Program Reviews

My time in Paris can be described as nothing short than life changing. I am a studio art major and a french minor at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and I knew that I wanted a program that encapsulated all of my interests in one, so when I came across IES's Paris studio art program, I knew I had found the perfect match. To say I was nervous to begin is an understatement. I was worried about the language immersion, making friends, if I would get along with my host mom, etc... however, after a week in my new home, my worries began to settle. I took painting and drawing classes in the most quaint Parisian studio with mainly native Parisians, my host mom was one of the coolest people I've ever met (the picture is the view from my bedroom window), and I made so many friends with whom I still keep in touch. On top of all of that, my French improved by leaps and bounds. I was no where near fluency, and I was barely proficient at the very beginning of the program, and even though my program was in half because of the global pandemic, I can now say that I feel beyond comfortable carrying out an intense conversation in French (of course I still mess up, but I have vastly improved.) The cultural trips were structured and a lot of fun, and we saw some truly amazing places that I never would have been able to go it had it not been because of IES, including a few wine and champagne tastings. I definitely recommend this program to anyone and everyone. Something that I would recommend you to do is to do some research beforehand to learn about non-touristy things that are going on while you're in Paris. Also, start saving your money NOW. Seriously. There are so many things to do, and a lot of them do cost money (but some of my favorite things to do didn't, like wandering the streets and going to 59 Rivoli.) Another tid-bit is that Paris (maybe all of France, but I don't know) has seriously low price concerts, even for mega-famous musicians, there's some law prohibiting overpricing the tickets. And! On your IES student id if it says "histoire de l'art" aka "art history" you can get into most museums (including the Louvre and Musée d'Orsay) for free!

Salamanca, Spain is a town like no other. Known as the City of Gold, it is truly a treasure. The academic opportunities, rich culture, and history are unparalleled. It is the perfect place for anyone hoping to further their Spanish skills, with its endless opportunities for total immersion. The classes are challenging in just the right way, with professors that are there to help you achieve your goals. The town has so much beauty and history to offer, making it a well-rounded educational experience, as well as the perfect place for personal growth.

I can't imagine a better place to learn and grow than the beautiful city of Salamanca, Spain. It's the perfect size for a community feel with the autonomy to go on many an adventure in the city. My host family was incredible and very sweet - I felt right at home in their house and enjoyed the opportunity to practice Spanish in and out of the classroom. The courses at IES were rigorous and I feel thankful for a tiered-level program that allowed me to work with students of similar ability. I also enjoyed the variety of classes offered. Attending courses at the partner institution, USAL, was incredibly helpful in gaining credit for my home university and advancing my spoken and written Spanish communication. I loved my time in Spain and I can't imagine a better place to have been!

I was in Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany for three awesome weeks before I was sent home due to COVID-19. When I arrived I was greeted by a local German student who lived in my building. I had some time in my room to rest and unpack before meeting the group of IES students and student guides for dinner at a local restaurant. We got to know each other and made plans to find grocery stores, cook dinner, and explore the city together. I was nervous about making friends, but once I was there it was pretty obvious that everyone wanted to hang out with everyone, since we were all in the same boat. This sense of group support and connection continued throughout my time there, and we kept the group chat going even when the program went remote. I also became friends with one of my flatmates!

Our classes didn't start until we had already gone home, so unfortunately we never met our professors in person. Online classes were difficult because all online classes are, but the professors were really wonderful about trying to make the experience less stressful. The IES Abroad staff gave us mixed signals about COVID-19, which is understandable given the unprecedented nature of the crisis, but it was incredibly frustrating and stressful for the students. Our on-site staff told us IES would never send us home, but that was not based on any real policy, so when the Chicago office sent us home we had no warning at all. However, staff changes were made after the fact and they let us know by email.

All in all, I had a great experience and I still miss my time in person with IES. If COVID-19 hadn't happened, it would have been perfect! I absolutely recommend going abroad with IES!

If you're looking for a French immersion program, look no further than IES Nantes. Aside from the program itself, the city of Nantes is perfect for college students who want to practice their French. It is decent-sized city with tons of restaurants, bars, cool events, and things to do, but it's also not overwhelming and is very easy to navigate. It also has a solid airport that makes it easy and relatively cheap to travel throughout France and Europe. It's also not very touristy, so there are plenty of opportunities to speak French with locals. I found that locals were very willing to practice with me and my friends, and we were also able to make friends with French and international students. The program is AMAZING. All of the staff at IES work so hard to make this an amazing experience for us. They are some of the nicest people I've ever met and will help you with every problem (even problems as crazy as the impending coronavirus!!). The social activities and travel opportunities provided by the program are so varied--we went to the Loire Valley castles, Normandy, and Mont Saint Michel/ Saint Malo in the two months that I was there. I appreciated that we could take classes both at IES and the local university. The IES classes were so interesting--take gastronomy if you want to try amazing new food and drink each week! The staff help you take pretty much any class you'd want at the university, and I even knew people who took STEM classes there. At the university, I highly recommend the translation class. The professor knows IES well and loves working with IES students, and it's a great way to learn some new vocabulary. IES also recognizes that you are not just here for your studies, so the workload isn't overwhelming. If you work steadily, you'll have plenty of time to take advantage of the city and Europe! IES's homestay program also makes this program so strong. My host family was so welcoming and wonderful, and most of the homestays are located within easy access to everything--I was about a 20-minute walk away and lived right next to the main cathedral. You'll leave with a second family.

These were some of the best two months of my life. I wish they weren't cut short by the coronavirus, and I wish I could go back, but I learned so much during my time in France. And I definitely came back more confident in my French. Don't be intimidated about the immersive side of this program--you are required to speak French when at IES and during IES activities, but you'll be glad for it. There were people of all levels in my program, and everyone improved significantly over the semester. Come to Nantes!!

Overall experience was good. My homestay mom was awesome, and Paris is such a cool city. As for academics, there were lots of marketing classes as well as other assorted business and history classes. Take an art history class if you can - mine was my favorite. Grading was a joke in general, hard to get lower than a B. The program is small; when I attended, it was just over 150 students. The social scene cliqued up really fast, but that's usually good for making lifelong friends. Which I did make.

My study abroad experience with IES Barcelona will be a memory I will forever cherish! I am happy that I was able to explore a vibrant city rich with culture, amazing sites, delicious food, and warm hospitality. I was pleased with the classes I took with my program because I found them all relevant and engaging. By the end of the program, my Spanish speaking skills had improved drastically, and I have my Spanish class and my host family to thank for that. I feel very happy to have been matched with an incredibly welcoming host family. My host parents shared with me delicious food, recommendations, important information and helpful advice. I was very comfortable going to them for help if I ever needed anything and although my study abroad experience is over, I still keep in contact with them. Overall, I was very pleased with how my study abroad experience turned out and would definitely recommend it.

My experience at IES Barcelona was nothing short of amazing. I tremendously improved my Spanish and took courses I always wanted to explore. IES made it easy for students like myself to explore the city. This immersive program has taught me a lot about myself and I am forever grateful for having had the opportunity to study in such a dynamic city. It is worth mentioning that transportation in Barcelona is AWESOME! The bus runs 24/7 and generally very safe. The only thing to be mindful of is pickpockets but for what it's worth, I was extremely careful and managed to get by without any issues.

Studying abroad in Santiago, Chile was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I feel extremely privileged and humbled to have been able to travel and live in another country for a full semester. I lived with an incredible host family that gave me cultural lessons every night during "Once" and reminded me of those universal family values that unite each and every one of us as human beings. I was able to explore the beautiful array of geographical wonders that Chile has to offer as well. I went sandboarding in the Atacama Desert, hiking in Patagonia, and surfing in Pichilemu. Those these sights were truly breathtaking, the thing I enjoyed most were the small moments with the various people I met in Chile. I met an amazing friend who worked in the IES building where I had my classes. Though I was still working on my Spanish, she was patient and so welcoming. We talked about our families, our pets, and our hopes and dreams. I also met my host-family's extended family who took me in like I was one of their own. We sat around all Saturday afternoon playing cards as I listened to old family memories and moments they had all shared together. Though I was in a country far from home, there was not much of a difference between the conversations at my dinner table in New Jersey and theirs that day in Val Paraíso. If anyone has the opportunity to study abroad in Santiago, I would 100% recommend it. I was challenged in the best way possible in daring to make relationships with different people from all walks of life and it made me realize how communication can really open up a whole new world.

Being on this program has really changed me as a person. As a result of studying abroad in this dream location, I was able to experience many different types of environments in one location! From the mountains, to the beaches, to the many plazas and cultural festivities, I was happily immersed in my host city. Barcelona is such an amazing location to study abroad and I would highly recommend doing it with IES Abroad. They made sure from pre-departure to the last day in my host city, that all students were informed and prepared for anything. The staff were extremely helpful, welcoming and always open to sharing their favorite recommendable local gems for students to visit! IES helped students get on their feet and understand how and what types of things they could get themselves immersed in. Whether that was introducing us to tapas, encouraging us to take free dance classes, planning brunch at a beach restaurant, planning hikes, and taking us on trips to other cities outside of Catalonia such as Madrid, IES ensured that we were able to take advantage of such offered opportunities all while preparing us to create our own memories with our own desires to visit other destinations.

For housing, I lived in a homestay with a very welcoming woman and other study abroad students from my program. Each night we all had dinner and talked about the upcoming weekend and things happening in the city, all in Spanish! She was always there to help us with any concerns we had regarding where to go, what to see, and how to get there in the best way. She encouraged us to hang out with friends and explore the city and its amazing culture!

For classes, we had a good variety of options. We also had the option to take courses at a local university, which I took advantage of. I took some of my classes at and extension of UAB. By doing this, I was able to be in another neighborhood for classes, take the metro to class and really understand how to get in and around Barcelona. Unfortunately, my classes did not have local university students but it was still a valuable chance to get outside of the program classes.