Save your money!! Run and do not do this program! August 21, 2022

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

I found the educational experience to be demanding in regards to busy work, but lacking in terms of intellectual rigor. We would receive many assignments with very quick turnarounds (we had a shortened 89 day semester), however the concepts discussed were not challenging.

On-site administration of your program

The CET: Brazil staff were often unprofessional and truly struggled with listening to students as well as communicating important/relevant information to them. An example of this unprofessionalism is racial microaggressions, in which a white staff member gossiped with a white international student about another black international student. Such microaggressions In regards to failures to communicate, the staff neglected to tell students that unless they purchased an international data plan with their American provider, they would be without data for the first couple days upon arrival. One student endured 4 days without cell network access, which is unsafe in a large city such as Sao Paulo. The unprofessionalism and miscommunications so negatively affected the experience that the *students* reached out to staff to have a sit down discussion. In this discussion, the microaggressive staff member did not apologize and rolled his eyes. The other staff member literally began crying and needed comforting because she could not take our very valid criticisms. It was a bizarre conversation. In another sit down with the CET Director of Latin America, students were also met with zero intention to listen. The director faked taking notes and was condescending (and microaggressive) throughout the discussion, to the point that two of the black international students had to ask him to speak more respectfully.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

The apartment was high up in a nice apartment with great views in addition to a 24/7 doorman and gates. The issue was that we were all rooming with former college students who were working full time. For example, I did not appreciate sharing my room with a 29 year old who had already graduated and was working remotely full time. In addition, even though we were both Black, she continuously engaged in micro-aggressions towards me which I ended up having to address with the help of my white American flatmate.

N/A, food was not provided other than special events/traveling.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Any integration into the local culture was driven by the wants or capacities of individual students. If I could give this sector a zero, I would. All of the international students were rooming with *former* Brazilian college students. All of the Brazilian roommates were working full time and were anywhere from 1 to 3 years out of college. Because of the pandemic, the Brazilian roommates were unable to fulfill their contractual obligations and had to continue living with international students even after they graduated. This information, however, was not provided as a disclaimer on their website. Instead, the CET: Brazil landing page claimed (as it does today) this: "Local Roommates. Sharing an apartment with a local student can teach you everything you need to know about Brazilian college life." My roommate was 29 years old, and I found this to be very uncomfortable and not at all what was advertised to me, considering I was 19 years old at the start of my semester. While it may be a step too far to guess what their intentions were, I nevertheless believe that they knew their enrollment (and thus bottomline) would be negatively affected if they told students the truth about who they would be living with. This is another example of the false advertising and overall lack of honest communication that became commonplace in the CET: Brazil experience. In short, I did not get to experience Brazilian college life at all via the program. I was able to make friends outside the program and go out with them but that was through my own efforts.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I did not have any notable experiences with the healthcare system. I got the recommended vaccines before my arrival.

The neighborhood of Perdizes was quite safe and I walked home alone at night many times.

Please look to my answers provided in program ratings.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

The neighborhood we were in was expensive, which raised the cost of nearby cafes/restaurants and the local pharmacies. This program quickly adds up considering that students will likely cover their international flights, some or all tuition, and all of their meals. Cooking required to stay on budget. In addition, I traveled to Ilhabela, Rio, and Curitba during my stay. The costs of flights + lodging was expensive.

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

This is a language acquisition program so of course it was encouraged.

Select all that apply

• Apartment

Select all that apply

• Americans
• Other

Select all that apply

• Americans

• Apartment
• American peers
• Personal travel

• Staff
• Roommates
• False advertising