EF Education First Headquarters

Positive experience: Call me petty but I went to the DR and they wouldn't let me pet the domestic animals. The dogs and cats were nice and wanted pets. I even asked a guy if his pets had vacancies and he said yes.(The guy spoke perfect English so he knew what I was saying). They still won't let me pet the dogs. Over all it was good they told us the history of DR good trip.

Negative experience: Most positive reviews are fake - 1-3 reviews per person total, really? These people don't care about your kids. They care about they profit only. Zero responcibility and support. They can book the latest connected flight because it cheaper, and then the first flight is delayed they did nothing despite assuring that everything is under control. The program itself was far away from perfection too.

Negative experience: Technically amazing idea and opportunities to travel and explore new places but when I did my exchange and stayed in America it was horrible. The camp before I left for my host family was not worth the money at all. The food and sleeping situation was miserable. EF did not manage to match me to a right host family. The family I got was awful and I got treated like a complete stranger. My advisor or the person that was supposed to look after me did not help at all. She always sided with the host family and didn’t understand where I was coming from or helped me when I had problems. This was a horrible experience to deal with alone for a 15 year old. Paying so much for a 10 month exchange was ridiculous. The money only went to the organization and the host families hosted for free. That is probably they wanted to keep every host family they could and prioritize them. The downside is the foreign child is suffering. After I finally changed host families I got into a better home and everything resolved itself. But I will never forget the hurt the first couple of months into my experience have caused me. EF needs to care more about the children instead of blaming them for being different. Host families need to understand that different cultures = different behaviors.

Fantastic experience: Why I would choose EF all over again ! I always dreamt of going on exchange, but I was so unsure and scared about what if I would have a problem once I am there and my parents are not there. Well, first of all I had the most amazing year of my whole entire life and even though it came to an end over a year ago, I still think about it every day and have my amazing friends from there. I had to switch host family during my year and I couldn’t have been more helped than I was. My coordinator was there to support me day and nights and she ended up making the rest of the most wonderful. I will forever be thankful for all these opportunities and all the ambassador friends that I made thanks to Program. I wouldn’t have wanted my exchange to be any other way. I also absolutely love the ambassador program which enabled me to meet friends that I go on vacation now even back home over a year after. EF gives you a million possibilities to stay involved in the Program and that’s my favorite part now! Getting to meet new students at pre departure meetings, being a part of the buddy program, going to Summits in Boston, Zurich and having the possibility to apply for summer jobs will NEVER get old! Thank you again, Emilie

Negative experience: cant log in anywhere, no place to to put my enrollment code

Fantastic experience: The building looks nice from the outside.

Positive experience: I recently went with EF to Barcelona for two weeks and had the best time of my life! I love learning languages and traveling and this was a great cost-effective way to accomplish bith goals at once. The classes are truly amazing if you are placed in the reight level, and being able to immediately practice what you learn in class in the real world really cements the lessons in your head. Though, if you want to focus more on sight-seeing I would do the basic plan instead of intensive course because you might have class for 6 hours in a row in one day with no breaks longer than 10 minutes with the intensive course. If your goal is to drastically improve your langauge ability, I would stay with a host family, but otherwise I would recommend staying in a residence so you can easily meet and talk to other students. Everyone in the program is so nice and they are what made my trip so memorable!

Fantastic experience: I took a 4 week trip to Nice this summer and it was an amazing experience. Really recommend EF to anyone who is looking to improve their language skills and make lifelong friendships. The staff is super nice and helpful and the accommodations are comfortable. I was able to explore Nice and lots of the surrounding area like Monaco, and Antibes, and we constantly did a lot of fun activities. I will definitely look to EF next time i want to study abroad

Fantastic experience: I cannot say enough great things about EF. I travel with EF extensively. I've been to England, France, Iceland, Ireland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and soon to be Switzerland with EF. And all I can say is - wow. This company is amazing, guys. No exaggeration. They book your flights, tell you what to bring, have airport transfers ready, have excursions planned, hotels booked... all you need to do is SHOW UP AND HAVE FUN! And if you're scared about traveling alone, I get it. I used to be, too. But you're not alone. You will make so many friends during your time with EF - some of whom you'll travel with again in the future! Book the trip, you'll regret it forever if you don't.

Fantastic experience: I recently had the incredible opportunity to study abroad in South Korea with EF Language Schools, and it was an unforgettable experience. From the moment I arrived, I felt welcomed and supported by the EF staff. They were always available to help with any questions or concerns, making the transition to a new country smooth and stress-free. The language classes were engaging and tailored to different skill levels, which allowed me to progress at my own pace. The teachers were knowledgeable and passionate about helping us learn Korean, and they used a variety of teaching methods to keep the lessons interesting. Outside of the classroom, EF organized numerous cultural activities and excursions that allowed us to explore South Korea's rich history and vibrant culture. From visiting ancient palaces to trying traditional Korean cuisine, each experience was thoughtfully planned and provided a deeper understanding of the country. One of the highlights of my trip was the opportunity to meet and interact with fellow students from around the world. We formed close friendships and shared many memorable moments together, both in and out of class. Overall, my experience with EF Language Schools in South Korea was phenomenal. It not only improved my language skills but also broadened my cultural horizons and created lasting memories. I highly recommend EF to anyone considering studying abroad.

Fantastic experience: I spent 2 weeks in Tamarindo, Costa Rica studying Spanish. I had a wonderful experience. Everything was lovely. The teachers were so supportive and helpful! And I’ve made so many friends from different countries. Everything was just mind-blowing to me. I didn’t stay on campus/residence. I chose to stay with a local family. And I really enjoyed it. Especially the food!

Fantastic experience: This experience was amazing! Made so many life long friends and learned so much.

Fantastic experience: I loved my experience with EF on my tour. It allowed me to have a great trip with planning practically nothing. It was an easy way for my friends and I all to agree on a trip too since the itineraries are already planned too! I also enjoyed the fact that I got to see the super touristy spots we’ll also exploring smaller local towns that I wouldn’t have found on my own.

Fantastic experience: EF has been the greatest experience of my life. The staff in Barcelona are so nice and genuinely care about you. Shout-out to Balbina, Lucio, Liv, Amanda, Marina, Vicki, Nico, and Abru for being awesome!!!

Fantastic experience: My experience with EF in Seoul was exceptional. Everything went smoothly, from the welcoming atmosphere to the top-notch educational sessions. The staff were friendly and knowledgeable, ensuring a great learning environment. Classes were engaging and well-structured, led by passionate instructors who deepened my understanding significantly. The modern facilities and perfect location in Seoul added to the experience, allowing for both learning and exploration of the city. Overall, EF Education First provided a memorable and enriching experience, combining seamless organization with high-quality education. I would highly recommend it for anyone looking to learn in a supportive and inspiring setting.

Positive experience: UPDATE: My feedback was heard (via email) and they reached out to me to take care of my paperwork via computer, AND, have indicated that they will make that an option in the future as well. With some personalized treatment, I am feeling much better about my experience and look forward to my trip. I've left my prior review (it was 3 stars) for your reference. So far I feel a bit lost. They were very eager to take my money, but I haven't heard much from them since. I finally had some time to download the app (I'd really rather use my computer than my mobile phone - searches and attempts to login to Campus Connect connected me with a learning program, now in Spanish (I speak english, want to LEARN spanish)) with no options to deal with paperwork, profile, etc. using a full keyboard instead of a smartphone. Now I see now that a lot of my paperwork is past due. Apparently I now need to contact customer service to rectify this - why wasn't I sent a reminder email? Why isn't there a link to login right on the homepage? Why is it so difficult to take care of this? Add to that I did manage to enter my trip information. However, when trying to enter the name of my arrival and departing airport required searching for the airport via an internet search for the "Full honorary name" of the airport instead of the international airport code (LIR for Liberia in Costa Rica). I couldn't even enter "Costa Rica" (no results found) to narrow the search. This is a bit clunky and now I'm concerned that I've been mislead. Why the disconnect, clunky websites and no way to deal with the information/applications/etc. via a web browser on my computer instead of just my smartphone?

Fantastic experience: Absolutely recommend the Thailand Getaway trip! It was amazing, Annie the tour guide was great and we met some amazing people as well!!!

Fantastic experience: I went on my first EF trip to Portugal and Spain and could not say better things about it! Our tour guide was so thoughtful of everyone and such a joy to be around.As well as had many options of what to do during free time. I definitely caught the travel bug after:)

Fantastic experience: I have had the best experience with ef they have been not only flexible with me but also help me get into a program that best suited me and honestly is can't wait for my trip in September

Fantastic experience: I have been on two EF trips & have a third booked! My first trip was Greece & it was my first time in Europe. I went alone and had the most amazing time of my life. It sparked my love for traveling & the next year I did the Italy, Germany & Switzerland trip. A whole different vibe but still an unreal trip. From both trips I have seen incredible places, met lifelong friends & have been inspired to continue traveling. I leave for Cruise Croatia in a week and cannot wait! The guides are amazing & I love the stress-free travel that EF provides.

Fantastic experience: I just got back from an amazing 2 weeks vacation/studies in Costa Rica, what a trip! A lifetime experience that I will remember forever! I chose an intensive program, so mostly had classes all day. Either 8am-3.30pm, or 11am-4.30pm, which I really enjoyed because my main goal for this trip was learning Spanish. You still have plenty of time to explore. In the mornings before classes we would go to the beach and also were able to squeeze 2 excursions! Zip lining and kayaking, the places were close to town. During lunch break we would explore different cafes, and at night went to watch sunset and have dinner on the beach. Lots of night life that starts late, like after 9-10pm, so we did that too when we had afternoon classes. I only had 2 weeks, but I packed them with all kinds of activities. Got to try surfing for the first time! There is a lot to do, I wish I had more time. Would love to come back!

Fantastic experience: My EF experience could not have been better! Our student trip to London was incredible and our tour director took care of everything. The positive attitude, flexibility, and the student-first perspective all helped ensure safety and a great experience for all. Can't wait to embark on more adventures!

Positive experience: EF was a pretty interesting experience. There was room for improvement for organization but overall the company was fantastic in allowing students to immerse themselves in other cultures. Personally went to Japan and enjoyed my two weeks studying the language in an efficient way! There was trips and journeys to shrines and prefectures that just overall really made things fun. The residence was unexpected since it was a share house with other programs but overall solid 8/10! Just try it out for yourself.

Negative experience: This isn’t a review of Boston HQ specifically, but more of EF as a whole. I have been with EF for about ten years. Lately their trips have been sub par- bad hotels 40+ minutes away from the city center, bad food (usually at the hotel even though they sell you “authentic meals”) and inconsistent customer service due to high turn over of staff. I’m currently shopping around for other companies. I have one last trip this summer, and I may go back to EF if it goes well, but I don’t have high hopes.

Fantastic experience: Ich bin mit EF für mein Auslandsjahr in Amerika und es gefällt mir sehr gut! Die Organisation von meinem Auslandsjahr hat sehr früh begonnen und ich habe mich immer unterstützt gefühlt. Die Mitarbeitenden sind gut auf fragen eingegangen und haben sich auch in der Vorbereitung viel Mühe gegeben! Ich bin sehr zufrieden:)

Fantastic experience: EF languages has made this journey so easy and seamless! For the cost you get so much value and I’m so excited to be working with such a friendly, flexible, and tenured company!

Negative experience: I've been waiting for a refund from EF that I requested 5 weeks ago, for the company removing money from account without my knowledge and/or my permission. On top of that the communication between the destination country and the home country is terrible, there is a lot of misinformation given before leaving for the trip that is not true upon arrival, and after 3 months of dealing with EF I've finally realized they only exist to make money and could care less about your trip.

Negative experience: These branch is the absolute WORST at communication. I booked a trip through them and never received any updates from my coordinator (Spencer). I called EF up to 8-12 times a day regarding serious matters and no one picked up the phone. If they did pick up, they promised a callback that never came. I had to wait months to clear my issues and questions. The amount of stress that this branch caused me is ridiculous. I wasn't told my flight information until the week before I was leaving and that was only because I had to waste hours of my time trying to talk to someone. EF is a good program, but this Boston branch is absolutely horrible.

Fantastic experience: Gianluca was very helpful and patient as I asked all of my questions to get a full understanding of the program and what it entailed. They were very supportive of the decision making process, and I appreciated having their knowledge at my disposal.

Fantastic experience: I had a great exchange year through EF! I would definitely choose EF again, because they have a great ambassador program for students who want to enhance their year, and want to inspire future students and share their amazing experiences. It gives you the opportunity to share your stories, in a way that suits you, through webinars, social media, hanging up posters etc. You can also earn points and trade it in for awesome prizes for yoour efforts! I grew as a person during my excahnge year, which I have really benefited from. I'm more open-minded, adventurous and independent. I would recommend EF because they have a great support system, and awesome opportunities throughout your year. They also have other great travelling programs, if exchange years aren't for you!

Fantastic experience: There's no better way to learn a language and you'll have fun in the process. It gives you the opportunity to submerge yourself into a new culture, find new people and places, and advance your career

Fantastic experience: Overall a great booking experience. Sharon was very nice, super helpful, and patient with all of my questions and needs. Frequently reached out and was available for any questions that popped up as we planned my trip. Overall she was very helpful and accommodating and did her best to help me achieve my dream of going to Japan, thank you! I am looking forward to the trip!

Fantastic experience: My experience was wonderful here. I was looking for some community meeting space and I reached out and in just a few hours I had a conference room booked with parking set up and everything I needed. Staff were friendly and helpful and there's even a restaurant and bar located in the building. I was so impressed with this resource they were willing to offer!

Fantastic experience: I finished booking my trip to Tokyo, Japan and ultimately decided to go through with it because of how respectful, honest, and eager EF was to work with me. Often times colleges and universities assume that students will attend because they need a degree and will as a result devalue the students that attend them. This was never the case with EF. I was given plenty of time with no pressure, and reassured every step of the process. I booked with Patrick D. and he was nothing but helpful the entire journey. He listened thoughtfully to every question I had, and gave honest answers. Any potential problem had a well thought and articulated solution. I appreciate the attention to detail and if this Tokyo trip goes well, I will be booking again. If you’re looking into traveling abroad, I recommend speaking with EF staff/advisors. I can’t speak everyone’s character, but I can say if they are anything like Patrick, you’re in good hands. Hope this helps!

Fantastic experience: Easy and simple process. Clear and precise. Great help available when and where necessary

Fantastic experience: Súper !!

Fantastic experience: EF has been great to work with. They are so helpful and have answered all our questions.

Positive experience: I took a trip to EF Tokyo from June 4th-July 29th. Everything was fine and dandy until I got to Tokyo, essentially things were not happening as we were told it was going to be. But my biggest issue has been the US customer support. I broke my foot on July 9th and requested to leave Tokyo earlier. On top of that EF was still charging my card for a fully completed trip. When I contacted them about the money they were quick to reply but about my request to leave they would not even reply to my emails. It took several days and multiple emails and phone calls to get stuff done. Overall to do the sales pitch and get your info they're fast but any issues during your trip they take their time in getting back to you. This has left a very sour taste in experience with them. They were at least flexible in postponing my last 2 week's since I had to leave school earlier.

Fantastic experience: Booking through EF Education First was fantastic. Everyone was so nice and very responsive. I would definitely recommend this agency to anyone looking to study abroad!

Fantastic experience: Juliette was so helpful. So excited to start the program!!

Fantastic experience: While I could tell that pressure was being put on me and my parents, I knew that it was a tactic that would be used, and it never got bad. All my questions were answered very well, and overall it was really good, and provided great information.

Fantastic experience: Gianluca was very friendly and the whole process was very easy. Can’t wait to experience Italy first hand.

Fantastic experience: Holly was a wealth of knowledge about the EF Rome location. Her suggestions and details of her experiences were a great help in deciding on EF. I just wish there was a discount coupon. :)

Fantastic experience: I’m an exchange student from EF and it’s a great agency to go on an exchange year with. Personally they’re really prepared to help people during, before and after the exchange year. For me something amazing from this agency is the EF camp. It was a live changing experience and I learned a lot from it. It’s the best thing do to prepare us for the exchange year. An exchange year is an amazing opportunity. You’re going to see yourself in a lot of challenges and when you overcome all of them you feel really proud of yourself. Feeling more mature, independent and knowing more about yourself is something that you will learned having this great experience. EF is the best agency to go on an exchange year and I don’t regret anything.

Fantastic experience: Yo decidí irme un año a Irlanda con EF y nunca me arrepentiré de ello. Desde el principio la gente de la compañía está súper pendiente de que el estudiante de sienta cómodo e informado sobre la situación de su año en el extranjero. Los welcome days son sin duda alguna algo que destacar, se tratan de tres días en Dublín con el resto de estudiantes, en los cuales hay varias actividades planeadas para ayudarnos a abrirnos y evitar un shock cultural muy grande. Hice muchos amigos que me han acompañado durante todo el año y nunca olvidare. Una vez con la familia ya empecé vida normal con el instituto y además mi double placement que era una chica alemana. Yo decidí meterme en Transition Year que consiste en un curso lleno de actividades y experiencias para descubrirse a uno mismo. La verdad que es un año muy peculiar y nunca paras de tener planes diversos. Por otra parte mi host family es un amor, desde que llegue a su casa me han tratado como a su propia hija y me han dado la libertad necesaria para que pudiera adaptarme sin problemas pero siempre que necesitaba algo no dudaban en apoyarme siempre.

Fantastic experience: Estoy teniendo una muy buena experiencia con EF. La repetiría sin dudarlo. La recomiendo mucho.

Fantastic experience: I loved traveling with EF tours ever since high school and. I am excited to have booked another experience with them

Fantastic experience: My booking with EF was really good! My advisor was Annie Durgin she helped me so much with answering any and all questions me and mu family had. She even gave us information i hadn't even considered and overall it was a really good experience.

Fantastic experience: The booking process was great! I was talking to Jonas patrolia. He’s a great guy, answered all my questions and was very understanding and patients with me!!

Fantastic experience: Easy and Informative staff who helped me book an experience! :)

Negative experience: We were on a group school trip and had a family emergency 6 months before the trip. We read the cancelation policy which outlined specific dates for us to cancel to get a refund. We sent an email to the organizer to cancel and have record of the email. They didn’t cancel and now refuse our refund claiming stipulations that are not anywhere in their policy. Be careful signing anything with them as they cannot be trusted to follow their own guidelines.

Fantastic experience: Very friendly and helpful! Always there to answer any questions I had and never felt pressured to commit to anything. Genuinely wanted to choose something right for me!

Fantastic experience: My booking experience was very very easy. My advisor (Sharon) had answers to all of my questions, as well as different resources that she could provide to me in order to make getting ready for my trip so much simpler. So so thankful!

Fantastic experience: The initial process was smooth and Annie was very helpful. We do , however have a lot more planning to do in regards to flights and booking.

Fantastic experience: Jonas was great! He was easy to talk to and answered all of my questions. I will be comfortable working with him for the duration of my daughter’s journey.

Fantastic experience: Jacki was so helpful and answered all of our questions. The sign up process was easy.

Fantastic experience: The booking experience was super easy I definitely recommend that anyone interested in doing the program contact the staff and inquire, because for my friend and I they were super involved in the booking process and it genuinely felt like having a friend on the inside who would help talk and work through everything with you until you are ready. Ten out of Ten experience!

Fantastic experience: Booking with Sharon was so easy! She was lovely to work with. 10/10 recommend.

Fantastic experience: Booking my trip with Jonas was awesome. He was very helpful with answering my questions and helped give me some starter tips for my trip!!! Thank you

Fantastic experience: super easy to use!

Negative experience: They aren't a really LGBT friendly company. And as a lgbt person wasn't good start for me.

Fantastic experience: Surprisingly hassle free. Great follow up and EASY! Madeline was really friendly, professional, and results based. I wanted a two week French class and in 24 hours I was enrolled. Thank you for a great system. Wish other companies were as organized and well run.

Positive experience: The booking experience was a pain not because of what we actually had to do, but rather the people there. The process itself took only about 10-15 minutes however we had to wait 2 weeks before booking because we would schedule appointments to talk with an adviser then they never responded. My advice is to call their number then you'll get transfered to someone who can help and the person who helped me was very nice and patient. Overall the booking was easy, but most of the people weren't easy to work with.

Negative experience: Would not choose this tour service again. Participated on a school trip. Schedule changed constantly, details like "no backpack" was not communicated ahead of time, and access to the bus was often unaccessable "bus will drop us off then park at the hotel and anything left will not be accessible until the next day". Drove 4hrs for tour and was told on the way the group was too big so no tour. Why have a tour guide that was not used? Breakfast is simple: roll, ham, cheese, yogurt. Dinners have not been appetizing, would rather have gone for authentic fair and not rushed to eat and run. Here is hoping the remaining two days goes better and the return flights don't require half the group to sleep in the airport, company only booked some on the direct flight.

Negative experience: Tour in 3 days. Cannot get an answer to a covid test question. Waited on "hold" for 1 full hour, no one ever picked up call. Cable company has better customer service.

Fantastic experience: Interesting lobby area

Fantastic experience: We heard about this program through a trusted source in order to prepare for going away for college. Nick was thorough in answering my questions and available for going through various options with us until we were able to make our decision.

Fantastic experience: very easy process, christina was very kind and helpful!

Fantastic experience: Cristina was incredible helpful during the booking process!

Negative experience: Advisors will get back to you the next day when help is needed.

Fantastic experience: Cristina was very helpful in answering questions and walking us through the registration process.

Fantastic experience: I absolutely LOVED my advisor Christina de la Cruz! She made the process simple, easy to understand, and less stressful. Answered all of my questions and replied in a timely manner. Honestly I do not know where EF hires their employees, but I can tell they only hire the best !

Fantastic experience: I have highly enjoyed signing up for this program! It has been absolutely amazing with the help that I have been given, through the program. I have gotten all of my questions answered and have become increasingly excited for this program. Highly suggest it. 10/10 would recommend.

Fantastic experience: Spencer was a great help and gave us tons of helpful information!!!

Negative experience: Would give negative stars if I could. Completely unprofessional, rude, and frankly cruel treatment of its clients during COVID. My family asked to reschedule our trip and were told that we were "difficult" and "frustrating," despite having a member within vulnerable age and health populations. AVOID.

Fantastic experience: Will was very helpful and spoke to my family and I on multiple occasions to help guide me through the EF enrollment process. He was also very patient and had knowledgable answers to every question I asked. Great communication all around.

Fantastic experience: Ryan was awesome and helped me find the perfect trip! He answered every question I had, and I had A LOT;)

Fantastic experience: EF's interest in helping their students is enormous, almost as great as the excitement I feel to be part of this team on my next trip.

Fantastic experience: Super helpful. Thanks to their help I was able to schedule a six month expedition to Nice France.

Fantastic experience: EF has changed my life with experiences and travels I thought I’d never have! Their programs are the most well scheduled, professional, and reliable Touring/LanguageAbroad program out there. As someone who has gone to Costa Rica with EF Tours and to Tokyo with EF’s Language Immersion program and is now going to Berlin through their language immersion program once more, I recommend you to check out EF, their brochures, and all of their destinations! I Love EF, always will, and so will you!!

Fantastic experience: My advisor Cara really helped with the booking process and broke down everything into manageable steps. Highly Recommend!

Negative experience: fraudulent company. Took about 400$ from me and never gave me back my refund payment. Reporting to BBB.

Fantastic experience: Fue muy fácil y eficiente reservar con EF.

Negative experience: Disappointed with the workplace culture, how did this place win best place to work in Boston? Must be rigged, all I hear is awful things about what it is like to work here.

Fantastic experience: EF did a wonderful job of handling my transportation and difficult situations that occurred. Very pleasant and helpful on-site staff.

Fantastic experience: I went to Madrid for 6 weeks and loved it! I went in with very minimal knowledge of Spanish and left being able to carry on conversations, and do significantly better in my Spanish class. I loved my host family, my teachers, and all of my new friends. I am a big fan of the way that new students come every week as I got to meet so many new people from various countries. I am so grateful for this experience and I highly recommend it!

Fantastic experience: Booking is so easy , and there’s always someone to answer all your questions!

Negative experience: They are scamming people by saying they are: Carolina Health Care and they tried to trick me into giving my bank acct. info.

Fantastic experience: The people who work in the call center and the office workers are all very friendly! I have been doing trips with EF for about 3 years now and i plan to use them more in the future as well, Thank you all so much for the wonderful memories!!

Fantastic experience: Awesome office with great views!

Negative experience: The way this company does business is appalling. I have had a long and positive relationship with EF spanning over 10 years. I have organized girl scout groups to travel with EF tours, I have worked teaching English online with Englishtown, I have worked as an exchange coordinator for the EF high school exchange year and I have successfully hosted and supported several students from all over the world over the years. Recently, I learned of a student needing a family from a facebook post from the local coordinator and I applied to host again. The coordinator pressured me to get the room ready which for me, included rearranging family members bedrooms, cleaning out a room, purchasing a new bed, dresser and nightstand and setting it all up. After I got all of that done, I sent a picture to the local coordinator. No response. I sent it again after a few days. No response. This week my 16 yr. old daughter asked what the update was on the student so I texted the coordinator again. No response. Then yesterday I received a text from her saying that Matt from Boston had been trying to call me and to call him back. I checked my voicemail and tried to call him. It was a non working number. So I asked her for a direct number. No response. Next thing, Matt was calling me again. The call was to inform me that we have now been denied the opportunity to host because a call came into their office saying that I aided and abetted a former co worker to violate his probation. Now, I have not worked at that establishment for over 3 months and neither has the employee in question for whom Matt had a full name and personal details about. Nor am I in contact with that person because he was sent to prison for 2.5 years for the probation violation. I asked where and how Matt could have got this kind of information and while he refused to say specifically, the details he provided could have only come from someone who knows me and my past, which would be my ex husband, with whom I am in the middle of a contentious divorce and hold an order of protection against for his violence against me. I asked if Matt even tried to verify his facts and he said it didn't matter, they would not be moving forward with us ever again because of my relationship with the former co worker. I called the local coordinator, Dawn, and she said they take all calls about children seriously. The fact is that the call wasn't about children. It was about a bitter and spiteful ex trying to cause problems. So, my complaint is this: This company takes random phone calls about host families, doesn't question the source or verify complaints. Believes lies about people without checking anything. Does not take into consideration that my back ground check is and always has been clean, not to mention my long history of positive interaction and support for EF and its various programs. Nor, did they consider that it was not my fault that I was employed by an establishment that also hired someone with a criminal background. Yes, I knew about the background, eventually, but was I supposed to quit my job? Do all law abiding citizens quit jobs or avoid establishments that employ people with criminal pasts? Why am I at fault and how would my future student be in danger because of the fact that in the past I WORKED at a place that also employed someone who committed a crime? Not to mention the fact that the information Matt and Dawn were telling me was inaccurate and all public record so they could have easily looked it up online when the complaint came into their office. Never will I do business with EF again in any capacity, nor will my 3 teenagers participate in any programs associated with EF.

Fantastic experience: A company full of smart, engaging people who love to travel - what's not to like?! Plus, Boston's best kept secret bar with an outdoor patio and reasonable pricing!

Negative experience: EF??? Amazing experience??? Nooooo It's only bad thinks: bad teachers, dirty dormitory, all information that they will give you are fake. I just lost my 16000 €!!! Be careful

Fantastic experience: Great company to work for. Checkout their site and the programs they offer. The office has a great little bar and restaurant as well.