7 Things To Look For In Study Abroad Reviews

By Julia Zaremba on March 25, 2016

You thought that reading reviews of study abroad experiences would help you narrow down your options, but then you quickly realize that you’re just as confused as before (or somehow more than before!?). Some people say this, some people say that. Everyone writes about their “life-changing experience” in the “most beautiful place on earth.” But how is that even possible? How do you navigate the noise, how do you find the nuggets of truth from the reviews, how do you turn your research into a launching point for choosing a program? Who should you listen to?

We all love gossip, and we’re lucky that this time, we can turn that guilty pleasure into a good cause. But reviews are so much more than beauty shop talk. Most of the dry, serious facts of the study abroad program (dates, costs, application process, visa information, zZZzz) can be found researching online, so, ideally, the review will provide a glimpse into something more — into something you really care about, something that will be surrounding you for the entire duration of your experience abroad, something you can grab hold of and extract meaning from (the kind of tidbits that align with your personal goals for studying abroad).

pexels.com

Remember, studying abroad can benefit your career, but only if you do your research to choose a program that will set you up for success. Reviews show you something that you simply cannot learn on the company’s website. And here’s what you should look for in them:

1. Mentions of program specifics.

Most of the flowery reviews claiming that the experience was “the best time of my life!!! I met so many great people! I learned a lot! I saw famous buildings!” are so generic that they can be copy-and-pasted into any program review — or any trip abroad, for that matter. Every study abroad program can give you “the experience of a lifetime,” and most of it depends on you, not the circumstance.

Make sure to acknowledge how much of the review is dedicated to the place versus how much of it talks about particulars of the program. Sure, destination is important. But if I wanted to go study in Rome, there are hundreds of opportunities, and not all of them will be the same, even if they are based in the same city.

What does this particular program offer you that others do not? Look for mentions of things that contribute to the overall experience, but are specific enough. Notes such as “They were considerate to my accommodation requests,” “They organized free time opportunities well,” “They offered an awesome tour of the city,” “The weekly socials they hosted were my favorite part,” and so on.

2. The deciding factors for the rating.

It is difficult at times to separate the overall experience from a specific portion, as most things are intertwined. This is particularly true about study abroad reviews, because the experience itself is so exciting and invigorating that we forgive and forget a lot of the smaller details.

For example, if we find a hair in our soup back home, it’s going to get a very upset Facebook post dedicated to it. However, if the same incident occurs at a candle-lit café on the corner of Rue de Rivoli and a cobblestoned alley, with the silhouette of the Eiffel Tower on the horizon and the ring of the bells of Notre-Dame still echoing in the air, you will probably just take another sip of your Cabernet, discreetly flick the hair off, and turn your attention to the escargots. No big deal.

Likewise, the many positive aspects of living and learning in a new, stimulating environment will probably overshadow any kinks in the administration system of the study abroad program. Just make sure to mentally separate the program from the splendor of everyday life, and read carefully to see what factors the reviewer users into deciding a final rating score.

3. Relevancy of the program.

Like a good fitness trainer, it’s personal and relevant. Whoever you are, you are special. And you want your experience to be the same.

If the highest-rated study abroad program is a summer course about rocket science, but you want to spend an entire year studying classical literature, it probably isn’t the best match. This tongue-in-cheek example might not be close to reality, but the truth remains: don’t give up on finding the program that matches your academic goals and location preferences. Don’t settle for psychology in Germany if you want to be in Freud’s home country of Austria. Keep researching options and reading reviews and you’re bound to find a good fit.

Reviews of study abroad programs are the same. Be sure to keep a grasp on what and where you are actually interested in. If you don’t like to live with people and plan to rent a studio apartment, who cares how wonderful all of the candidates of homestay families are? If you plan to take weekend jaunts in the countryside, the invitations to weekend parties and museum tours are not relevant. If you like to bundle up like a penguin, why are you looking at programs in the Sahara? If you plan on getting an after-school job, it’s more important to look for flexibility in schedule rather than evening study sessions.

pexels.com

4. A pulse on the reviewer himself/herself.

You can tell a lot about a person from the way they construct feedback. If you feel like you’re reading something that your best friend could’ve written, chances are this person is a lot like you. Reviews from a 45-year-old might not be as relevant, as you won’t be looking at the world from the same scope of reference.

Don’t forget to check out any bio details or stats about the reviewer, too, to help you qualify their opinions (you might even be able to tell which kind of study abroad student they were).

5. Take the bad in stride.

Remember: rainbows require both rain and sun.

Life — and study abroad experiences — will not always be perfect, and (hopefully) they will not always be horrible. But it is nice to be aware of both sides to get a complete picture. It is always helpful if the review addresses the good, the bad, and the ugly. Not only does this make it sound more credible, if there is not a single critique, either the review was written on the airplane on the way back home, when emotions are running high and la vie is still en rose, or they have been hired to write a positive review.

Along the same lines, take note of which companies are proactively responding to less-than-stellar critique. Nobody is perfect (not even Leonardo DiCaprio), so it’s a good sign if an organization is working with a reviewer to learn more about the situation or “right the wrong” than one that simply ignores it or worse yet, responds immaturely to it. You can tell a lot about a company by the way they interact with challenging PR.

6. Photos equal legitimacy.

Some people just consider accompanying photographs as decoration, but these can serve as an important layer of social proof that the review is legitimate and not paid for. Just be smart about it; most of us are not professional photographers, so the review doesn’t necessarily have to be adorned with a half dozen stock photos. But, real-life moments captured with real-life people can speak volumes about the authenticity of the experience. In these instances, a picture is worth more than a thousand words.

If you’re lucky, these photos may even link to full albums or personal blogs of the reviewer. Cha-ching, jackpot for genuineness and honest comments.

7. Timing is everything.

Pretty self-explanatory. Check the date of the reviews; programs can change yearly, so be sure you’re reading about the latest version. Hopefully, the program provider strives to improve, so the nature of the reviews should just get better with time. If you see the same list of complaints year after year, something’s not going as it should be …

So, once you have a basic idea of what you are looking for, start browsing the reviews and finalize your decision. Just remember to keep your personal preferences in mind and be prepared with a list of questions you want answered.

Follow Uloop

Apply to Write for Uloop News

Join the Uloop News Team

Discuss This Article

Back to Top

Log In

Contact Us

Upload An Image

Please select an image to upload
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format
OR
Provide URL where image can be downloaded
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format

By clicking this button,
you agree to the terms of use

By clicking "Create Alert" I agree to the Uloop Terms of Use.

Image not available.

Add a Photo

Please select a photo to upload
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format