When going abroad, many students choose to participate in an Auburn led/directed program, but that isn’t the only option! Our office can also help you look outside of Auburn to find what we call a Non-Auburn program. We want students to find the program that fits their goals and needs best, whether that is one of our programs or one outside of AU. A Non-AU program can often help students find the programs that fit exactly what they are looking for which may include a specific location, timing of program, length of program, or certain academic courses. Non-Auburn programs expand the options of what our students can do abroad!
Bella Facchini is a rising senior that went abroad on two Non-Auburn Programs last summer. She traveled to two different locations with popular abroad programs, SAI and Lead Abroad. This is what Bella has to say about her experience with her non-Auburn programs.
“Going abroad was one of the best experiences of my college career. However, when I first started looking into going abroad, I debated whether I wanted to go with an Auburn program or a third-party program. I was lucky to experience two third-party programs over my summer semester, and I couldn’t have asked for a better experience. I chose SAI Abroad for a five-week program in Sorrento and Lead Abroad for a five-week program in Barcelona, and it was the best of both worlds!
I could not speak more highly about SAI Abroad. It allowed me to be an independent traveler while gaining credits that transferred to core Auburn classes. SAI enables you to live in apartments around the city, which made me feel like I was truly living in Sorrento. Teachers from Italy taught me core classes like the principles of marketing, which gave me a unique perspective and learning experience. Everyone in the SAI program concentrated on providing students with the best experiences, offering activities throughout the week like cooking classes, yoga every morning, and sunset kayaking. My five weeks in Sorrento was something I will cherish forever. SAI programs provided more of a hands-off experience so students could grow beyond the classroom and outside the world!
Lead Abroad was one of the most well-organized programs I’ve ever seen. While it was much more guided than SAI abroad, Lead Abroad wanted to make sure every student made the most out of their abroad experience. From the second students arrived in Barcelona, Lead Abroad ensured they were pulling out all the stops. From welcome dinners to guided tours of Barcelona’s famous landmarks to weekly personal reflections, Lead Abroad had something for every student.
The best part about using a third-party program was the friends I made. A third-party program gives you a unique opportunity to meet students nationwide. I was the only Auburn student in my Sorrento program, which was very intimidating initially; however, SAI fosters the most welcoming environment. I met my best friends within the first few days and now have friends from all over the country. Over the past year, we have traveled to visit each other, called to catch up, and cheered each other on from all over the country. SAI provides me with a network of friends I will cherish forever. The Lead Abroad network is much smaller because the programs are only offered to SEC schools. I knew that students were going to be studying abroad with their friends they had at their universities, so again, I was nervous because I was going alone. However, Lead Abroad makes it a point to connect students with the same interests and hobbies. I met girls from Auburn and other SEC schools who are now my best friends. Lead Abroad connected me with people I wouldn’t have met initially at Auburn, and now I can experience gamedays, study sessions, and new adventures with my friends I met in Barcelona!”
Bella is one of over 250 Auburn students that chose to attend a Non-Auburn third-party program and had an amazing experience. Studying abroad is extremely valuable to our students and we want to find the program that works best for everyone whether it is an Auburn facilitated program or not.
For more information about selecting a Non-Auburn program, you can visit the Non-Auburn Registration Page. For general study abroad information, check out the Auburn Abroad website!