IES Abroad Reviews

Madrid is truly an amazing city with fantastic nightlife, culture, parks and more! There is always something to do. And it is so easy to get anywhere else in Spain or to the rest of Europe from Madrid. IES was great with planning activities, such as visits to local sites, cooking classes and flamenco classes. They also have great field trips...the orientation trips are AMAZING. Academics are okay, but there is no Friday class which allowed for travel time on the weekends. Did not hear much negative feedback about living situations, everyone seemed to be happy where they were, whether it was a home stay, apartment, or dorm. I absolutely loved my home stay. Made life long friends and had the best semester of my life.

I absolutely loved my study abroad experience in Milan. Milan is an amazing city with so much to offer and IES did a great job of giving students information and opportunities to explore the city and different regions of Italy. I took 2 courses at the IES center and 2 courses at their partner institution-Universita Cattolica del Sacro Cuore. The courses were interesting and provided cultural and academic information about Italy, which was extremely helpful! IES also helped me find an internship at an international non-profit organization in Milan, which taught me a lot about Italian and European culture and history.

Going to Siena was the best decision I've made since I started college. The people and the program were amazing. When dealing with the professors and the program I felt like I was talking with my friends and not my superiors. Siena is small as far as abroad destinations go but every day I felt like I stumbled on a new statue or restaurant that made my day. Of all the things I did in Europe, hanging out in the Piazza del Campo, Siena's center, at night was the thing I'll remember most. People think Siena is a city you can see in a day. I don't even think a semester was enough time.

Granada is truly a great city to study abroad. If you are seeking out a place to learn more outside the classroom than inside, I highly recommend this city. It has a lot of history, culture and wonderful people. There are so many options for exploring and opportunities to participate in local activities.

Studying in Milan was the greatest experience of my life. I learned so much about myself, Italy, and the world. The best parts of IES Abroad - Milan, in my opinion, are:
1. The community assistants
2. Living in a non-touristy city
3. Italian food, culture, language, etc.
4. Ability to intern at a real Italian company
5. Having every-other Friday off of class to travel
6. Field trips for classes
7. IES-sponsored trip to Sicily and Tuscany in the fall

Cape Town is a beautiful city and there is so much to do and see. I recommend ditching the Americans you came with and making as many local friends as you can! Everyone has a unique story and background; making local friends in Cape Town definitely made my experience more meaningful.

Amsterdam is one of the best cities in the world! It is beautiful and definitely unique. There is so much to do during the day and at night. Whether your biking around enjoying the view, boating down the canals or exploring one of the million museums, the city has so much to offer. The nightlife is great and there's different scenes to cater to everyone!

The IES program was truly the best experience of my life. I learned so much about living on my own in a big city, taking classes in a foreign country, and speaking German. I would definitely recommend this program to anyone interested in Germany or just looking to broaden their experiences.

Studying abroad with IES was definitely a good choice to help me increase my understanding of Chinese and Chinese culture and affairs. Language class starts at 8am everyday, except Wednesday, and goes until 12pm. In addition, students have a one hour one-on-one class that is scheduled independently from the morning Chinese class. Most students used Saturday as their day to explore the city and Sunday was typically reserved for doing homework and such. One of the best things about studying in Beijing was that there was no shortage of things to do. I was easily able to visit museums, parks, markets, and other cultural sites with my fellow students during our free time.

I really loved my stay in Nantes. It is true what everyone says--when you're in Paris with an American accent, the French will start speaking to you in English; that is not the case in Nantes. English is not as widespread and so we were forced to speak French with the locals. The IES Center itself also had a French-only policy that was enforced, so even us Americans spoke to each other in French. I did have a bit of difficulty adjusting to the personality of my host family. They were more formal and less inviting than I hoped they would be, but it still ended up working fine. I loved seeing the "typically French" architecture of Nantes everyday, and having a wonderful public transportation system to get me around town (something I had to quickly learn!) My favorite parts of the IES program itself, however, was the family-atmosphere that was present among the group of us. I loved the excursions to other locations in France as well. I would definitely recommend this program!