Coral Group, santa-barbara-ca

To be very honest, I would not recommend Coral Group if you are coming to the U.S. mainly to study seriously, improve your English, and experience local American life. I graduated from high school in the U.S., so I already knew what American school and social life was like before living in this type of housing. From what I saw, Coral Group creates a very closed international-student bubble. Residents mostly socialize with people from other Coral Group houses or other international students, and many end up staying with people from their own country and speaking their native language most of the time. I rarely saw residents build real friendships with local American students or become part of the local community. Most residents I encountered were international students, many from Europe, and the atmosphere felt much more focused on the study-abroad experience, traveling, going out, and partying than academics. There is nothing wrong with that, and it may be perfect for some people, but if you come to the U.S. without already knowing local people, I think it can be very easy to stay inside this bubble without really experiencing local life or improving your English as much as you expected. The rent is also expensive for what you get. Coral Group organizes beach parties, movie nights, and other social events, which some students may enjoy. Personally, I preferred meeting people naturally through school, work, and everyday life, so I would have rather had more affordable rent than company-organized social events. Cleanliness was another major issue. Shared spaces, especially the kitchens, regularly became extremely dirty because people would leave dishes and not properly clean up after themselves. Communication with management could also be frustrating, as emails sometimes took a very long time to receive a response. If you mainly want organized events, parties, and an international-student social circle, Coral Group might be a good fit. But if your priority is studying seriously, improving your English, making local American friends, and immersing yourself in life in the U.S., I would recommend looking somewhere else.

I stayed with Coral Group for about 2.5 years, and my experience has honestly been really great. From the start, I felt very welcomed, especially as an international student. Living with people from so many different countries made the environment feel open, friendly, and inclusive. I also really liked that Coral Group offers many different housing options, so there’s something that fits different personalities and lifestyles. Overall, living here felt more like being part of a community rather than just renting a place, and it became an important part of my student life.

I stayed with the Coral Group for a year back in 2018, and it was an overall amazing experience. Through Coral Group I met fellow international students that went on to become some of my best friends, that I still meet up with even though we live in different countries. I would definitely recommend staying with the Coral Group, you will meet such amazing people and get to experience Santa Barbara through the help of the management. I mean; bbq's, movie nights, pizza nights, grocery shopping, beach outings, etc. what more could you ask for?

As a parent, I am very satisfied with the services that we received from Coral Group for three years. They are highly professional, helpful, responsive and trustworthy. Thank you once again Kevin and Charlotte.

My dream was always to study abroad in the US one day. Last year when this dream finally became reality I could not wait for the school, the city, my house, and my roommates. Now one year later I can only say it was one of the best years of my life and Coral Group had a huge impact on why I feel this way. The housing situation that was given through Coral Group was always clean and well maintained due to their RA’s ( resident assistants ). Our house had a great mix of nationalities and therefore it never got boring. My roommates became friends and family in the end! The events that are happening from time to time are a great opportunities to get to know even more new people and there is always good food;). But seriously I could’ve not asked for a better year and I’m glad I chose to stay with Coral Group. Thanks for the great memories!