - Sustainable Development and Social Change

Rebecca10
12/22/11
I'm Already Homesick for India
5
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Not Helpful
Honestly, I'm not sure yet. More patience, maybe, an ability to connect with people who are really different from me, a greater understanding of what poverty and development mean. Definitely had strong impact on cultural awareness, and most likely on future career. Still processing though. view full review

SIT: Antananarivo - National Identity and Social Change

Rachel_3904
12/21/11
Madagascar: A Life Changing Experience
5
Helpful
Not Helpful
In Madagascar we were affiliated with a university, but all of our classes were separate. We had 2 different language classes and were split into small groups by level to get the most individualized learning as possible. When together as a group we often had guest lecturers who were experts in their fields (oftentimes professors at the local university). We weren't given ... view full review

IES Abroad: Salamanca - IES Abroad in Salamanca

Ashley_6955
12/21/11
Salamanca: A City For Cultural and Language Immersion
5
Helpful
Not Helpful
I really appreciated the fact that all classes were in Spanish, this is what I wanted to learn more than specific topics. I feel like I learned a ton about Spain and the language. That said, these are not Carleton level classes. They require work, most of it isn't busy-work, but there isn't a lot of critical thinking, they seem to just tell you the answers and you need ... view full review

St. Olaf University: Budapest - Math in Budapest

Laurel Orr
12/21/11
I Miss Carleton but Have No Regrets
4
Helpful
Not Helpful
In general, the workload and grading system was similar to that at Carleton. The tests were harder than at Carleton, and all of the ones I had were in class. However, there was almost always a curve. The teachers were overall very good. Out of the four professors I had, tow of them were fabulous, but the other two were a lot harder to learn from. One of my professors did n... view full review

CEA Global Education: Aix-en-Provence, France

Lingerr Senghor
11/05/11
CEA in Aix: The Best Summer of My Life
5
Helpful
Not Helpful
We had four hours of French class every day, and our teacher did a great job of keeping it interesting and changing the routine frequently. view full review

CEA Global Education: San Jose, Costa Rica

Eric_2654
04/04/11
Costa Rica: Adapting to the Developing Third world
5
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Not Helpful
I became even more independent and confident, I made some incredible friends, and I greatly improved in my language capabilities. view full review

Rotary Youth Exchange

Edhelp
03/06/11
Rotary Youth Exchange Program to Chile
5
Helpful
Not Helpful
I highly recommend participating in an exchange program and studying abroad--HOWEVER, going with an open mind is an absolute must. If you feel slightly uncomfortable with a cultural experience, embrace it, because you are being a GOOD exchange student. Also, minimize contact back home--you only have a short time in your host country, to take advantage of it! view full review

India Studies: Culture, Traditions, Globalization

Sal2
01/26/11
Titles. They try to cram too much into too few words. I'll stick with "India."
5
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Not Helpful
Adaptability is probably the most essential skill you can have. India is, well, India - which means it's colorful and messy and traditional and modern and so many other things. And for any of them, the opposite is most likely the case as well. If you're an American student who's used to having readings assigned in a book you ordered ahead of time from your college books... view full review

SIT: Oaxaca - Sustainable Development and Social Change

Katie D.
01/14/11
Well-rounded program, GREAT experience
5
Helpful
Not Helpful
Overall the classes seemed not as challenging to me as at my home university, although the classes seemed plenty challenging enough in the context of being in a foreign country. view full review

Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL): Woods Hole - MBL Ecosystems Center

Sarah24
01/13/11
Semester in Environmental Science: Not What I Expected
3
Helpful
Not Helpful
Yes. I now know that I don't want to focus on biology, but that I love environmental science as a genera. The independent research was the original draw, and the portion I loved best. The people were amazing, the program was challenging, far reaching, but poorly timed. view full review

Antioch Education Abroad: Bamako - Arts and Culture in Mali

Lily3
01/13/11
Mali Ka Di: A Rich Experience Abroad
5
Helpful
Not Helpful
The workload was quite manageable in comparison to my home university, but it was the experiential piece of the program that made the majority of the learning possible, and this was very successful. view full review

Budapest Semester in Cognitive Science

Jane2
01/11/11
Budapest is a great city; this program is a little haphazard.
2
Helpful
Not Helpful
I'm glad I went because I would have regretted not doing so. I learned some interesting things, and spent a lot of time being bored in class. view full review

IFSA-Butler: Mendoza - Universidad Nacional de Cuyo

Robert3
01/11/11
Argentina: Appreciating the Value of a Different Culture and Different Educational System
4
Helpful
Not Helpful
It was definitely a good experience. Academically, I don't know that it was on par with my college in the states, but studying abroad is much more than just the classes and I feel that I benefited greatly from the experience of living in a different culture and different language. view full review

Direct Enrollment: Paris - Parsons in Paris

hai-lights
01/11/11
Photography at Parsons Paris: Not the best, but made it my own.
5
Helpful
Not Helpful
This was an art school which is very different from my liberal arts school. It taught and offered many things I could not have learned at Parsons Paris view full review

SIT: Bamako - Health, Gender, and Community Development

Fada Karabenta
01/11/11
Mali: Flexibility is Key
4
Helpful
Not Helpful
Our lectures in French covered very basic material and we were not given time for discussion during our seminar. There was almost no homework. The assignments we did have were vague. I learned the most during discussions in my French language class. view full review

SIT: Arica - Public Health, Traditional Medicine, and Community Empowerment, Chile

Rebecca7
01/11/11
SIT Arica--que lindo!
5
Helpful
Not Helpful
People with an interest in public health, a foundation in Spanish, and who love summer will love this program. view full review

Round River Conservation Studies

charlotte4
01/11/11
Studying in Namibia gave me a different outlook on land management policies
3
Helpful
Not Helpful
yes. view full review

ACM Florence

Ziliang Liu
01/11/11
Florence as the Key to understanding European culture
4
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Not Helpful
Definitely. Aside from the amazing knowledge I gained about Italian Renaissance, I got to travel around Europe and really learn about different countries and their cultures. This is definitely helpful to my understanding of the world. view full review

International Studies Abroad (ISA): Rome - Courses in English with International Students

Samantha6
01/11/11
ISA Rome - not the highest caliber program
3
Helpful
Not Helpful
I didn't feel that the classes were as rigorous or engaging as Carleton classes, but I still worked hard and got a lot out of it. Many other program participants purposely chose easy, "joke" classes, and spent most of their time partying. My classes were mainly with resident students, who were more serious about their studies. view full review

The Center for Cross-Cultural Study: Córdoba, Argentina

EC1
01/11/11
Cordoba, Argentina: Genuine Spanish Experience in Interesting Area
5
Helpful
Not Helpful
My program, for me, was about Spanish Spanish Spanish. And I drastically improved my Spanish. view full review

SIT: Traveling - Post Conflict Transformation in Croatia, Bosnia, and Serbia

Theodore Rostow
01/11/11
"Go to Serbia, Bosnia, and Croatia, seriously."
5
Helpful
Not Helpful
An adventurous student who is willing to see an unfamiliar world and learn for it. view full review

IFSA-Butler: Merida - Universidad Autonoma de Yucatan

Shannon Mueller
01/10/11
Merida, Mexico: My new connection to the country on the otherside of the border
5
Helpful
Not Helpful
Although the workload was less than my school in the United States, I spent most of my time adjusting to the new language and cultural traditions. I would never trade these experiences for a semester in my college in the United States. Although I didn't visit the professors outside of class very much, they all responded to their emails and were very passionate about thei... view full review

Duke University: Rome - Duke in Rome (ICCS)

Alexandra Staab
01/02/11
ICCS Rome: Teaching What Every Classicist Needs to Know
5
Helpful
Not Helpful
Students interested in studying hard and learning a great deal will benefit most from this program. Skills in Latin and/or Greek are essential. view full review

The Swedish Program: Stockholm - Stockholm University

schlotts
12/31/10
Sweden: A Great Place, but Please just do a Direct Enroll into SU
4
Helpful
Not Helpful
The Swedish Program runs a semester program at an institution that is not on the same schedule as American schools. This means that it is nearly impossible to enroll in a class not run by The Swedish Program (Swedish universities have students take one class for 5 weeks at a time, 4 classes per term). Additionally, it means that no Swedish students will enroll in The Swedi... view full review

SIT: Delhi - National Identity and the Arts

Kate17
12/23/10
India: Chaos and Contentment
4
Helpful
Not Helpful
Indian teaching methods are decidedly different from American methods, which came up quite a bit in our Hindi classes. There is definitely a stronger element of hierarchy, and there is less give and take between the teachers and students. Though they genuinely do want you to learn the material, sometimes they just expect you to follow blindly instead of asking questions.... view full review

BCA Study Abroad: Quito - University of San Francisco de Quito

Laurita
12/22/10
A semester at the middle of the world: Quito, Ecuador
5
Helpful
Not Helpful
I have become better at going with the flow, I'm now more outgoing, and learning how to live in another culture has made me realize many things about my own (that I have one, for example). After being in Ecuador and seeing social workers at my internship, I have begun thinking seriously about social work, either international social work or working with immigrants in the U... view full review

Siena School for Liberal Arts: Siena - Siena School

Devin Daugherty
12/21/10
Food and Family made Italy Amazing
4
Helpful
Not Helpful
Laid-back and interested in art. view full review

University of New Hampshire: Whakatiwai - EcoQuest New Zealand

Valerie Fox
12/20/10
Living Sustainably and loving it: Environmental studies in New Zealand
5
Helpful
Not Helpful
This program is PERFECT for you if you are interested in global environmental conservation and sustainable living, enjoy working and playing outdoors, love adventure, and want to engage in a close community of like-minded students, field leaders and teachers. EcoQuest is pretty small -- 25 American students (primarily from the East Coast, but also from all over) -- so you ... view full review

Organization for Tropical Studies (Duke University): San Jose - Field Program

Rick2
12/20/10
Tropical Ecology in Costa Rica: Heavy on the Biology, Not on Culture.
5
Helpful
Not Helpful
My cultural awareness was only lightly impacted, but my excitement for biology increased ten-fold. view full review

SIT: Santiago - Comparative Education and Social Change

Casey3
12/20/10
Getting Comfortable Being Uncomfortable in Chile
4
Helpful
Not Helpful
This is a great program for someone who is looking to have a challenging experience, and is willing to confront uncomfortable situations at times. view full review

SIT: Cusco - Indigenous Peoples and Globalization

Elena3
12/20/10
SIT Peru is an opportunity to spend time in a vibrant and diverse country
4
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Not Helpful
There is not a lot of work, it is really what you make of it, if you decide to do all the readings or not... The work load is generally light, except for the end when you have to write up your research paper. view full review
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