IES Abroad Reviews

Studying in Madrid through IES was the best 4 months of my life. I was able to enjoy the awesomeness of the hospitality, academics, and culture of Madrid through the assistance of IES. The semester was sprinkled with explorative group trips that really allowed me to become close with my peers, and learn about the lesser known parts of the country. The academics were intensive enough to allow me to improve and practice my Spanish; however, they were not unnecessarily rigorous. IES really established a system where I felt that I was able to fully immerse myself to the Madrid lifestyle as much as I wanted. I met my current best friends, I meandered around Europe, and I fell in love with all things Spanish. I am hit with a wave of nostalgia every day that I am not able to sip on a cafe con leche paired with the ever so consistently delicious tortilla española. IES Madrid does it right.

I had a blast living in Siena for a year! I thoroughly enjoyed all the classes that were offered, got to do an internship, and loved exploring Siena. The program is well organized, I loved my host family, and I can't wait to go back again soon to see all my friends there. I recommend this program to those who are interested in medieval Italy, Tuscan art history, and those who love exploring small towns (with so many wine varieties!).

Let me start by saying: I became convinced over the course of my semester in Berlin that it's basically the best place in the world. It's a capital city, but without many of the things that ruin a capital city and make it boring and unlivable. It's cheap, young, political, and there's so much going on! It has amazing music coming through, really cool bars, beautiful and huge parks (so many for a large city!), and even multiple lakes not too far away to swim (some have real beaches). But in addition, the city also has so much history, including incredible museums, monuments, and memorials. All of this is not to say that Berlin is without problems, but you'll learn about those in your courses and become more attuned over time. None of it persuaded me to revise my opinion.

The IES Programme itself was also great. The people that work there were always available and helpful, whether with course questions or health insurance queries. I took half of my courses within the programme. I would especially recommend Multicultural Berlin with Sabine Berking-- I learned a lot about Berlin and Germany, and we took some awesome field trips to places around the city. (I also heard about many other trips from my friends in other courses.)
I would say that I did not feel hugely academically stretched by my IES courses, but they catered well to a wide range of German abilities, and if you are feeling more confident, there is an opportunity to take classes with ~real~ German students at Humboldt. This is something I would absolutely recommend. Though it was a little effort to make it work, it was definitely worth it to meet people outside the programme and feel like a real Berlin student. For this reason, if you are only going for one semester and it is an option for you, I would definitely recommend going in the spring, as the Humboldt semester doesn't line up particularly well with our semesters, and in the spring the extra couple months run into summer rather than your spring semester back in the US (I was in Berlin until the end of July). Plus it means that the weather only gets nicer and nicer while you are there!

Most of my friends in the programme lived in home-stays in the city, and it did seem that there was a real range in outcomes with that. I, personally, had an amazing experience and will probably meet up with my host mum whenever I return (hopefully soon). Others had more difficulties, which is tough for IES to solve, though they will talk things through with you. A couple other of my friends organised living arrangements outside of IES, and so lived alone or with other students, which is an option to consider if you're feeling very motivated.

IES Abroad’s Vienna program, focusing on European Society and Culture, was an absolutely amazing experience. Not only did I get to learn about new subjects that aren’t offered at my home university, but I got to actually go out and see manifest examples of the material I was studying. For example, after learning about the Hapsburg royal family of Vienna in my Vienna Past and Present course, the next class period was spent visiting their national treasury in the city hosting all of the family jewels, crowns, and royal robes. Another thing, that was immensely helpful at IES Vienna, was their language instruction. I arrived in Vienna with mildly good German, but the skill and care of the professors there helped bring my language proficiency to the next level. Our professors also helped push us into immersion situations in a very encouraging way. One example, was the provision of German buddies. The program had set up a list of locals willing to meet with IES students weekly to try speaking German in conversation. Aspects of the program, like these, were inexplicably helpful in learning the language. Outside of the studying aspect of the program, IES offered many extracurricular trips such as day trips to Austria’s stunning Wachau Valley, or a weekend trip to partake in a traditional apple festival and tour the beautiful city of Graz. Both of these trips that I partook in (among the many more that IES Vienna offers) were amazing and provided insights into Austria and its people and culture. These are experiences that were so real and unique, that I definitely would not have been able to participate without the help of IES’ planning. Overall, IES Vienna is an amazing program in one of Europe’s most stunning cities.

This was the best year of my life. Living only 20 minutes by tube from central London was extremely convenient. I got to live with students from around the world, not just England. I made unforgettable memories and learned how to be much more independent. It is certainly a different academic experience, but that's the point. Don't let this opportunity pass you by; London is the best city in the world to study abroad, and IES will make it happen.

I absolutely loved being abroad. I also think this program made being abroad easier for its students. From picking us up at the airport when we first arrived to helping us with travel plans.

My goal was to see as much of China and learn as much as I could about China and the language as I could. This program definitely helped me achieve this. The courses were interesting and engaging, especially the Chinese language courses. In addition to having a main Chinese language course they also provided language electives for learning about Chinese slang, business Chinese language, and calligraphy. They even had a prep course for students who wanted to take the HSK test. My language skills improved greatly during this program.

In addition to just having a variety of courses the teachers and professors were incredibly engaging. It was easy to tell that they were excited to be there and help students through their courses. They all got to pick the material that they were teaching and I believe their freedom to do so probably contributed to how passionate they were about their classes.

The director and other staff were also amazing. They took all of us on a program field trip that was fun and a great way to bond. The director always made time to meet with students if they were having a problem whether it was with academics or a roommate. They even helped students with other travel plans to make sure students could travel to their hearts content.

Overall, it was just a great experience and there isn't a day I don't think about how much fun I had.

I use the title to describe my experience in only six words. The thing is the experience really takes up more words than what I can write. The program is nicely set up, super organized, you meet other American students from different parts of the country, you actually speak French most of the time (Nantes is a city with hardly any American tourists), and your host family will give you an idea of how French culture looks in a traditional sense. IES staff is extremely helpful (I miss them so much), there are social events organized every week by the social coordinator, and there is also opportunities to take courses in the local university (which I recommend), taking a gastronomy course, and taking a teaching internship to teach English in French schools. All these oppportunities are what make IES Nantes a dream come true!

IES Paris BIA absolutely blew away all expectations I had before starting my study abroad semester. One of my main goals in studying in Paris was to really immerse myself in the culture and people, and I was able to do so through this program. I stayed with a retired French couple in Neuilly-Sur-Seine, an amazing little town right outside Paris, I took two French classes that really allowed me to learn about the intricacies of French society and culture (in French, of course!), and I volunteered at a Parisian middle school, helping kids improve their English and participate in a cultural exchange. The staff was incredible as well. They're so friendly and truly want you to have the best experience while in Paris and France. I highly recommend this program for those wanting to studying in Paris! It can be nerve-wracking to study in an unfamiliar country with an unfamiliar language for four months, but the staff make it feel like a second home!

The coordinators at the Shanghai campus for IES abroad were very accommodating and acted as very helpful touch stones to modern Chinese culture as well as advisors to help us out with our studies. The host family I had were very warm and inviting, if not a little less talkative than I would've preferred. The engineering courses I took there were very tough and challenged my learning skills, but for the most part they were very helpful in suggesting a good place for additional study aid. Other than the academics, China and Shanghai were a wonderful change of pace for me, and I really enjoyed the chance to travel around and truly experience a new culture. I met a slew of great new people both from China and from Europe as well since they were also studying in Shanghai. Travel around China to other famous cities was very easy,cheap and convenient. Overall I would highly recommend this program of you have an interest in engineering and experiencing a new culture!

This program was absolutely amazing! My french improved immensely, I made close friends that I still keep in touch with, and fell in love with Nantes, so much so all I want to do is go back! The staff here are 100% dedicated to the students, going above and beyond to make sure each student has an excellent experience. The homestay is a great opportunity and I loved my host family. The professors are all very understanding of the language barrier that exists, but also push you to improve. The city is gorgeous and there is always something interesting going on. The social coordinator also makes sure students know when there is an event and takes them there. Overall, a fantastic program that I would recommend to anyone hoping to improve their French and wanting an unforgettable semester!