Senegal and India are among the top 10 lesser-known destinations for study abroad to be discussed Jan. 30 at an informational meeting for University of Colorado at Boulder students.
"The Top 10 Best Kept Secrets of Study Abroad" meeting will be held in rooms 415 and 417 of the University Memorial Center from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. Information will be available for programs in Senegal, India, Costa Rica, Denmark, France, Germany, Mexico, Morocco, Spain and Thailand.
"We developed this initiative because we have several programs that are absolutely outstanding, but don't attract as many students as we feel they should," said CU-Boulder study abroad adviser Cindy Bosley. The list of destinations is based on the collective opinions of study abroad staff members and informed by feedback received from returned students. The 10 programs are not ranked in any order.
Bosley said the programs in Denmark, Germany, India, Mexico, France and Senegal have broad academic offerings. Others, like Morocco and Costa Rica, are more specific.
"The Costa Rica program is very focused on fieldwork and research in tropical ecology," she said. "Students get to travel around the country quite a bit, and the program is very hands-on.
"In Morocco, students can choose to stay with host families, learn Arabic and get good insight into that society and culture," Bosley said. "In Senegal, there are opportunities to intern with local nongovernment organizations and make a difference in the society during the study abroad term."
Bosley said students rely heavily on their peers' opinions when choosing study abroad programs, and nearly all returned students speak very highly of their experience no matter where they studied.
"Most programs on this top 10 list attract a smaller number of students, so they just aren't able to develop the word-of-mouth 'buzz' that spreads like wildfire with some of the larger programs."
For more information on CU-Boulder study abroad programs visit
or call (303) 492-7741.