Location
Multiple Locations +23
  • Argentina
  • Australia
  • Botswana
  • Costa Rica
  • Czech Republic
  • Denmark
  • Dominican Republic
  • England
  • France
  • Germany
  • Ghana
  • Ireland
  • Italy
  • Japan
  • Mexico
  • Morocco
  • Netherlands
  • Portugal
  • Singapore
  • South Africa
  • South Korea
  • Spain
  • Taiwan
Length
2 - 4 weeks

Program Details

Program Type
Provider
Timeframe
Summer
Housing
Dormitory Host Family Hotel

Pricing

Price Details
Get more for every dollar when you study abroad with CIEE! High school summer abroad programs include Classes, Housing, 3 Meals/Day, All Ground Transportation (Once In-country), Access to Local Phone and WIFI, Cultural Activities and Excursions, Comprehensive Medical and Travel Protection and 24/7 On-site Support.

Scholarship opportunities are available for high school summer abroad programs.

There are no hidden charges or surprises when you arrive!
What's Included
Accommodation Activities Meals Transportation Travel Insurance Wifi
Oct 06, 2021
Jul 10, 2023
81 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

Experience summer abroad in one of 30+ amazing worldwide destinations! From studying Spanish in Madrid to Wildlife Conservation in Sydney, from K-Pop in South Korea to Entrepreneurship in Berlin… it's a one-of-a-kind chance to make new friends, LIVE a new culture, immerse yourself in a language and gain real-world skills! Choose from 7 world languages or find a topic in Arts, Business, Social Change and STEM to explore hands-on.

Looking for scholarships to study abroad? CIEE administers the largest high school study abroad scholarship fund in the U.S., awarding $6 million in scholarships every year. These awards are based on academic merit and financial need and can cover between 10% to 100% of high school summer abroad tuition costs.

Video and Photos

Program Highlights

  • 30+ exciting destinations in Europe, Latin America, Asia, Africa and Australia
  • 3 to 4-week long programs with hands-on, interactive lessons in small groups
  • U.S. high school academic learning standards applied to programs
  • Comprehensive safety measures included with tuition, from carefully-vetted accommodations to health insurance
  • College credit available for language programs

Program Reviews

4.91 Rating
based on 35 reviews
  • 5 rating 94.29%
  • 4 rating 2.86%
  • 3 rating 2.86%
  • 2 rating 0%
  • 1 rating 0%
  • Growth 4.85
  • Support 4.75
  • Fun 4.75
  • Housing 4.55
  • Safety 4.75
Showing 1 - 8 of 35 reviews
Default avatar
Sadie
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Best summer ever in Argentina

This was one of the best experiences of my life! I made a lot of wonderful friends, and am very close to my host family. They were incredibly welcoming, and they helped me practice my Spanish and I learned a lot about Argentinian culture with them. The ciee staff were very friendly and supportive too. On my second day, me and another student had no idea how to get home, so one of our instructors went with us on the subway to make sure we got to the right place. We had a lot of structured activities, especially during the first week. However, I thought we also had a lot of opportunities to explore the city by ourselves, which I enjoyed a lot. I also really enjoyed my Spanish class. It was really small, only 10 students, and there was a big emphasis on speaking. While I think my Spanish improved, I think my confidence improved much more. I thought the workload was reasonable. We had classes every morning, and we would have a long writing assignment due every Friday. If you do a little everyday it's not that bad at all. We only spoke in Spanish during class, at home, and at restaurants or wherever else we went. However, I did speak in English a lot with my friends, who I was with a lot. I am really happy with the friends I made. However, if I had chosen a semester abroad or something where I was with Argentinian teens instead of US teens I think my Spanish would have improved a lot more. But overall, this was a wonderful experience and I can't recommend it enough.

Pros
  • My host family and my friends' host families were absolutely wonderful. They were incredibly welcoming and they helped me learn a lot about Argentinian culture
  • We had an overnight trip to Iguazú falls, which was absolutely spectacular.
  • In my opinion, we had a good balance of time by ourselves to explore the city and structured activities.
Cons
  • The food was adequate, but not great. They had a lot of vegetarian options, but I had a friend who was allergic to dairy, and they would give her food like fried chicken, not realizing that the batter has dairy in it. So it was frustrating for her.
  • I had an international plan, but if you didn't they would provide you with a cell phone. Lots of students complained that the cell phones didn't work great all the time. But I never had another phone, so I can't personally confirm this.
  • We were a big group of students, like around 40, so activities took a long time. Just be patient while logistics are being worked out, and the activities were worth it most of the time.
25 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Miles
3/5
No, I don't recommend this program

Costa Rica a lot of learning little freedom

When I signed up for the trip I thought we would have a lot more opportunities to go into the city and have fun with the native population but you are on the campus a majority of the time and only get to go out on the weekends supervised to certain places. You are not allowed anywhere but two places in the city as well (supervised) when you go there. I have heard more programs have more freedom and much less class time as well, there is a lot of structure involved which if that is what you are looking for then great but if you want fun look for a different program.

Pros
  • Good food
  • Good house
  • The people you meet here will be connected for life
Cons
  • Not very fun
  • A lot of schooling
23 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Leela
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

An Unforgettable Spanish Summer with CIEE

As my trip to Barcelona for the CIEE Spanish Language and Culture program approached, I was incredibly nervous. My only experience away from home had been at summer camps an hour away, and I had grown up seeing the same kids every summer. This trip would be totally out of my comfort zone – but I had no idea how much I needed to go.

The CIEE staff were super helpful and welcoming, and from Day 1 emphasized that we could contact them in the case of any emergency. I never needed to contact my Program Leader, but it was super reassuring to know that she was there for me 24/7. My host mom also made sure that I could reach her at all times – she was a single mom with a teenage daughter, and both of them went out of their way to ensure that my roommate and I had an incredible experience in Barcelona. Our family dinners every night were one of my favorite parts of the trip, where we would enjoy delicious food and strengthen our Spanish skills by talking about our day.

Although my roommate and I were placed in different Spanish classes (based on a test and an interview), we still spent tons of time together, and are best friends to this day. I really liked the other students in my class, and learned tons of Spanish daily, both from my Program Leader during our morning activity and from my teacher during afternoon classes. While my grammar and vocabulary improved during the afternoon, my appreciation for Spanish culture increased each morning. Whether we were taking a flamenco class, touring gorgeous Gaudi houses, or walking through historic neighborhoods, I always was able to try something new and have fun with my friends. Getting to meet new people was also a highlight of my trip. CIEE students came from across the country, but we all found shared interests to connect over, whether it was a love of thrifting or a desire to see as many museums as possible.

Now that I'm home, not only has my Spanish improved enough that I was moved from Level 3 to AP Spanish, but I also feel more confident and excited to try new activities and experiences. I'm still in touch with many of my friends from CIEE as well as my host family, and am planning on meeting up with my roommate during our Spring Break, and potentially seeing more friends when I travel during the summer as well.

Pros
  • The kindest, most fun people I have ever met
  • Program staff who were always there for me
  • Learning inside and outside the classroom
Cons
  • Tons of walking – and new sneakers are expensive!
  • Too sad to say goodbye to my friends at the end
40 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Jillian
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

CIEE: Multi-site global entrepreneurship and innovation

I went on the three-week multi-site summer abroad program, and it was one of the best decisions I made. I feel like I grown extremely independent and flexible in all the amazing, weird, and quirky things that happened on this trip. The combination of a small program and amazing program leaders allowed for an experience I will remember for years to come. I wouldn't completely recommend other programs simply because of how amazing this program was. From the three amazing destinations and amazing food you will always be able to find what you are looking for. Definitely recommend.

Pros
  • Independence
  • Academic
  • Fun
Cons
  • Shakey support
  • Out of comfort zone
60 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Eniman
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

You Don't Want To Miss This

The program I attended with CIEE was the French Language and Culture Program in Toulouse, France from July 11 to August 7, 2021. I did this the summer before my junior year. This was the first time I had ever studied abroad as well as been to France and the CIEE team organized the program flawlessly from my group flight from Atlanta to the time the program ended. My excitement overweighed my nervousness as I was eager to begin exploring France having studied for over 10 years. I would recommend this to anyone.

What was the most nerve-racking moment and how did you overcome it?
Staying with a host family was the most nerve-wracking thing. I had never done anything like it before talk less of the fact that I would be speaking to them in French. However, with time, I got so close to my host sisters and mom and enjoyed living with them in the 1 month of being Toulouse.
76 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Abey
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

An unforgettable experience

If you find yourself wondering if traveling abroad with CIEE is for you, my advice is to go for it. It's difficult to describe just how incredible my experience has been studying abroad in Roma, Italy. The staff is so supportive and I've formed very close bonds with the other students. It has truly been an unforgettable experience that has encouraged me to step out of my comfort zone and grow so much as a person. I'm so grateful to have had this experience and to have met these wonderful people.

What was the most surprising thing you saw or did?
As we walked into the Sistine Chapel, my eyes began to water and a few tears traced my cheeks. I was in complete awe of the beauty of the room and felt a moment of derealization. I could not believe that the art that I had wanted to see in person since I was little was just meters above my head. Immediately, my peers rushed over to ask if I was okay. The true answer was that I could not possibly be more happy.
79 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Julia
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Life Changing Trip

I went on a CIEE High School Summer Abroad trip (HSSA) and it was amazing. Exploring Rome thru the Arts 2021. Writing as a upcoming Junior who has just completed her trip, I can say that this was truly the best experience of my life. Going into this trip, I had been looking forward to it for months and months. Just like that it rolled around and suddenly, I was with 20 kids I had never met before. At first I'm sure most of us were anxious to how we would be like. But within the first week we all clicked, all of us genuinely got together so well and began to embark on experiences we never would have had otherwise. The activities and little moments we had every single day made it feel unreal. Being able to witness the ceilings of the Vatican, roaming Tivoli's villa gardens... We laughed, even cried. I could not have asked for a better group to be with. The program itself was great, structured time for our course, and free time in the city. We explored new culture, people, food, language, in every sense. I was too busy and having too much fun to be homesick so that's a plus. By the time we were all content and starting to really take in everything, the program had ended. In the end, I was actually heartbroken and devastated to leave my new friends and the beautiful city of Rome. I know we will meet again someday and I will see Rome again, but CIEE made such a wonderful program there that has given me some of the most life changing experiences I will ever have. 100/100 recommend. Amazing staff on my program, I thank CIEE for giving me this opportunity. I would recommend students to apply for scholarships even if you don't think you will get one, it helped me a lot. Again, thank you to the outstanding support on CIEE's part but mostly thank you to all the students on this program with me! You've made it truly unforgettable. <3

Sincerely, Julia Sogol Alamdar

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?
Have fun. Be flexible, and remember you are only going to have this moment once. Once it passes, it's gone. Enjoy every single second of your trip and make memories you won't forget. I know I did.
81 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Aleksey
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Amazing Overall

The program was amazing. Nothing to say here. The family experience was where most of my learning and growth happened. Of course it depends on how you spent time with family, but I personally ensured that we stayed in the target language, Italian, for most of the time with rare exceptions. I learned a little more about Italian culture and their norms as well as a significant language boost which the classroom could never provide. I took 2 trips with my host family outside Ferrara, and a couple times we went out within Ferrara to the movies or something else. The classroom was great. My teacher was very kind, and not strict at all like the program staff. The projects we did and their presentations helped me learn as well. But to be completely honest, I expected the classroom to benefit me more than it did. The family experience turned out to be much more effective than the class. Then there were the weekend trips and after school activities with CIEE. We got to tour a theater, make pizza, make pasta, learn to sing, learn photography, etc. All those activities may not have necessarily helped with learning the language, but rather they helped learn the culture. They were all very fun and entertaining so I'm glad they were there. The 2 weekend trips to Venice and San Marino were also very good. We had a lot of free time there to roam with friends and enjoy sight seeing, as well as some shopping. I only have two criticisms for this program. 1. The missions in the street- They were these activities where we had to approach strangers in Ferrara and ask them questions and have a conversation. Most of them turned out very awkward and I ended up faking all the ones for the last week. It seems like a good idea but in practice it just puts students into uncomfortable scenarios. Perhaps it may work with a few tweaks. 2. Program leaders - They seemed nice at first but there were moments where they acted very unfair and unreasonable. They are biased towards certain students, and don't give chances for behavioral improvement. Basically, if they see something negative in you the first day, you are going to have a bad experience with them for the rest of the program. I personally was on their good side but I still noticed how unreasonable they can be at times, sometimes on a very small but irritating scale. For example, I didn't do an assignment along with 7 other people because there was a misunderstanding on the due date. They ended up pulling me out mid way through a movie we were watching to make it up. I feel like that was a little unfair. There was also a point where we were buying water and the program leaders told us to leave the store just as we were about to pay for it because apparently we had to go. We have to put the water back and upon exiting the store, we took a few steps away and stood there with the rest of the group doing nothing for 10 minutes while they figured stuff out. We could have bought water and it wouldn't hurt anyone. The program leaders also cancelled the third weekend trip because of rain and the rain never happened. Felt like they were simply lazy to go and jumped at the first excuse. There were many other much worse examples that happened with other students though like I said, I kept to their good side. My opinion on this program overall is that CIEE puts you through an amazing immersive experience, but the program leaders break some of that immersion.

What would you improve about this program?
The program leaders need to be a little less uptight about little things and should be more trusting and flexible. They seemed so paranoid every time we went on a weekend trip, or in Ferrara at time, as if they doubt our judgement or their own ability to keep us under control.
78 people found this review helpful.

Questions & Answers