IES Abroad Reviews

Amazing program in an amazing city! Highly recommend going to Rome with IES as the staff knows everything and the living situation is so much fun! So much to do in Rome as well as weekend trips to other cities.

Studying abroad in Buenos Aires was a great experience. The IES staff really wants you to succeed in your classes and learn so much from experiencing the culture. Some of the classes go on field trips that really help demonstrate what the class is about. Field trips include going to estancias, rugby game, cooking class, museums, and much more.

I stayed in a home stay, and it was so enjoyable. I felt like I was really included in the family. Every night we would sit down at dinner together and talk about politics, great places to visit, and about our days. This was all in Spanish. Speaking in Spanish at school all day and then continuing when I left class made me improved my Spanish tremendously! The families tend to be really great cooks too!

There is also a choice to participate in the Spanish language partners program. You are matched with an Argentine student. You meet with them about once a week and talk in Spanish for a half hour and then English for a half hour. It is a great opportunity to meet some Argentinians and go to local places that some tourists might not know about.

There are so many great places to travel in Argentina! Every place is completely different, so you can have so many different types of experiences in your travels. I highly recommend visiting Iguazu Falls and El Calafate and El Chalten in Patagonia. Uruguay is only a couple hour ferry ride away from Buenos Aires. I suggest making Uruguay a weekend trip. It's great to visit, but more than a weekend is not necessary.

My program was in Spring 2013, and I still get really excited whenever I get to tell someone about my experience! I look forward to the day I get to go back and visit Argentina. I highly recommend studying abroad with IES Abroad Buenos Aires.

I was overall dissatisfied with this program. The courses were taught without the use of any modern technology (in general, no visual aids) and the options were limited. My psychology professor was the most disrespectful professor I have ever had, using two hours of a weekly three hour classes to argue with me and the other students about why we don't participate enough. When we told him that we're used to a different teaching method, he told us to "go back to America." The administration runs slowly and with outdated policies. The only positive things that came out of this semester were a great music teacher, a good internship, and a few friends. Had I looked at other programs, I probably would not have chosen IES Vienna Music.

Located on the Danube, Vienna, Austria is in the center of Europe and is a hub of immense culture with a huge emphasis on the arts. This city is rich with different cultures and through the architecture and different parts of the city, one can see all of these cultures come together. It is the only capital city in Europe that makes wine. Traveling throughout the country and Europe is extremely easy to manage because of its central location.

From the moment I stepped off of the plane, IES Abroad staff members were there to greet me and take the rest of the students to orientation. They answered any possible questions we had and made sure we knew as much about the city as possible before we lived in it. They immerse you in the Austrian culture by first taking you to the countryside outside of Vienna. We were well informed about the public transportation, how to get to school, the culture that we would face, and how to live in this brand new city. The staff is this helpful for the entire semester and it is wonderful. The staff also organized 4 different field trips including a Germany trip, a ski trip (in the Austrian Alps!, and 2 trips around Austria).

There are a variety of classes from music, psychology, business, art, and, of course, German. The instructors know that traveling is a priority for students. They make an effort to immerse you in the Vienna culture while learning by going on field trips. There are also internship opportunities that can further immerse you in Vienna culture and help you connect with locals. The teachers are from a variety of backgrounds. Some are alumni of the program which is always a great connection to have. The academics are not too rigorous. You learn, but you have a lot of fun while doing it.

The IES staff will help anyone that encounters culture shock and makes it a requirement at the beginning, middle, and end, to discuss each phase of culture shock we would be facing. The city is extremely clean and safe. The housing that IES provides is fantastic. There are homestays and apartments. Most people stay in apartments with other IES students and are scattered throughout the city. I loved that my friends were all in different locations. I could explore the city while going to everyone's house. Vienna has multiple districts and each one is unique and has it's own history.

If you are looking for a culturally rich city that is easy to navigate and become accustomed to, then this is the right program for you. Even if you are not too into classical music or opera, you can still appreciate the lifestyle that these people lead. You will want to travel and discover more of Europe, but you will also want to stay for a lot of weekends to discover Vienna. There are lots of parks and fun places to go to for night life or museums and things to explore during the day.

Any difficulties I may have encountered I overcame during my stay. They were mostly related to the culture being different and that is something that everyone can relate to while traveling. I would recommend this program to anyone that asked. I made wonderful memories.

I absolutely fell in love with Nantes. I enjoyed the little things ever so much along with enjoying my time at the center. The staff are very friendly and supportive of each student. IES does a great job with host family matching because I got to live with a family that is interested in similar things I am and I almost inspire to be like my host parents when I am older, working hard but a great social life. The locals are incredibly nice and helpful and will just randomly start a conversation with you. When I was at my bus stop, a woman asked by chance if I was american and we just started a conversation both in English and French and it was such a cool experience to talk with someone who came here and fell in love with the city just like I have. There is a lot of things to do and the social coordinator is incredibly awesome, she always has something planned. There really is never a dull moment in Nantes but for those who like downtime, there are plenty of spots and moments for that as well. Overall, I really enjoyed my experience here, and I really want to stay here.

I chose my program because I am an International Business major and I wanted something that would give me major related classes. I also chose my program because it seemed that they were really helpful in immersing you in French culture.

I lived in a home stay with another student and with a retired couple in the seventeenth arrondissement. I had my own bedroom, bathroom, and balcony. And everything in the house was extremely nice, and my host parents were super helpful with the French language and with ways to get around the city. It took me only thirty to forty minutes to get home on the metro and everything in the city was extremely accessible through public transportation.

The IES BIA program really created an environment where I could have little French experiences all the time. We went on tons of trips, sponsored many many mini field trips. I got to see a Parisian Mosque, bake in a Parisian bakery, drink champagne in Champagne, visit the beaches of Normandy, see a Parisian ballet, watch a Parisian rugby game, and see a French comedian. I got to do so many amazing things through this program and they were all included in my tuition.

Choosing this program was the best choice I've ever made in my whole life!!

I didn't know what to expect when I stepped off the plane in Beijing, signaling the start of my study abroad experience, but IES Beijing made the transition smooth and easy and created one of the most exciting experiences of my life to date. The week-long orientation was not only extremely helpful in adjusting (especially with jet lag), but also allowed students to meet and interact before we would be busy with classwork.

IES is especially superb in the way that they merge the excitement of living in China with learning and hard work. I came into the program looking to vastly improve my Chinese and the intensive language program that I signed up for certainly met and exceeded my expectations. With a language pledge and close to 20 hours of Chinese language learning a week, comprised of classes and a one-on-one tutoring session, I saw all aspects of my Chinese improve, especially my conversational skills. Although it may seem intimidating on paper, know that all of the professors and IES staff are very helpful and the hard work definitely pays off at the end.

Aside from language classes I also took a Modern Chinese History class and a Chinese Calligraphy class. Both were also extremely engaging. IES makes use of the city itself by incorporating fieldtrips into the courses which not only introduce the students to aspects of Beijing that they may not visit on their own, but also introduces more of the unique Chinese culture.

With IES Abroad Beijing, you also have the choice of living with a homestay or with a Chinese roommate in the dorms. I opted to live in a homestay and I can't recommend it enough; it was one of the best aspects of my stay in Beijing. My homestay family was extremely welcoming and were always eager to take me to see interesting sites and aspects of the city that only a native would know about. It was also nice to have homemade Chinese meals every day. Living with a homestay also significantly improved my Chinese. While I'm sure living with a Chinese roommate would be an invaluable experience as well, I know that the homestay was the right choice for me and I can't recommend it enough!

One last aspect of the IES Abroad program that is unique is the "Mobile Learning Trip". This was a two week excursion into different parts of China, for me northeastern China, in which we not only furthered our Chinese language studies, but also got to interact with the many different ethnic groups of China. It was a chance for us to travel beyond Beijing, as it is easy to spend all of your time in the big city. This was something unique to IES and just another way that they make the study abroad experience truly one of a kind.

I spent the fall semester of my junior year in Christchurch, and I regard it as one of the best experiences of my life. The social climate and way of life is laid back and foreigners are welcomed with genuine friendliness. Kiwis are extremely hospitable and outgoing people; I found getting to know them really enriched my experience, in learning their perspectives. The country itself is spectacular, with countless outdoor opportunities, such as as climbing, hiking, kayaking, etc. In terms of the program itself, I found that IES had wonderful on-site staff, and the field trips and programs they organized were all very valuable and a lot of fun. It was good to have a base group of friends and people with which to approach so many new experiences. The country as a whole felt very safe, and was easy to travel throughout. I would go back in a heartbeat.

I had the absolute best time in Milan thanks to IES. Everyone who worked there helped to show me an amazing side of Milan that made it such a wonderful experience. I got sick once and one the CA's, Lorenza, was incredibly sweet and walked me to the university's health clinic and she made me feel completely comfortable and I didn't feel like I was sick in a different country where I didn't speak the language that well, she made me feel like I was sick at home.
In terms of academics, I took a film class which really helped me understand Italian culture and politics. The professor was so passionate about it and always made time after class for any discussions or questions. My favorite memory from my classes was probably this extra credit outing where I was the only one who could make it. So it was the professor, the guest speaker (an art historian), and me as they lead me through this secret museum in the fashion district where the paintings show the history of Milan. They showed me all the cool little secrets of Milan and the weird quirks of Italian culture.
The housing is also unbelievable! I was in an apartment with four other American students and our Italian CA, and I know I really lucked out with my roommates and my CA, but in terms of our living situation all of the other apartments I saw were the same amazing quality as ours. I also heard great things about the homestays. My mother was so impressed with my apartment she wrote a letter to the housing coordinator, Manuela Nigrelli, to thank her for doing such a fabulous job.
I really cannot stress how wonderful everyone was! I would choose the IES program every time.

I absolutely loved my experience with IES Abroad Granada. My homestay was fantastic--my host mother was kind, welcoming, and made me feel instantly at home. I lived a 20 minute walk from my abroad center, which while at first seemed daunting, became one of my favorite parts of my day as I got to know all the vendors and people on the way to school that I would say hi to in the morning and chat with on the way home. The people in Granada were incredibly kind and helpful and very helpful and patient with my spanish.

Going out to dinner every night was also incredible. I love the "free tapas" culture of Granada -- it made eating out every night very affordable and also forced me to try new foods almost every day, which was fun. I also loved the open and relaxed atmosphere of dinner every night because it meant meeting tons of people all the time.

My only complaint (which I partially resolved) was that I quickly grew bored with the clubbing scene. Granada isn't an enormous town, and so nightlight can get a little stale. I tried to get around this by going to different tapas places and not going to clubs very often, but if you're looking for a wild and constantly changing partying scene, a bigger city might better suit your tastes.