CIEE Santiago - Beautiful city, program could use some work

All of the high marks in this rating can be attributed to Santiago itself. It is a beautiful city with interesting customs and a complex history. I would not recommend studying abroad through this organization, though. In summary, the pre-departure to on site orientation process was disorganized and some of the program leaders seemed unknowledgeable about the visa and class registration processes. They also asserted during the cultural orientation that racism doesn’t exist in Chile, which (which just isn’t true) and can alienate POC participants. Staff was available to help participants’ issues throughout the semester, but most of my fellow participants felt a loss of respect with this company. This was due to a lack of accountability or even apology for inconveniences that were within or out of their control. For example, I spent $400 USD on a student visa that never got approved, and also wasn’t necessary to temporarily reside in the country. The program also promised an equal opportunity to attend Santiago’s UChile, UCatolica, and Universidad de Diego Portales, however 80% of our orientation week time was spent at UDP. It is fine for legal business relationships to exist between CIEE and UDP but it is patronizing to sell American students a false promise of that not being the case. If your US university permits, I recommend researching other programs that arrive to Santiago BEFORE the week of registration. This program is by no means inexpensive, so you’re better off choosing another one.