IES Abroad
Programs and Reviews
Their Roots: IES Abroad was co-founded by Paul Koutny, an Austrian student who had moved to the US on a Fulbright scholarship in 1950. While there, he envisioned a future built on a peace that grew from the lessons learned while studying abroad. He rallied 21 other friends and the crew hopped on the SS Volendam headed for a year of studies in Vienna. Feeling inspired by their own experience in Austria, IES Abroad alums Clarence and Alberta Giese immediately began helping send future groups of students abroad. Before they knew it, 60 years had passed, and IES Abroad remains a longstanding and exemplary study abroad option for students today.
Their Quest: "IES Abroad strives to provide premier study abroad programs for U.S. students that deliver the highest quality education while simultaneously promoting development of intercultural competence."
Programs Abroad
Reviews
100%Overall
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100%Overall
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Studying abroad in Granada was one of the most incredible experiences I have ever had. I could talk about it forever, but here are some of the things about IES Granada that I think set it apart:
IES staff/professors:
The IES staff are some of the nicest people I have ever met. The program director, Javier, knows every single student by name and does a wonderful job making everyone feel at home. Everyone who works for IES Granada is dedicated to making the students feel comfortable with classes and the city, and will take extra time to help with personal problems or trip planning. Every professor I had challenged us with interesting and relevant material. I took all of my classes in Spanish, and it was very rewarding to know that I not only understood the language, but also I could also comprehend challenging academic material in Spanish. The Spanish grammar class aimed to teach us practical, local Spanish usage, so it really helped with day-to-day life in Granada. The work wasn't too difficult, but I really felt like I was leaning useful information.
The city:
Granada is a great city for students. There are tons of international students there, so it's easy to feel like you fit in. It's also a perfect size. It's a small enough city that you can walk just about everywhere, but doesn't feel too small. I lived about 30 minutes from IES and walked every day. Walking around and exploring with friends is a great way to discover the lesser-known parts of the city and meet interesting locals. There is also such an incredible history and mixture of cultures in Granada. The city has so much to offer to students.
Trips:
IES field trips were one of my favorite parts of the program. The first trip was to Cabo de Gata, where did a 13-mile hike along the coast of the Mediterranean. We also went to Malaga, Sevilla, Ronda, and Cordoba. The best trip was to Morocco. This is something you just have to do. We stayed with host families in Rabat, talked to University students about Moroccan culture and politics, and cooked lunch at the home of a family that lived in the mountains and spoke to them through a translator. It was one of the most amazing trips I have ever been on.
Recommendations:
-Speak Spanish!! Speak to locals in Spanish. Don't try to get them to speak English. It's really the only way to learn.
-Take as many classes in Spanish as you possibly can.
-Take Islamic Art and Architecture--this was by far my favorite class. You get to learn about the history of Granada and go out on weekly visits to architectural sites, including the Alhambra and the cathedral. We had several classes in the Alhambra and got to visit locations closed off to the general public.
-Go out for tapas with friends.
-Make friends with the locals. They can show you a side of Granada you would never get to see otherwise.
-Explore and take advantage of every opportunity given to you.
Overall, my experience in Granada was amazing. I loved everything about the city and made friends that I will keep for life.
Critical Feedback:
I didn't take any classes at UGR because it was difficult to fit them into my schedule. It takes a while to get to the University from IES and the class times don't match up, so it's not exactly easy to fit them into your schedule. I would have loved to take classes there so that I could experience a real Spanish university and meet more local students.
100%Overall
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I really loved my time in London, and IES was a huge part of that experience. I had classes where we learned about British culture and the history of London itself. They were really unique classes that took you out of the classroom, like Architecture of London which had us in a different area each week. My favorite classes I took throughout my college career were with IES. I also had an internship while there, and IES set me up with a really incredible company where I learned a lot. This also let me create a unique grounding that I had a life in London, not just a tourist experience. Beyond that, there were many trips that IES organized where our group got to see some extremely incredible places, like Scotland, Ireland, Belgium, and various places in England. The other people in my program were from places all across the United States, and I now have some amazing friends across the country. I wouldn't replace this experience for anything!
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One of the difficulties that I faced as a non-native Spanish speaker in Granada was the fact that many of the people in restaurants, cafes, and bars wanted to speak English to my friends and I. A large reason I was in Spain was to truly learn and practice my Spanish, and it was frustrating to be spoken English to. Generally, I would just respond to all their questions in Spanish until they got the hint, or I would request for them to speak Spanish to me, explaining that I was a student.
Critical Feedback:
At the time I attended this program a few years ago, it was still quite new and quickly gaining in popularity. A major issue that many of us faced was the availability of computers and printing, as well as hang out space at the IES building. Places to hang out were easier to come by, so that didn't remain an issue (and in fact was probably set up intentionally so we could spread out into the community).
90%Overall
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When I was first looking at study abroad programs, I thought that I wanted to be in rural France, in a smaller town, because I did not think I would enjoy living in a city. IES Paris completely changed my mind about that. The staff and professors are welcoming and go above and beyond to help you adjust to life in Paris. There are so many great events scheduled to enable you to learn as much about the culture as possible, both mandatory and voluntary. I fell right into learning and participating in French in my classes because of the excellent week of preparation they gave us before class started.
The only stressful thing I experienced the entire semester was that my housemate and I made the decision to move out of our first host parent's house. This was not the fault of the program--the woman who we lived with had just hosted a student last semester and everything had worked out fine. It was just not a good fit for the two of us. Throughout the entire process of deciding to move out and finding a new host family, the staff at IES was so reassuring and supportive. It made everything so much easier, and my housemate and I ended up with an amazing family who we got very close with. Ultimately, it was the right decision, and IES Paris empowered us to make it. The program truly helped me find my independence and grow as a person, in this way in many others.
Critical Feedback:
I would recommend making blurbs for each host family and letting students rank them based on their preferences in addition to using the housing questionnaire that they asked students to fill out.
Alumni Interviews
Staff Interview
I had the chance to chat with Amy Ruhter McMillan, the Assistant VP of Marketing for IES Abroad. A fellow Valpo alum (Go Crusaders!), we chatted over our shared experiences in undergrad study abroad - she, while originally planning to study abroad in southern Africa, changed her mind last minute to instead participate in the Cambridge program (while I did the exact opposite!).
Megan: What separates IES Abroad from other study abroad program providers?
Amy: One of the biggest things that sets us apart is our non-profit status. Our focus is not about making money but instead to provide top quality, life-changing study abroad programs to students. IES Abroad is also extremely dedicated to students' safety while overseas - many organizations have used our Crisis Management Plan as a model for their own, especially after our response to the 9/11 tragedy, where we quickly executed our plan and prioritized communication with our students and their families, as well as the students' schools. We always want our students to feel taken care of.
Megan: What does the future hold for IES Abroad? Any exciting new programs to share?
Amy: In the fall of 2012, we're excited to launch our first program in Central America. In this Costa Rica program, classes will focus on social and environmental change in the region, and will be a perfect fit for those looking to complement their Spanish studies. Or, if students prefer to primarily focus on improving their language skills, Costa Rica will also have a Spanish immersion program.
We are also offering a new comparative health program in London and Oxford. After learning about socialized medicine from a British perspective for the semester, students will cap off their trip with a week long seminar in Jamaica, allowing them to examine first-hand these very different approaches to medicine.
For those interested in a more short-term experience, we've recently implemented a few new summer options - health studies in Cape Town, South Africa and an internship program in Shanghai, China.
Megan: What about the future of the industry? How do you think international education will change over the next 10 years?
Amy: This is a tough question to answer given the economic situation of the country. On one hand, I find that students are thinking more and more about the world we live in, but on the other, students are having trouble financing their schooling in general. College education is already a luxury and being able to study abroad is a luxury of that luxury. The desire is there but the reality is what people can and cannot afford.
But if there's a will there's a way -- while study abroad can be costly, many financial aid options and scholarships exist specifically for these experiences. At IES Abroad alone, we offer over 2.5 million dollars to students in an effort to defray their costs.
Megan: A recent report suggested that up to 50% of incoming freshman intended to study abroad during college, but the reality is only 3% actually do. What's going on here?
Amy: This is a topic we are constantly discussing. A lot of students work very hard to be able to go to college; they arrive, they meet their friends, get involved with activities, create comfort zones, and then never want to leave! Students hear of those "life changing experiences" overseas, but how do you speak to that student who never even thought study abroad was possible for them?
We've recently launched a marketing campaign called [Redefined], which aims to better showcase that that "life changing experience" is real, relevant, and possible for a typical student's academic experience. Picture your walk to class, but [redefined] -- instead of relying on your old tennis shoes, why not ride a camel? Why eat another meal in your dinky cafeteria, when it can be [redefined] to a small, French bakery you thought only existed in the movies?
Amy seemed very excited when discussing the opportunities available for students even after they've returned from an IES Abroad program. To continue their overseas experience, students can serve as volunteer ambassadors for the organization and speak with prospective students - there are currently over 700 IES Abroad ambassadors. "There's no better voice for what we do than people who can speak first hand about their study abroad experiences."
Featured Programs:
- Semester/Year in Rabat, Morocco - Ideal for students interested in Arabic language study, the IES Abroad Morocco program offers you beginning, intermediate, and advanced language courses.
- Semester/Year in Christchurch, New Zealand - Direct enrollment at the University of Canterbury, an institution of 12,500 students. Offering courses spread across the faculties of Arts, Business, Education, Engineering, Law, and Science.
- Semester/Year in Rome, Italy - Regardless of your Italian language proficiency, the IES Abroad Rome program offers you a curriculum based on the city's unmatched historical and artistic past and its modern role in international politics.
- Semester/Year in Berlin, Germany - IES Berlin offers classes at the renowned Humboldt University zu Berlin as well as IES courses taught exclusively in German by leading German faculty in intimate classroom settings.
- Semester/Year in Buenos Aires, Argentina - With over one-third of Argentines living in and around the capital, vibrant Buenos Aires provides the ideal backdrop for the study of Argentine culture and Spanish.
No matter what your economic situation is, where you're from, or what you believe, you deserve to study abroad.
As a first-timer for everything "Paris" and Europe in general, my initial thought process to "study" in Paris was rather commonplace: to live in the romance of "Paris" and with anything "Parisian" for a full semester. Believe it or not, I did get that glimpse of Paris in a nutshell but so much more.
As cliche as this may sound, this entire abroad experience really was "what you made of it." And Paris BIA, I would say, was the perfect program to create that required balance to fully enjoy your experience. This program supports and caters to your own academic and social regimen; various activities include local-French homestay housing, internships, language partner programs, and optional field trips. The Paris BIA program also offers engaging and niche-oriented courses, allowing you seek out your academic interest. For example, due to Mr. Robert Olorenshaw's Luxury Brand Management course, I had found my passion in luxury brand marketing, and was able to secure a summer internship at a high-end luxury brand in Paris.
I was fortunate enough to have a wonderful French family during my program as well, and they now have become incredibly partial to my life as I have frequently made visits back in Paris and in New York City to meet up since the program ended a year ago. While taking courses within the BIA program, I also benefited from taking business courses at the French Business School, Negocia, and made life-long relationships with both local and international students.
I believe Paris BIA is not one of those ordinary programs that act as a backbone of your frequent travels every weekend. Yes, you do have the leisure to experience and step outside of Paris, but know that this program is definitely worth your time and attention for that once-in-a-lifetime experience.