IES Abroad Reviews

My time with IES Abroad was wonderful. I had a wonderful host family that I felt right at home with from the second I arrived. IES does a phenomenal job in placing you with families that will benefit you the most during your time abroad, and they make you feel comfortable. Taking classes with IES was also a great experience. The professors were extremely helpful, and I learned a lot in my time there. The IES center was also a wonderful place. If you had questions, there were a lot of staff members you could go to, and they always made sure that your time there was as exciting and beneficial as possible. There were always activities for these students to participate in, we went on numerous trips to different places in France, and got to know one another really well. There was never a dull moment with IES Nantes, and if I could do it over, I would definitely choose this program again.

London has almost everything you could ever ask for, and after living there for three months I truly believe there is no better place to live. As a whole, the program is very good. Every day you get to enjoy living less than 5 minutes from Kings Cross Station, which makes access to the rest of the city easy, and take classes at City University - most of which are easily manageable as long as you keep up with the lectures and reading. Most classes are at most a 2 hour long lectures with a short group class, allowing you ample time to explore the city the many sites and events the city has to offer every day. The IES staff makes you feel like family, which is very helpful when you're likely to be the farthest you've ever been from home.

Study abroad in Santiago was an absolutely incredible experience. I loved the IES program, especially for its size and its wonderful staff. As a city, Santiago is one of the most exciting cities I've visited. I loved the arts and culture, the endless options for things to do, and the general culture.

My semester in Vienna was nothing short of amazing. I fell in love with the city and the Austrian countryside will never stop calling my name. I was able to travel (inexpensively and efficiently) to incredible places surrounding Vienna on any given weekend. Events in the city, museums, operas, concerts, and shows are constantly going on and the talent is above and beyond anything I had ever seen or heard. I lived in wonderful apartment (clean, safe, 30 min. commute into the heart of the city, nicely furnished) with four other students. I went to class every day in the center of the city and spent most weekends traveling to the countryside or other countries and exploring the city. I learned a lot from my professors and really enjoyed my classes. They were thought-provoking and challenging but not too rigorous so that I had time to have fun and relax. The staff at IES Vienna are amazing and were so friendly, helpful, and supportive. Not knowing any German before leaving the country and moving to Vienna was scary but I did just fine and IES prepared me pretty well to be able to converse with the natives. I would have liked to make native friends and be a little more immersed in the culture.

This program is 100% worth it. The academics are stimulating, the Chinese courses are thorough and effective, and the level of cultural immersion is great. Beijing is a great city with lots to do. Compared to my current study abroad program, IES is so much more organized. China can be a crazy place with a lot of uncertainty, but I found IES to be very organized and provide a great learning environment. The option for a home stay and an internship really sets this program apart and I highly recommend these options. They add invaluable dimensions to your study abroad experience.

IES Abroad - Tokyo Language intensive program is a fantastic program all around. I was fortunate enough to have a wonderful host family who was very loving and experienced in hosting foreign students. I know that not everyone may end up with such a scenario but the staff a the Tokyo center really work hard to ensure that every student is given a considerate host family to live with, and I did not hear any major complaints from other students regarding their host families during my time there. Students living in the dorms also claimed to have pleasant experiences in the dorms. My only difficulty in staying with a host family is that I had to ride the train for an hour to and from school. Which is rather long, and the morning Tokyo trains are packed, so it can be bothersome, but you learn to get use to it. My host mother's wonderful cooking more than made up for the long train ride. The academics are challenging and definitely live up the name "intensive". I guarantee your Japanese speaking abilities will improve substantially after taking this program. And the internships is what makes this program unique. I worked for an anime art gallery and loved it. My coworkers knew no English, so I really had to rely on my Japanese skills to get by - a challenge, but rewarding.
I could write a mini novel on this program, but I'll leave it at this: this is a great program for people who seriously want to improve their Japanese language skills and learn to navigate life through one of the world's largest cities, all while having a blast doing it.

Studying abroad in London with IES was the best decision I could have ever made. I need six more credits to graduate in August and what better way to do that then by studying abroad in a city I've dreamed about studying British culture. The program is very well organized and the orientation definitely helps you gather your footing the first couple of days. The professors are the best I've ever had, I wish could have taken more classes with them.

This is a great program for American students looking to study abroad in Paris. They are very good at getting students acclimated to the city and helping them meet each other, and the classes are interesting and taught by awesome professors. There is no class on Friday so there is lots of time to travel. I do speak French, but the majority of people in my class did not, and they did fine in Paris despite language barriers.

I had a superb time in Santiago, Chile. I though academics might be sub-par, but when I got there I discovered I was very satisfied with the quality of my classes. I took classes at IES and at the local catholic university, which is the highest ranked university in the country and offers courses in most US majors. Living in Santiago was awesome, as it is a big city with lots to do. There is also ample opportunity to travel within Chile and South America. It really is a cultural and Spanish immersion. Be prepared for Chileans to speak quickly and with a lot of their own expressions and slang (they are wonderful people though!).

In general, my experience abroad with IES was nothing short of fantastic. The housing situation was great and conveniently located. The academic program did not disappoint and the staff were not only warm and welcoming, but were able to help me out with a family emergency while abroad. I highly recommend IES for anyone considering studying abroad. You will not regret it.

A Quick Message from the Go Overseas Team: Hi there, prospective traveler! This IES Abroad review for "IES Abroad Direct Enrollment - City, University of London" was submitted before we increased our character limit for reviews. Just wanted to let you all know that we're looking forward to offering you even more reviewer content to help you make the most informed decisions about your next adventure.