IES Abroad Reviews

I had a fantastic semester in London with IES. The academics were on par with any standard university term, and the staff were incredibly helpful throughout the process. We were given ample opportunities to explore not just London but the UK overall, and IES made every effort to assist us while we traveled farther into Europe. Housing was through a third party, but overall we felt very comfortable and looked after. I would definitely recommend IES to anyone looking to spend a semester studying in London.

This is a great program for anyone who is seriosuly committed to improving his or her German. If you are enthusiastic about being pushed to constantly practice speaking, writing, reading, and listening to German, then this is the program for you. All of your classes will be in German, all the time, but the instructors are understanding that you are dealing with a language that isnt your first language, and this they grade very easily. Freiburg is a beautiful city, and it holds a very special place in my heart. Also, its in a great location of you're interested in traveling to other cities. You can cross the border and visit France or Switzerland in an hour or so by bus, or you can take the train to more far away places like Budapest or Bratislava. Freiburg itself is also fairly small, so getting around within the city is easy.

Choosing to study abroad in London is one of the best decisions I've ever made. I was a direct-enrollment student at University College London (UCL) through IES. Direct-enrollment is different from most study abroad opportunities, as you are treated like a home student at your host university. It was great to partake in studies in a different university setting from what I had become accustomed to at my home school in America. I learned how university life differs between America and England. Involvement in UCL's societies enabled me to further enhance my learning as well as meet new people. I learned so much about cultures foreign to my own through immersing myself in the city surrounding me and making close friendships with people from all over the world. IES aided me greatly in the application process, hosted orientations to make me comfortable in a foreign country upon my arrival, as well as supported me during the entirety of the time that I studied abroad. Direct-enrollment studying abroad for a semester with IES was a fantastic experience that I'd highly recommend to all students.

I am extremely happy that I chose IES Madrid for my semester overseas. The staff was organized and knew everyone's names and also the name's of our host moms and where we lived. I was able to travel all over Spain while still maintaining a rigorous academic course load. After seeing the other cities of Spain, I can proudly call Madrid home and the best city I have lived in. The public transportation is so easy to use and efficient, the night life is incredible and the students are all willing to practice their English with you and open to learning about American culture. I found that the fastest and best way to improve my Spanish was just to speak to others, even the other American students. The city has so much to do and IES provides trips and activities that are easy to partake in. Everything is well organized and everyone in the program is supportive without being too overbearing. I highly recommend IES Madrid to anyone.

Deciding the spend the semester in London was one of the best choices I could have made. IES Abroad is a wonderful company to work with. The staff, both in the US and London are incredibly helpful and are willing to answer any questions you might have and make sure that you are adjusting to the city well.
The theatre classes gave us great first hand experiences with the theatre industry within London. Seeing performances were an important part of our learning. In our classes we discussed the importance of theatre within our society, what worked and didn't work about the shows we saw, and we were able to experiences other elements of theatre within the community, such as Shakespeare with a homeless outreach center, talking to professionals in their fields, and voice over work. The professors were incredibly helpful and we were encouraged to think about the subjects and the world in different ways.
This program is great if you want to learn and fulfill credits at your home school, but also explore and travel. There is ample time to travel to other countries and cities, and the staff and professors encourage that. And if you are wanting to spend more time in London, there is more than enough to keep you busy and having fun. This program is great for those who want to have fun, learn, and travel. I wholeheartedly recommend it.

I absolutely loved my time in the EU program where I had the happiest four months in my life.
-TRAVEL
Traveling is what first attracted me to the EU program. The program itself took us to 3 different field trips and 8 different cities over 3.5 weeks. The trips were very well organized with different activities/lectures to learn about the EU and the local culture. We always got clear schedules, maps, and recommendation for places to visit in each city. I also took several weakens to travel to different countries with my friends. It's just so easy to travel in Europe!
-ACADEMICS
The classes we had at the center were very well-connected with the things we learnt from the field trips. In the end, I was surprised by how much I learnt about the EU in just one semester. Even though the classes were generally easier than those at my home institution, I still got much out of my classes. The professors were very interesting people too. They came to field trips with us and I really got to know some of them very well!
-LIVE
We lived in University of Freiburg student dorms with German students. All the dorms are very nice and my room was huge! We had a nice living room/kitchen where my friends and I cooked a lot. My German suite mates were wonderful people. They were extremely helpful and great to talk to. We had dinners and hangouts at the student bar together. Freiburg is an amazing city with lots of students and a gorgeous view everywhere you go. You will find great restaurants, shopping malls, bars, and clubs here!
-CULTURAL IMMERSION
Because the EU program is taught in English, most student don't come knowing German already. We don't have classes in the University of Freiburg or with the German students, which could be a downside to cultural immersion. However, I believe most student didn't choose this program for intensive language training and the program already did its best by arranging us to live with German students. I still had many chances to immerse myself in the culture, just by talking to my professors, talking to local restaurant owners, and exploring the different corners of the city. If you're driven to learn more about the culture here, trust me, there will be plenty of opportunities to do so!
-STAFF
The staff at the EU center were amazing. They were very responsive and helpful to all problems. You will love them!

IES Abroad Milan was an amazing experience. I truly feel like a know Milan and every part of it after leaving. It has become my city, I can use their public transportation, interact with locals, and feel at home. The academic feel was very different from my home university, but still, Milan was the perfect place to study abroad. There was a great balance in historical and cultural experiences and more modern experiences, with it being the fashion capital of the world. I could have lived in Milan forever, the advisors and my apartment location were great.

I highly recommend studying abroad with IES Madrid. The staff was unbelievably helpful and supportive and they truly made IES feel like a family. I was placed with an incredible host family which definitely had a huge impact on my immersion. Overall, the program was amazing in every way.

Overall, I had a wonderful experience and I would recommend this to anyone who wants to live and study in a Spanish-speaking country. The program staff were warm, extremely helpful, and very available for all questions, concerns, and suggestions. There is a wide variety of classes (but only in the humanities), and you can choose to take classes in English or in Spanish (although each student is required to take a Spanish class, the level of which is determined toward the beginning of the program with an oral evaluation and a written evaluation. I took classes only in Spanish and the content, teaching style, and the professors themselves were all amazing--my academic experience was awesome. I took Islamic Civilization with Indalecio Lozano, The Poetry of Federico García Lorca with Conch Badía, Memory and Identity of Sephardic Jews with Alicia Ramos, Islamic Art and Architecture with Yolanda Guasch, and Spanish 352 with Rosana Piñero. I loved all of my classes and all of my professors, but if I had to pick a favorite it would probably be Islamic Civilization. The material was fascinating, and Indalecio is a wonderful and passionate teacher. The IES Granada building is in the very heart of the city, right next to the Alhambra, so the location is great. The building itself is nice and well-maintained. There are several classrooms, a library, and an area upstairs just for the students that includes mailboxes, computers, a printer/scanner, and tables, chairs, and couches. There is wifi in the building and it works well. There is also a terrace which is a nice place to hang out or do work. The program organizes lots of fun events and trips for the students, several of which are free of extra charge, excluding the 5-day trip to Morocco which costs extra but was totally worth it and totally amazing. The program hires college-age "orientadores" who also organize fun hang-out events where you can meet lots of young Spanish people and practice your Spanish. IES Granada also mathces each IES student (who wants to participate) with an "intercambio" from the University of Granada so that each pair can practice speaking in English and Spanish, and so that the IES student is facilitated in making young Spanish friends. Even so, it can be a challenge to make Spanish friends. It's easier when you don't just talk and hang out, but when you do an activity together like play sports or music together. I asked Patricia Molina, one of the IES Abroad activities directors, to help me find a band or Wind Ensemble I could join. She found one in a little pueblo called Armilla, just a short bus ride out of Granada. Playing in the band was super fun--I met a lot of cool Spanish people, got to practice Spanish, and got to play in several different parades and concerts. Through IES Granada, you can choose to live with a host family, in the "Residencia de estudiantes," or you can find your own housing (which I wouldn't recommend if you aren't confident in your Spanish). Personally, I decided to live with a host family. I had a big host family, which was great. I had a mom and a dad, a thirty-year-old brother who lived at home (which is common in Spain because of the ongoing economic crisis and unemployment), and one of my other host brothers who was in his forties had a wife, a two-year-old and a five-year-old. His family came over a lot, so it was all very lively in the house. I also had an IES Granada roommate. Some students had American roommates and others didn't. From the host family, we received breakfast and lunch, but were on our own for dinner. It was fun to have to figure out our own dinner because we figured out which places had the best but cheapest food, so we really got to know Granada very well. I had a wonderful experience with my host family--they were warm, welcoming, and interested in our lives and how we were doing. Another plus is that our host mom did our laundry once a week, which was really nice. Our house was about a 20-minute walk from the IES center. Granada is a walking city--you will rarely need to take a bus or taxi anywhere (unless it's late at night and you have to walk home alone, then it might be a good idea to get a taxi, although Granada is a pretty safe city). Our house had wifi which was great. I would definitely recommend bringing a laptop to Granada because the IES facility has limited hours, which means limited access to its computers and library. (The library is open Monday through Friday from like 8am to probably 9pm, except on Friday when it closes at 3pm.) IES Granada will require that you have a cell phone as a security precaution. You can either unlock and bring your current phone and use a Spanish SIM card, or buy a phone when you get to Spain. I bought a cheap Spanish phone which worked really well. I also brought my iPhone but had it on airplane mode the whole time so I could use the wifi to use apps like Snapchat and Whatsapp to communicate with people back in the states. (Side note: nearly all the Spaniards I met use whatsapp, so if you can figure out a way to use it in Spain, you should.) I also used Skype, email, and facebook to communicate with people back home. In terms of money, look up which Spanish banks are affiliated with your US bank. For example, Wells Fargo works really well with Santander in Spain, so I just used the Santander ATM to withdraw euros. Also, make sure to tell your bank you will be abroad and all the places you will possibly go so they don't cancel your card when they see the first transaction you try to make in Europe. Also, it might be a good idea to get a credit card with a Eurochip. A lot of places in Granada accept cards without Eurochips, though, probably because lots of tourists go to Granada. Before you leave, exchange a few hundred dollars to euros so that you're set for at least a little but in terms of money. Also, don't bring too much to Spain, because you will bring back lots of souvenirs and gifts. Overall, I had a great experience in Spain. The IES Granada program director, Javier Martínez de Velasco, does a great job, along with Natalia García Caballos and Patricia Molina. I definitely recommend this program!!

Freiburg was a great place to study abroad. It was absolutely beautiful especially in the Fall and there was a lot to do in the surrounding area. IES organized a lot of excursions for us to explore. I really loved the IES staff and my teachers. They helped me improve my German tremendously and I never felt very stressed about homework or anything really because the staff was incredibly helpful with everything. I also loved my living situation and the opportunity to live with German people my age. Going out was very fun although I did travel during a lot of my weekends and took advantage of my classes' great scheduling. I enjoyed every aspect of the Freiburg Language and Area Studies program and would recommend it to anyone looking to improve their German in an awesome town.