I really believe that the AUCP is unlike any other study abroad program. It is a full experience - an opportunity to become immersed in another culture, to have all the elements to learn the language, an experience to see more of the world and find where you yourself fit in! I am leaving Marseille 100% happy and more than satisfied with this program!
Martha Lauer - AUCP Fall 10
Fordham University

My AUCP experience was unique and unforgettable. It was scary at first, being that I was in a country whose language and culture differed from that of the US. After a while though, I did not want the experience to reach its end. It offered me a chance to learn, to grow, to try delicious food, to see beautiful things, to encounter amazing people, and to love.
Aryany Pérez - AUCP Fall 10
Fordham University

The AUCP experience is as perfect a French study abroad program as possible. All the components and the staff make for a well-balanced and supported learning experience. I really couldn't ask for anything more. My time with the AUCP has changed the way I think and how I view my own country.
Johanna Schneider - AUCP Fall 10
George Washington University

The AUCP is the most intensive program I've heard of since starting the abroad experience, but after completing it, I can't imagine doing any less in terms of immersion and cultural studies. Every class and outside class requirement is really essential to understand a new culture and language.
Dana Hauck - AUCP Fall 10
Tulane University

I gained so much from this experience, on both a linguistic and a personal level. I have really discovered a lot about myself this semester.
Jamie Drillette - AUCP Fall 10
Colorado College

I loved the AUCP. I think it was the best study abroad experience I could have had and I learned the most that I could.
Elizabeth Mahoney - AUCP Fall 10
Tulane University

This has been an amazingly enriching experience. That is not to say that every moment has been ideal or easy. The dimension that the séjour au Maroc adds is unforgettable.
Iris Kunert - AUCP Spring 08
Oberlin College

Excellent concept. Professors are formidable and the setting is very appropriate to the theme of study.
Adam Koppeser - AUCP Spring 07
Muhlenberg College

You will discover not only the French but yourself as well.
Laura Deavers - AUCP Spring 07
Grinnell College

Upon arrival in France, I quickly realized that AUCP-Marseille is not your typical study abroad experience. The AUCP Marseille program fully immerses you in French and Arab culture. This experience can be challenging and even a little intimidating at times, but the five months I spent in Marseille proved to be invaluable.
As an aid worker in the Middle East, I often face these same types of challenges, and I have time and again relied on the foundation of cross-cultural understanding built at the AUCP to help achieve my goals. While in Iraq, for example, I found that demonstrating knowledge of Arab traditions and culture helped foster a mutual respect between myself and my Iraqi counterparts. Based on this respect, we are able to put all differences aside and work together.
Andrew M. AUCP Spring 06
George Washington University

AUCP is exceptional in that it puts forth more effort than a typical study abroad program in terms of helping its students find "success" while abroad of course what exactly that "success" is depends on the student.
Sarah Newman - AUCP Spring 06
Oberlin College

AUCP provides a well-rounded experience for its students by including, social, cultural and academic aspects in its program. It was truly an enjoyable learning experience.
Olivia Philipp - AUCP Spring 07
Bates College

You are lucky to be abroad. These will be the fastest and slowest months of your life...Think how lucky you are!
Melissa Eng - AUCP Spring 07
Brandeis University

Not only was the AUCP itself a place to learn, it was a huge system of support! The teachers constantly encourage you to progress and grow and in doing so, help you profit as much as possible from your time abroad!
Martha Lauer - AUCP Fall 10
Fordham University

The AUCP is where you can take all of the overwhelming and interesting experiences you're being bombarded with and make sense of them. The teachers are truly there to help and know how to help you reach your goals.
Dana Hauck- AUCP Fall 10
Tulane University

Because of the small number of students, I was able to get so much from my classes in terms of deeply understanding the material and building connections with the professors. The subject material was stimulating, provocative and relevant and the teachers facilitated engaging and warm class environments.
Racher Bouer- AUCP Fall 10
Oberlin College

The professors at the AUCP are truly special. They are there each day to give their 100% and support us, the students, academically, emotionally, and socially. I was able to discuss anything with them, they are all so open and kind, and made the classes a pleasure.
Johanna Schneider - AUCP Fall 10
George Washington University

The professors I had not only taught me many things, but they were also able to help me see things through different lenses. They really wanted for us to improve and grow.
Aryany Pérez - AUCP Fall 10
Fordham University

I really enjoyed my classes at the AUCP and our teachers were great. The classes were definitely a different style from those of mine at my university, but really interesting.
Elizabeth Mahoney - AUCP Fall 10
Tulane University

The choice of classes and teachers was well thought out & provided for an intensive study, not only of France, French politics, culture, people, etc., but of the world as a whole.
Olivia Philips - AUCP Spring 07
Bates College

All the professors were very enthusiastic. If you need any help or have any questions, they are all happy to do extra work to help you.
Guillermo Griem - AUCP Spring 07
Arcadia University

My professors were intelligent, interesting, and well-prepared in the soul of the AUCP.
Aimée Thompson - AUCP Spring 07
Colorado College

The courses are great!
Kiona Zappe - AUCP Spring 06
George Washington University

My classes at AUCP Marseille were challenging but I also learned so much , I now have an amazing foundation of knowledge on Islam, North Africa, Immigrants in France and the Middle East and I did it all in French !
Susanna Rempel - AUCP Spring 04
Scripps College

The community service requirement added a totally different element to this study abroad experience. It was another way to discover more about Marseille and its people and culture, but in a way that I probably wouldn't have checked out otherwise. It allowed me to add a whole other dynamic to this experience that I loved and am so grateful for.
Martha Lauer - AUCP Fall 10
Fordham University

The community service aspect of the AUCP served as my entry point into the Marseillaise community. Through my two volunteer posts, I got to know both young Algerian immigrants and a wonderful elderly woman. They taught me a lot and helped me to see the immigrant and French perspective of the world.
Johanna Schneider - AUCP Fall 10
George Washington University

Not only did my community service bring me to a group of people I otherwise would have never met, I found, along with my American friends, a group of French students who brought us into their lives, were curious about our backgrounds, and eager to spend time together on weekends.
Racher Bouer - AUCP Fall 10
Oberlin College

Community service is a very effective way to integrate into the everyday reality of French life. I worked at the local high school and learned a lot about French academic setting, and about hopes/plans/activities/interests of French teenagers.
Mariam Guniava - AUCP Fall 10
Trinity University

The community service component of the program provides me with an opportunity to give back to Marseille. It was a small way to express my gratitude for the welcome I had received during my four months here.
Catherine Harrington - AUCP Spring 05
George Washington University

My community service activity put me in touch with a neighbourhood in Marseille that most "marseillais" avoid. Seeing "the other side" of Marseille really enriched my experience.
Sarah Newman - AUCP Spring 06
Oberlin College

I went into my community service expecting to help immigrant women in Marseille; I soon came to realize that community service is both my service to the community and their service to me. Everyone learned something from the others there and it was a life changing experience.
Susanna Rempel - AUCP Spring 04
Scripps College

The homestay was one of the most enriching parts of the experience for me. My host mother fully adopted me, and treated me like a daughter, and I absolutely consider her my "Maman de Marseille".
Jamie Drillette - AUCP Fall 10
Colorado College

The individual homestay is one of the most vital elements to the success of the AUCP program. Not only is it another way to learn about the people and culture, but more than that, it provides the student the opportunity to create valuable relationships for the rest of their lives! My host family truly became another family for me and helped make this AUCP experience the wonderful experience that it was!
Martha Lauer - AUCP Fall 10
Fordham University

If you want to know France intimately, you must stay with a French family. Their customs, their habits, their way of communicating will enrich your understanding of what French society is all about. In fact, staying with a host family will also help you discover yourself as you observe your habits, actions, and ways of communicating with the family.
Aryany Pérez - AUCP Fall 10
Fordham University

The homestay experience was irreplaceable. It was one of the reasons I chose AUCP and I wasn't disappointed. My family was so welcoming and gave me an invaluable perspective of the USA.
Johanna Schneider - AUCP Fall 10
George Washington University

Living with a family was awesome. It forces you to speak French all the time and it also helps you acclimate quicker to being in France.
Elizabeth Mahoney - AUCP Fall 10
Tulane University

In the US, I lived in a family of three. In Marseille, I lived in a family of nine! Finally, I accomplished my life-long goal of being a sister. I had the pleasure of reading with baby twin girls, playing soccer with middle-school age boys and enjoying late-night wine and cheese with my host parents. Before long, I truly fit in with the family, which endlessly multiplied the richness of my experience here.
Rachel Bouer - AUCP Fall 10
Oberlin College

Take advantage of the homestay. It's such a nice break from hyper-independent college life!.
Dana Hauck - AUCP Fall 10
Tulane University

You are living inside the culture instead of on the periphery. There's no better way to shake off the tourist sentiment. It brings a whole new dimension to living abroad that cannot be re-created in any other circumstance.
Julie Murray - AUCP Spring 05
Marist College

The homestay really forces you to break out of a little America. It's the best way to learn about and to have direct contact with French Culture.
Sarah Newman - AUCP Spring 06
Oberlin College
The homestay opportunity AUCP offers to its students is an experience in itself. It is a way for the students to gain a true insight into French culture and everyday life, and also an opportunity to make life-long friends.
Olivia Philipp - AUCP Spring 07
Bates College

The ideas, families, and friends of my language partners showed me a new side of Marseille while giving me strong connections and new friends. Family lunches, ice-skating, and café hopping populated my weekends thanks to their energy and welcoming personalities.
Rachel Bouer - AUCP Fall 10
Oberlin College

If it weren't for my language partner, I would have not gone out as much. Through my partner I had the opportunity to meet other young people, whom I enjoyed speaking to, and I also got to see how friendships are constructed and maintained in France.
Aryany Pérez - AUCP Fall 10
Fordham University

The language partner helped shed a little light on daily life of a French person my age! It was a nice opportunity to learn more about the culture and make a friend.
Martha Lauer - AUCP Fall 10
Fordham University

The language partner component was a thrilling experience. I learned about the everyday lives of French young people: About their goals, hobbies, and ways of dealing with life. I also made good French friends.
Mariam Guniava - AUCP Fall 10
Trinity University

They are an amazing window into another culture. It's a very rare opportunity to have such a meaningful exchange in such a context; to see how life is lived at your age in another culture.
Julie Murray - AUCP Spring 05
Marist College

With the language partner, not only does one have the opportunity to practise French, but also to make French friends close in age, and experience French life through their eyes.
Olivia Philipp - AUCP Spring 07
Bates College

Really take advantage of your language partner. You will learn so much from him/ her. It's what makes the program unique; you automatically have a French friend who is your age.
Byron Hurlbut - AUCP Spring 08
Colorado College

My language partner was one of the best and most enriching parts of my experience.
Iris Kunert - AUCP Spring 08
Oberlin College

The club was a great way for me to pursue my interests here in Marseille. It can also be a great opportunity to try something for the first time.
Martha Lauer- AUCP Fall 10
Fordham University

My club, Gym Club Baret, gave me a great outlet when I needed to unwind or interact with positive, welcoming members of the city. Working out there left me feeling more positive and more included in the life of the city. Dana Hauck- AUCP Fall 10
Tulane University

Another great idea ... I found a great little gym where I went to three times a week and really started to make chums in the family-like atmosphere, and gained some valuable political perspectives during my conversations with the North Africans there.
Adam Koppeser - AUCP Spring 07
Muhlenberg College

The personal interest activity component helped me continue my favorite activity in France, meet French people and see how my hobby is exercised in France.
Mariam Guniava- AUCP Fall 10
Trinity University

I found a great art class with a fantastic group of people with whom it was really calming to pass my Tuesdays and Wednesday afternoons.
Francesca Desmarais - AUCP Spring 08
Colorado College

Les cours de violon m'ont offert une belle occasion d'apprendre des choses nouvelles en français, et de quelqu'un avec un autre perspectif.
Jennifer Lang - AUCP Spring 06
Oberlin College

Taking a dance class was a way for me to maintain a part of my life before France & also to meet people outside the little circle of Americans.
Sarah Newman - AUCP Spring 06
Oberlin College

Over the course of my four months here, I came to find that Marseille, with its many faces, styles, and attitudes, pushed me to grow more than any other place I have visited or lived. An endless overlap of communities and identities mixed with a navigable metro system and workable streets left me excitedly discovering up to the last week in a place that felt like home within the first month.
Rache1 Bouer - AUCP Fall 10
Oberlin College

Marseille is wonderful. In such a short time it became my home and each time I travelled I was always happy to return! The city has so much to offer; where else can one explore roman ruins, swim at the beach, and hike the Calanques?
Johanna Schneider - AUCP Fall 10
George Washington University

Marseille is a fantastic city that really has a character of its own. I like to think of it as the "Texas" of France, and coming from a proud, native Texan, that is quite the compliment!
Jamie Drillette - AUCP Fall 10
Colorado College

Marseille will show you the meaning of the wind through the Mistral, it will give you an easy access to the Mediterranean Sea, it will allow you to hear, to feel, to taste, and to smell the essences of French culture, but with a touch of North African spices. Marseille is not just a part of France, it is also its own entity.
Aryany Pérez - AUCP Fall 10
Fordham University

Take advantage of Marseille! Walk/run along the Corniche, visit the Calanques, try Pastis, try the pizza crèpe in the quartier Noailles. Don't be afraid to explore the city, the Rue Paradis/St. Férriol has great shopping and walk through the Vieux Port at night!!
Dana Hauck - AUCP Fall 10
Tulane University

All the adjectives you've already heard applied to Marseille are true: diverse, complex, busy, a little dirty… What's special is the sort of pride Marseille instils in us: it wasn't until the first time we left the city for the day that we realize how proud we were to be Marseillais!
Hannah Bradley - AUCP Fall 10
Scripps College

Marseille is a place I came to love. No matter wherever else I travelled during my time here - Paris, Nice, Rome, etc. - I was always happy to come back here. Marseille is what she is - a port city, the gateway to North Africa, a completely separate entity from the rest of France - she doesn't try to be anything she isn't, and she's proud of it!
Martha Lauer - AUCP Fall 10
Fordham University

Marseille is an amazing city, which is sunny and very beautiful. In a way, it is raw, frank: It doesn't hide its miseries. So, living here is a great life experience. Besides, there is an active cultural scene in Marseille: museums, concert venues, theatres, etc.
Mariam Guniava - AUCP Fall 10
Trinity University

Marseille is such an awesome city. It offers a culture like none other and so many new opportunities and experiences. Marseille is awesome and not matter where you live in the city, you'll find things to love in your quartier.
Elizabeth Mahoney - AUCP Fall 10
Tulane University

Marseille is an awesome city and if you take it on yourself to profit during your time here, your experience will be great!
Iris Kunert - AUCP Spring 08
Oberlin College