Students Head South for PennInBocaRaton Abroad Program

While most students were kicking back over break, some took the time as a chance to expand their horizons and pursue mind-opening studies through the PennInBocaRaton abroad program. The two-week homestay experience takes place in the exotic wonderland of Boca Raton, FL.

Penn students from all over the Eastern Seaboard converge on Boca Raton every year for this highly coveted program. Students from all four schools are welcome on the condition that you allow your host family to tell their bridge friends that you’re in Wharton.

Along with the standard curriculum, PennInBocaRaton students experience a number of programs on Boca Raton culture. Past events have included driving a Lexus to the bagel store without using turn signals, returning several items at Neiman Marcus, and enjoying dinner at a strip mall Italian restaurant before 6pm.

Aaron Abramowitz (E ’18) participated in PennInBocaRaton for his 21st consecutive year. “My mom makes me come here and stay with my grandma,” he said. “They call it ‘vacation’ but most of the time they just yell at me for sleeping too late and have me carry cases of bottled water around.”

Abramowitz enjoys how PennInBocaRaton provides an authentic feeling of life in the host city. “My grandma took me to buy fresh squeezed grapefruit juice at a supermarket because she remembered that I liked it as a kid,” he said. “She can’t even drink that because she’s on Lipitor, so that was really nice of her.”

The PennInBocaRaton program continues to be one of Penn's most enlightening study abroad programs, consistently receiving stellar reviews from Abramowitz and all of his Floridan peers.