AIT - Budapest

It has been months since I finished the program but I couldn’t stop thinking about it, so I think I should leave a review here for future students. It was definitely the best and most memorable time during my college life and I highly recommend any CS students to choose this program.

Budapest is a beautiful city. It is in the center of Europe so you could easily travel to any countries in the Schengen area. The cost of living is much more affordable compared to other countries so you could save a lot of money.

The program is somewhat selective and the academic is challenging compared to what I study in the US (especially math classes), but everyone is very supportive and helpful. You would be taking classes with very bright and smart students from top colleges in the US. Another good thing I notice about AIT is that you would always find your place. Some of my friends who went to different programs struggle to make friends because they go as an exchange student and people already form a friend group there. You won’t encounter this problem at AIT. Everyone is also studying away so they are open to making friends and ready to do things to make the most of their time there.

I can’t express enough how fun and memorable my time at AIT was and I still cherish every moment of it. It was definitely one of the best decisions in my life! I would highly recommend anyone who is considering this program to join!! Wish I could go back in time.

This is definitely not a cultural study abroad program, however the option to study Hungarian Language and Culture provide some opportunity for motivated students to fill this gap. Beyond that, the has some incredible professors/courses and some flops. If possible, talk to a recent grad of the program to see which are worth taking. On the whole, the program isn't particularly taxing, though it can be if enough courses are taken. This goes back to the cultural aspect of the program – most social experiences must be self-inititated. That isn't to say they can't be awesome, but for some that is a possible red flag.

AIT Budapest was an awesome experience. The academic program was well organized, and the city was always great to explore. Getting around can be a bit difficult at first, but very easy to get the hang of.

I participated in the summer term and had a very enjoyable and informative experience. The mobile software development course was both interesting and useful. We produced a lot of examples that demonstrated the best practices for each platform. The support staff made themselves available. Budapest is a fun city with great (and cheap) nightlife. Housing was made very simple. I was very pleased with my experience.

I had a great time at AIT. It's a small program, so it's easy to get to know everyone really well.

Course-wise, I was pretty pleased with my classes. They were all really interesting and not the kind of thing I would have been able to take at my home school. The professors were all great. More importantly, the classes weren't so difficult that I couldn't take weekend trips around Europe on a whim.

Budapest is an amazing city, and our apartments were right in the middle of the city, which was fantastic. If there is one thing I regret about my stay, it's not taking advantage of all Budapest has to offer. There were a few weekends where I stayed in and did work or something. Don't make my mistake.

For me, the highlight of the program was definitely the coordinators. They are all wonderful people who put a huge effort into their jobs, from spending a few hours with me when I flew in to help me get situated to arranging for a lot of awesome things for us to do like a weekend trip to Lake Balaton or entering us into a rowing competition.