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CSA is an educational exchange org. and a member of:
Greater Seattle
Chamber of Commerce
NAFSA
Association of
International Educators
Member of Netcheck
Commerce Bureau
 
WA State License
#602-292-407
Seattle License # 188122
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Study Abroad Student Comments
and Testimonials
"I attended the University of Alicante program with CSA, and had a
wonderful experience. I took 4 hours of Spanish for a Semester, lived
in the campus dorm, and earned over 15 credit hours. CSA's price was
very attractive, and they offered me a lot of flexibility in regards to
housing and excursions. I met other students right away, and overall
had a great study-abroad experience for a lot less money than some of
my friends who chose other, more expensive programs. It was kinda
funny, for they paid so much more than I did, and yet we were all at
the same university in Spain."
"When I first saw CSA's low prices, I could not believe it. CSA was so
much less expensive than several other program providers, for
essentially the same program. I liked that CSA had been around for over
10 years and I loved the flexibility they offered, for I wanted to
arrange my own housing and airfare. CSA staff were very professional,
and the staff there in Shanghai were very helpful and assisted me with
all my needs. I even earned 6 college credits for the summer. Thank you
CSA! "
"Several programs told me that I needed a high GPA to participate in
their Paris study abroad program. CSA did not require a GPA. In fact,
the CSA program was open to all adults. In addition, CSA prices were
very affordable. I attended the Fall Semester at the University of
Paris-Sorbonne, and had a very memorable time. I earned 15 semester
credit towards my degree back home, and my French language skills
greatly improved. I also found out that GPA requirements by several
other programs were mainly superficial, and and not really required to
study abroad."
"I am majoring in international business and I thought it would be a
good idea to obtain some experience overseas, as well as study another
language. CSA price was very reasonable, but I could not afford an
entire year in Spain so I only enrolled for a Quarter term with CSA to
attend the University of Salamanca. I lived with a Spanish family, had
my own room, attended a famous university, made many European friends
and overall had a wonderful experience. Thank You CSA!"
"I was looking for a short, language program in Italy where I could
take a morning class and have the afternoon free to visit local sites
and enjoy myself. CSA was able to provide a very good program that met
my budget and schedule."
I found CSA prices to be very attractive, so I registered with CSA to
attend the University of Paris, Sorbonne to study French for a
semester. The program was excellent, and housing was easy to find
within the first 2 days. It was my most memorable experience during
college."
"I had just graduated from high school and I decided to do something different during the summer. Germany had always fascinated me, so I enrolled in the CSA summer program in Stuttgart. I lived with a German widow, had my own room, and took language courses in the morning. My afternoons were free time, and I explored all over the city. Met many people from around the world. In addition, I earned college credit. I plan to do it again."
"I am 68 years old and live an active life. I had traveled to Europe many times in my life, but I wanted to do something different this time during my visit to Barcelona. CSA helped me find the right Spanish language program. I met both young and even some older students than myself, and was able to enjoy this beloved city in a unique way through the language program. Studying abroad is not just for students everyone can enjoy it."
"My school did not offer the kind of program I was looking for, and many of the other school's were very expensive. CSA provided me with the program I needed all within my budget. I attended the Beijing Language and Culture University... in Beijing, China for the fall semester. I shared a dorm room with a Japanese student and took my meals in a cafeteria on campus. I earned college credit, and transferred the credit to my school back in the USA. I enjoyed myself very much in China, taking time to travel in other areas before and after my semester. I wish I could do it again."
"I had heard so much about Costa Rica from other students that I really wanted to go there to study for the summer. CSA's program with the University of Veritas was perfect. Price was good, classes were in the morning, and the campus has a lot to offer. I got involved in extra curricular activities like white water rafting and jungle adventures. My host family was really awesome and took good care of me. It was a blast, and I met some really cool students from around the world. I earned 6 semester credits, and received a transcript from the University of Veritas. Thank you CSA"
"I always wanted to go to Florence, Italy. CSA program price and flexible dates were just what I was looking for. I had a wonderful time. Saw all the sights in Florence, enjoyed my classes, and stayed in a student type apartment. I highly recommend CSA, for they were so upfront with me about many issues and provided my confirmations very quickly."
"I chose the University of Complutense Madrid program with CSA because the price was significantly lower than several other programs I checked. Also, CSA allowed me to arrange my own housing which was very important to me. I stayed in a student residence hall during the summer and took my meals at the cafeteria. It worked out very well. I earned 6 semester credits for the summer. Highly recommend CSA, for they provided me with what I wanted and such a lower cost."
"One of my most memorable college experiences was studying abroad at the University Aix-Marseilles III in Provence, France. I signed up with CSA, for they were much lower than other programs for basically the same courses. I received my confirmations quickly, and CSA staff helped me with my many questions. Upon completing the program, I received an official transcript from the University of Aix-Marseilles and earned 15 semester credits. Overall, I had a lovely time enjoying the Provence region and hope to visit there again someday."
IMPORTANT!
NOTE: CSA no longer keeps track of past participants. Frequent changes
in addresses, phone numbers, and e-mail addresses really prevent us
from continuing this. Also, we are not allowed to give out names and
addresses (contact info) without written permission from past
participants. CSA keeps each applicants contact info private, we do not
give out (or sell) the names, addresses or e-mails to anybody.
We used to provide contact information of past students who gave us
permission to refer them to potential applicants. But everytime we did
this, they would receive numerous phone calls and e-mails asking them
about the program. They soon got very tired of this, and asked us to
take their names off the reference list. Some of them even threatened
legal action. This got even worse with the use of e-mail....for they
would receive so many. Another problem we ran into was keeping track of
past students whereabouts. Students are very mobile, and they move
often...changing their addresses, phone #, and e-mail.
Due to issues of privacy and legal reasons, as well as the difficult
task of keeping track of past students, CSA no longer provides
references from past students. CSA can provide you with other
references, such as organizations that have worked with us and can
vouch for our credibility. Since 1990, CSA has been a fully licensed
organization in the state of Washington and city of Seattle. We are
members of the Seattle Chamber of Commerce, as well as the National
Association of International Education (NAFSA) based in Washington DC.
Another issue with using "student references" is their credibility!
Every student has a different experience abroad, and some are more
adapatable to a different culture than others. Thus, some students will
have a difficult experience purely because they are not mentally
prepared to adjust to a new cultural setting, and it has nothing to do
with the program itself. International travel is a "personal"
adventure, and ones success depends largely on how adaptive the person
is to the new culture.
Some program providers will continue to provide student references. But
are these past students really "sincere" ? Are they getting any benefit
from the organization for being a good reference and promoting the
program ? If not, why would they take their time to answer e-mails from
strangers or return phone calls ? Have you ever been given a bad
reference who says negative things about the program ? Will they give
you the e-mail and number of students who had a bad experience ? These
are just some questions to ponder in regards to past student referrals.
CSA keeps all applicant information private. We do not release any
persons name or contact information without the written permission of
that person. Also, CSA does not sell it's database of applicants
contact information.
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