We are off to Costa Rica to evaluate three schools!

It is snowing in Chicago right now. I’m looking out of my third floor condo window and all of the trees and cars are bright white. Tonight is the first heavy snow of the winter.

We are off to Costa Rica to evaluate three Spanish language schools to add to our portfolio of Affiliate Spanish Language Schools. Our first stop is to the capital, San Jose. Then we’re off the the beach! We will visit two beach towns on this trip. The first beach town is called Manuel Antonio. It is known for it’s national park, diverse wildlife, and white sand beaches. I’ve been to Costa Rica twice, been all over the country and think that Manuel Antonio is the most developed beach town in Costa Rica. The second beach town we will visit is Playa Samara. These beautiful beach towns are both on the Pacific side of the country.

Think Abroad only selects the best Affiliate Foreign Language Schools (AFLS) abroad. We do this by objectively looking at the essential elements that enhance learning and promote having fun! Below you can read about what we measure when evaluating a potential AFLS.

In short, we evaluate the quality of each of these categories when evaluating potential schools:

• School facilities

• Teachers

• Accommodations (homestay, hotel, & apartment)

• Telecommunication, Technology and Internet

• Course and Specialty Course

• Extra perks

• Transportation options

• Credibility (affiliations, past student testimonials, accreditations)

• Safety policies and protocols

• Costs and fees

All AFLS are unique and offer specialty courses and programs (kids, medical, volunteer, teens, 50+, law enforcement, one-on-one, intern, etc), which is guaranteed to enhance the experience abroad. I will write about our experiences and share photos when I return. Peace!