What camera do you recommend?

There's a good chance that I'm going on exchange next August, and am looking into a camera that I can use for both photography and videos. Clearly I do not know much about cameras, however I really want better quality photos and videos than what I can take on my iPhone 5S.

I was looking into the Canon SL1 or the Canon t3i, but IIm sure there are other options for around the same price (or less expensive if at all possible?). Also, what should I look for when looking at the specifications?

More info, see comment below

Canon 70D is really good for both video and photos.

Best buy