IES Abroad Reviews

I loved my time in Rome with all of the experienced professors and great friends I made-- it's a program for everyone at all levels! I especially loved my living situation being with a Literature professor and her dog and being able to have my dietary restrictions (veganism) accommodated to at home, feeling welcome in the fullest. I was even taught how to cook!

I am also grateful for being able to go to the opera to see La Traviata, have dinners out with the group and go on several excursions with my class every week and as part of the program like to Amalfi Coast and Assisi.

I was given a chance to be independent and really explore on my own with the friends that i made, making it my experience especially being able to practice my Italian and learn at a rapid pace.

Before I went to Madrid, I was terrified of going abroad - there were so many unknowns, and it was such a big leap to leave all of the friends that I'd made at college to go spend an entire semester in a country I'd never been to with people I'd never met. But as soon as my plane touched down in Madrid, I felt more relaxed. All of the students were nice, the staff were helpful, and the city was beautiful. IES really made Spain feel like a home to me, with interesting courses and the ability to take classes at the local university and really immerse myself in the college life of Madrid.

Not only did I grow academically and improve my language skills, but I also learned so much about myself and I have so much more confidence now. I know that not only can I live on my own in a country 10 hours away from my family, where everyone speaks a different language, but I can thrive there. As happy as I am to be back in the States, with all my friends and family, a part of me wishes that I were back in Spain again.

I loved working with IES because the program itself was only 30 students, allowing us to feel close with one another, the staff and the professors. Academic wise, the professors really made use of their environment, taking us on walking trips around the town. I think American students should prepare for a different style of teaching when coming here because it is more "lectured based" rather than collaborative or conversational. Being in a small city like Siena really forced all of us to speak the language and understand the culture. The program coordinators invited us on different optional, (some) free trips around town and throughout Italy that helped us learn more about Siena and the world around it. I never felt scared or out of place in this program because Siena is such a safe town and IES hired such thoughtful, kind staff to guide us through this journey. I highly recommend this to anyone who genuinely wants to experience authentic Italian culture!

If you want to study abroad you should absolutely consider Madrid and IES. Madrid has amazing food, culture, and nightlife and there was never a dull day. Also, you can travel to anywhere in Europe for less than $250 (~200euros) which I took full advantage of and was able to visit 13 countries and 25 cities. I would highly recommend studying in Madrid.

IES was also extremely helpful and made my experience that much better. They are always available if you get sick or lost or even just want a recommendation for a good place to eat. Also they have required tutoring classes that count for 25% of your grade and the entire grade is attendance, so it is a huge boost to your abroad grades which was a very nice boost for my GPA.

The University of Cape Town has a very beautiful campus that is centrally located. It is a short distance to the city centre. It also has many restaurants and bars nearby. The academics can be challenging at times but if you seek help should be ok. The campus life is very lively and there is always something happening. For those who are lovers of landscapes and nature this is the perfect experience for you. The highlight of my experience was the local tours we had as part of our program. We cooked local food, went to winelands, visited townships which overall created a very holistic experience. It was a life time experience which only helped me grow. Most importantly, the staff of the program is very supportive with anything. It really was home away from home.

This past spring I had the joy of participating in the IES Direct Enrollment program at Queen Mary University of London. IES was very helpful in terms of the arranging everything so I could be settled in my new home! I was able to apply to QMUL via the IES website and IES staff were very communicative with me about what I needed to do to get the appropriate visa. In addition, they sent me a packing list so I could feel more prepared about what I would need. They also set up an IES London facebook page so it would be easy for me to meet other study abroad students in different programs and so I could get reminders for IES meet-ups. So even if you are doing a direct enrollment program and do not take classes with other IES students, you can still get involved in IES activities. IES also took care of making sure I had housing at my new location which also a great bonus!

But IES is there to support you! They will send your transcripts to your home institutions so that’s one less thing to worry about. Also the greatest thing about IES is that the provide you with amazing travel insurance!! With my plan I only had to pay $100 deductible and after that, every doctor’s visit was free. This was really amazing and saved me a ton of money since I got a nasty back injury while abroad! And IES was very supportive as they guided me through the insurance claims process! So, if you have a medical issue problem while abroad, IES will definitely help to make sure you get what you need!

In addition to offering unique classes, providing comfortable and affordable housing, and enabling access to health and safety resources, IES goes above and beyond to ensure student success. Faculty promote events in your location and take students on field trips. They are excited to help and are mostly available. Programs like language buddies encourage immersive culture and fostering connections with people in student's respective locations.

As an independent student, I didn't rely on IES for help, but knew if I couldn't answer a question myself they were there to help.

I studied abroad with IES Vienna this past spring and had an absolutely amazing time. Through my experience in Vienna, I was able to take psychology classes in an essential location for the foundations of psychology, while also applying skills and ideas in an internship in a Psychotherapist's office. I was able to learn and apply so much in that one semester, and narrow my career and educational foci at the same time. Outside of the classes for my major, I was also able to study German and apply the language through living and communicating in Vienna. Learning the language was definitely a challenge for me, but I loved it, and grew a lot throughout the semester. While learning and living in Vienna, I also made great connections with my fellow students, the Center Staff, native Austrians in my housing complex, and the individuals I worked with in my internship. So many great connections were made, and I honestly just had so many amazing experiences, large and small, throughout the 4 months. I grew immensely academically, professionally, and personally during my time with IES Vienna, and that my study abroad experience was the best one of my life so far. My favorite memory of my semester in Vienna was attending the Viennese Ball in the winter! My friends from the program and I got dressed up and felt extremely elegant with the native Viennese.

My university doesn't have any programs in South America, but IES let me travel to four South American countries and live in two of them! Having a host family is a once-in-a-lifetime experience and I was so happy with the host moms IES placed me with. I still keep in touch with them on a weekly basis. Buenos Aires was incredible, and then just when we thought it couldn't get any better...we left to go to Peru (where IES treated us to the finest hotels, dinners, tours, the whole 9 yards). By the time we were in Santiago, I never wanted to leave. The cities themselves were incredible, but the destinations we went to on the weekends were like nothing I'd ever seen in my life. Truly amazing experience.

Four years ago, when I was looking for my dream college and University one of my requirements was that I had to be able to Study Abroad and specifically go to Paris. When I got onto my campus at the University of Vermont, I told my academic advisor our first meeting that we need to arrange my 4-year course schedule to include a semester in Paris. I was determined to do everything in my power to go to Paris, France.

While researching different programs, my school really encouraged me going to an exchange program or one that was run by my university. There was ONE school my university called a “direct exchange” and it was not in Paris, so I immediately crossed it off of my list. I found IES and loved that it is an American program, based out of Chicago, so they had an understanding about the college system and life in the US. Then once I applied, I got my packet of information to take to the French Consulate or Embassy. They made it so easy, and I know other friends of mine who were going to other countries with other programs, had such a hard time getting their visa, but if you go through IES as long as you follow every direction to a T, you will have no problem getting your Visa.

The classes were amazing, and the professors caring about you and the course subject. They also really encouraged applying the lessons even in marketing to go and explore Paris and the surrounding countries.

I studied the French culture all throughout high school (my high school French teach is a member of the family who started Fragonard Perfumer), and I wasn’t going to Paris to just take classes and then to travel to other places. I really wanted to live and absorb the culture that I had learned about though my teacher’s stories and things I read in textbooks.

Probably the highlight of my time in Paris, was the program sponsored trip to go to the Loire river valley to see the famous castles. I actually did a huge research project about one in high school, and that particular castle was the first one we got to visit on the trip. It was amazing to see in real life something that I had only seen online and in textbooks.

The second opportunity I had was to study art. I grew up only an hour and a half from the Metropolitan Museum in New York City, so very quickly I fell in love with Monet, but that museum cycled out their paintings. I had the opportunity to go to the Musée D’Orsay (impressionist’s museum) (for free because I had a student visa) and see the work in real life, then go to Giverny (Monets’ home and gardens) (with the program), and then see the exhibit (the day after it opened) looking at how Monet re-created his most famous paintings 5 years before he died, while he was going blind.

This program also allowed you three different living options. I had a friend who lived in a dorm like room, an apartment, and I lived with a host family. My host mom, was truly like my mom. She was excited to get to know me, and I was excited to get to know her. I also had the opportunity to get to know her grandchildren and other children, besides the one that stilled lived at home. It was also awesome, because she spoke English, but would only speak to me in French because she knew that I’m in Paris to learn and use my French, not my English.

For the first 3-4 weeks after I returned, I would speak in French (luckily my mom is fluent in French), but my poor dad had no idea what I was saying.

This program really allowed me to explore other things outside of my business curriculum, but also allowed me to do everything I could’ve possibly wanted to while I was abroad!