Program Reviews

During my time in Lisbon with iX, I was able to rapidly increase my professional maturity, improve my independence, and develop as a citizen of the world. The program consists of a two-week intensive course in your chosen subject followed by a four-week internship with a company either in-person or remote with project(s) pertaining to the content covered in the course. The course is taught by a successful professional in the industry and continues to meet twice a week throughout the internship for continued support and education. The program coordinators and other iX personnel were incredibly supportive throughout the course, internship, and program, and absolutely wonderful to spend time with on the many group excursions. Moreover, through the selective process of admission, fellow iXers will share a passion for education and success while bringing their unique backgrounds and histories to cultivate a fully eye-opening experience. Through the strong relationships formed with your professor, internship manager, program coordinators, and peers, iX Lisbon was a great investment for both my professional future, my knowledge of the world, and for developing strong friendships with people from all over.

There is no other program I would recommend more than iXperience. It was the absolute best 6 weeks of my life being in Cape Town. It is a beautiful city with a never ending list of things to do. One day I was on top of a mountain, the next day I was on a beach with penguins, and the day after I was skydiving. It is truly incredible. Not only did iX offer some of the greatest life experiences to me, but they also provided hands on training from industry professionals. My coursework consisted of learning in depth financial modeling that was presented in a way that made sense by an industry expert. #ExperienceIsEverything

iXperience Cape Town truly was a life-changing experience. During my six-week stay, I learned so much about myself through introspection with my coach, career exploration at my internship, a hands-on project in class, and interactions with other students in the cohort. It was my first time working closely with people my age in the workface and it helped me really see my strengths and weaknesses. In general, the class and internship showed me a new career path after being confused about what I wanted to do with my life for a VERY long time. It really was what I needed to start this new chapter of my life. I may have had to make the 15-hour trip to Cape Town to do so, but it was soooo worth it and I have no regrets. Cape Town is an absolutely beautiful city with so much to do. Through group excursions, I saw penguins at Boulders Beach, went wine tasting for the first time, got to surf in the Indian Ocean, hiked multiple trails and so much more!! I had the best time exploring the city with people I can truly say I will stay connected with. If you're looking for a productive, yet fun program to complete over the summer, I wholeheartedly suggest iXperience.

iXperience was quite simply the greatest 6 weeks I have ever had. Cape Town is a stunning city, with so much to do- We could surf before work, climb a mountain after, then play padel or soccer under the lights at night. The staff was incredibly supportive, always suggesting new things to do and often spending their free time helping us see more of the city! The education made me feel very comfortable with the basics of Management Consulting, and Byron, my teacher, was so helpful and consistently met outside of class to discuss the material. Finally, the internship was awesome: I worked for a corporate wellness startup, helping design Mindfulness and DEI courses, doing market research, building a pitch deck, and creating short and long-term strategy plans. Cannot recommend iX enough for a motivated and adventurous student!

I just finished the 6-week program in Cape Town and to be honest I really think I just had the best 6 weeks of my life! Coming in to the program I did not know what to expect but let me tell you this: YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT! I was looking for a program that let me experience another culture as well as give me good education and lets me do an internship at the same time and I got EXACTLY that! I did the software engineering program and the teacher Jacques was incredible! The way he explained things made learning React super fun and easy. After the first 2 weeks I got placed into my internship and I really was able to learn a lot from it! Let's not forget about the fact that I was in Cape Town for 6 weeks which allowed me to really immerse myself into the culture. The iX staff was super super helpful with sharing their local knowledge but they also did an amazing job with organizing all the events for us! We did kayaking, we did hikes, we explored Cape Town and the vicinity and so so much more! The housing was also at a new and modern hostel and it was great! Whatever minor problems we had, the iX staff were more than happy to help out. I also met the coolest people I've ever met in my life (shoutout to them, I miss you guys)! Overall I don't think I could've had any more fun anywhere else while also being super productive! 10/10 would recommend. If you're thinking about doing it - DO IT!

Prior to this experience I was very anxious about going out of my comfort zone and traveling so far. Looking at my time in this program, I am so grateful that I took this leap in advancing my education and diversifying my experiences. Words cannot describe my gratitude for the people that facilitated this learning environment as well as the classmates I met and built relationships with. I didn't just learn about content in my course, I learned about the culture of Cape Town and I learned so much more about myself.

I believe that if anyone has the opportunity to go on this program, that they absolutely do! Not only is it a great way to see the world, the character building that I saw within my peers and I was amazing. It genuinely is the most comfortable way to get out of your comfort zone, as the staff of the iX program are some of the best human beings I have met. There is no lack of support during the program, concise and succinct talks with professionals in major fields, and tons of fun, whether in a group or just by yourself! Definitely the type of program that requires self-starters, people who know what they want out of the program, because you will get a return on what you invest into it!

Attending iXperience this past summer was the best decision I have made for the development of both my professional skills and personal skills. Not only was I granted the opportunity to spend 6 weeks in Cape Town, South Africa and immerse myself in a completely different culture, but at the same time I was gaining real world professional experience.

The value of taking classes and having an internship in a career of your interest is so substantial. I was registered in the management consulting course and my head teacher was a veteran in the industry. Learning from the best definitely helped me navigate the ins and outs of consulting which made my experience that much better. On top of that, the teachers are very involved and are willing to help with whatever you need relating to class or even advice about the industry. My head teacher even would show us around Cape Town and take us on secret hikes which I never would have expected before taking part in the program.

On top of the massive value gained from the classes and internship, being able to immerse yourself in a completely different culture is something spectacular. Especially after COVID halted travel, being able to partake in a program such as iXperience was very special. iXperience granted me the opportunity to go skydiving, surfing, and even a safari. I would also like to shoutout the staff at iXperience for making the program so much better. I would have never chosen to hike 14 miles in one day if it weren’t for them and the amazing people I met on the program.

Spending six weeks in Lisbon with iXperience was undoubtedly one of the greatest decisions I have ever made. I had never been one to jump at an opportunity which would push me way outside of my comfort zone, so I at first was quite hesitant to go abroad this summer. After giving it more thought, though, I saw this program as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and decided to give it a shot.

And what a great decision that was...

The next six weeks would be arguably the most exciting and important ones of my life. Never in my life had I met so many amazing people from incredibly diverse backgrounds in such a short period of time. The relationships with the thirty other students that I formed on this trip were like nothing I could have imagined and have left me so excited to see what everyone does with their lives.

The class and internship that I had both exceeded my expectations and gave me great experience in an industry that I'm looking to pursue. My teacher, TAs, and internship manager were all so supportive throughout the six weeks and taught me more in that timeframe than I would learn in a semester of a normal class. I am without a doubt more prepared for the corporate world than I would be without this program.

The most unexpectedly rewarding part of this trip for me was getting to know the two Lisbon program directors, Jakes and Amy. Prior to arriving, I figured these two would just be making sure things were running ok and not interacting much with the group. Fortunately, that second part was not the case, and I became closer with both Jakes and Amy than I have become with almost any teacher or coach that I've had over the years. They were both so dedicated to their jobs and would go out of their way to make sure the students had the best experience as possible, even if it meant sacrificing their experience in some way. Jakes was always checking in to make sure we were satisfied with the accommodation and excursions, and Amy was eager to offer any career advice or help with our internships whenever we needed it. The two of them took what was already a phenomenal experience to an even higher level.

If you have any hesitation to do this program, let this review be your sign to go for it. I am the definition of a homebody... I have lived in basically the same city my entire life, went to the same school from 1st to 12th grade, and had never been away from home longer than a week until college (which happens to only be a couple hours away from home). I truly doubt that I was part of the target audience for this trip. But, after having such an incredible experience and reflecting extensively on my time abroad, I don't believe there is a target audience for such a program. Everyone, regardless of the type of person they are, can take something away from iXperience that will change their life for the better. Whether that be the professional experience you gain, the new city you explore, or the lifelong friendships you develop, I am confident that this program offers something to all. I cannot recommend iXperience enough and hope everyone has the chance to enjoy this program the way I did.

iXperience is, in my mind, the best value you can ask for in an overseas summer program for college students. Being in Cape Town was some of the best 6-weeks of my life. Truly, there is no shortage of things to do, places to see, and new experiences in the town.

All that said, the most incredible part of the program is the people who lead it. Every sing;le staff member of iX was always around getting to know us and taking us to experience the most incredible local things I ever imagined I would see.