IES Abroad Reviews

My semester in Madrid with IESAbroad was truly amazing. IES worked to organize field trips, cooking classes and flamenco classes, as well as set students up with language exchange buddies, all of which were amazing learning opportunities. My professors were all interesting and highly qualified, making my classes challenging yet enjoyable. I particularly loved my class at the Prado Museum, in which my professor was a curator at the museum. He was full of knowledge about the art, and eager to share his love of art with us! I also loved that we got to take a class at the local university, Universidad de Complutense. It made my experience much more immersive culturally, and I would recommend taking at least one local class to anyone who has a high enough level of Spanish. Another great aspect of the program was the administrative staff, who went out of their way to make the experience great for the students. One staff member walked me to site where I was volunteering so that she could help me find it and get started there. Overall, a great experience! I'm jealous of everyone who still has this experience ahead of them!

I spent my entire junior year studying abroad with the IES Abroad Business and International Affairs program in Paris, France, and it was easily the best decision of my life.
Paris is a unique place to study in. The city was the most cohesively beautiful European city I have ever been in, with such a rich history and an endless number of things to do. Depending where you are, Paris can have a small town feel or a bustling city one. And French food is the best in the world.
I stayed with the same host family for the entire year and they were wonderful to me. The only downside to my IES program was that it was difficult to make friends with actual Parisians and this was balanced out with my host family, who taught me all about the French culture and language. Living away from everything familiar could be difficult at times and having a family be there for me helped so much.
The center itself took the studying part of study abroad very seriously, but it was easy to balance the school work with fun and travel. The staff was like family to me by the end of the program and they work hard to make sure you have a fun and safe experience. The center put on plenty of events and day trips in the city to show you places only true Parisians know about and they really care about each and every student.
Overall, I would highly recommend this program that made the best year of my life possible!

Making the decision to study abroad in South Africa was a daunting one, as I watched most of my friends leave for Europe/Australia. From the moment I landed in Cape Town, however, IES made the transition into a new continent and culture not only effortless, but also fun. The staff is incredible; they put the students first, and ensure that our happiness and safety are always taken care of. One of my first nights, I got extremely sick and had to be taken to an emergency room. Not only did my IES RA accompany me, but the director of the program came and stayed with me until I was able to go home. They assisted us with choosing classes, finding extracurriculars, and other travel plans! They also provided opportunities for all of the students to become close, which I really appreciated. I miss Cape Town and the IES faculty dearly!

Studying abroad in Vienna through IES was an incredible experience. Although you need not have any prior exposure to German, I found that having some German experience helped me make the most out of my time there. Vienna is such a wonderful city to explore on your own too - there are so many cute cafes, bars, open markets, and parks. I really loved that I was able to live with a residential assistant, a fellow Austrian who I became close friends with and who showed me what local life was like. The IES staff in Vienna were also fantastic. They wanted us to have a great time, and were helpful with all roadblocks we might have encountered throughout the way. They weren't overbearing, at the same time, and encouraged our independence. I also really liked the people who were part of the program. I made many friends who I just clicked with immediately, since there aren't many music/arts kids from my home school. I'm still in touch with those friends now! Featured photo: the culturally acceptable daily cake and coffee!

While I was abroad, I met up with a friend who was studying abroad in Spain and was traveling to Paris for the weekend. She was studying through her home institution and knew almost everyone in her program in Spain. She explained it was almost an extension of her university, and many people in the program did not know Spanish. Her traveling companions even explained to me how they never spoke to their host families because they did not speak Spanish and their families did not speak English. There classes were too easy and they felt as if they could be living in America if not for the fact they were halfway across the world.

If this is what you want, then IES Abroad is not for you. However, I was turned off by the typical extension-of-America study abroad programs commonly offered by large universities with campuses around the world. I wanted to feel as though I was a resident of my host country: speak the language, eat the food, be set in the routine of a typical Parisian student. Luckily, IES gave me exactly that. The classes were all in French and offered a challenge that only serious students could take on. I felt as if I was Parisian for four months when I would hop on the metro, roll my eyes in annoyance at the accordion player as we sped past the Eiffel Tower, and skim my French novel for that day's class discussion. Although there were bumps along the way, IES prepared students to become integrated into French culture and experience life as a real university student instead of a four-month American vacation.

I honestly wouldn't trade my study abroad experience for anything. I loved being a part of the IES family; I truly felt comfortable and cared for by not only my amazing host family, but by the staff members as well. I took classes at the IES program center and at USFQ, and also volunteered at a daycare for underprivileged children. I feel extremely lucky that IES provided the opportunity to travel to the Galapagos Islands and to the Amazon! In addition to those excursions, many weekends were spent travelling around other parts of Ecuador. However, Quito truly became my home during my time abroad.

I was one of the few students in my program who was not a victim of pick pocketing/robberies. My university in the States is located in the heart of North Philadelphia, so I am accustomed to urban living. I know it was a big adjustment for some of my friends who didn’t have much experience in that setting, but they learned street smarts fairly quickly! The idea that cat-calling and crime is so much worse outside of the U.S. is totally false in my opinion. Bad things happen everywhere, and as long as you use common sense in social situations, you’ll be fine!

I did get quite sick, as did most people in my program. I was hospitalized and diagnosed with gastroenteritis. My program directors and doctors took great care of me, and I made a quick recovery. Unfortunately, I also was just a few towns away from the epicenter of a 7.8 earthquake that wiped out much of the coast of Ecuador. I absolutely feared for my life and witnessed some horrifying tragedies. My friends and I were lucky enough to have been able to return to Quito after a hard couple of days, but many people did not have that luxury. Throughout this entire ordeal, the solidarity of the people of Ecuador inspired me and made me realize how many good people there are in this world. Everyone did their part to help us and to help each other, and my entire community spent much of their time volunteering and making donations to earthquake relief efforts.

I felt totally immersed in Ecuador’s culture and I am now much more confident in my Spanish-speaking skills. I made so many great friends and completely fell in love with Ecuador... and a boy (I know, totally cliché!). I am already planning to visit again later this year! I definitely recommend this program to anyone who is up for adventure!

My study abroad experience in Milan through IES Abroad was unforgettable. Through the application process to the very end, I couldn't have asked for a better semester. I can confidently say studying abroad changed me as a person (for the better). I have a different outlook on life after traveling throughout Italy and Europe, and I have become far more independent. My goals before studying abroad were to make friends with Italian students and learn to speak the language. I had taken 4 semesters of Italian before studying abroad, however my Italian greatly improved through my Advanced Italian class. I felt comfortable getting around and speaking the language each day. I thoroughly enjoyed my classes (especially my cooking class) and the administration felt like family. Living in an apartment with an Italian student and other American students was a great experience. IES provided the students with nice and safe apartments. Not only did I make friends with Italian students, but I made amazing new friends from America! The nightlife in Milan is second to none and it was a hidden gem. Take advantage of the lively nightlife and unique outings Milan has to offer.

My biggest regret is not having studied abroad for a year. A semester did not feel long enough. I highly recommend this program to any student who is considering studying abroad in Italy. I had my eye on other cities in Italy when choosing a program, but Milan far exceeded my expectations. In my opinion, there are far less American study abroad students in Milan than in Florence and Rome. Before studying abroad, I thought that I would stay in Boston and get a job after graduation, however now I'm looking into grad schools and research programs in Italy. The sky is the limit!

I absolutely loved this program! Through the program I was able to go to over 10 different countries in the span of three months. The travel is definitely the best part about this program and during each trip that is included there are various meetings in which I learned a great deal about the European Union. My favorite trip moment was when I was able to go to Disneyland Paris when I had a free day! Now I know I just went on and on about he travel, but the home city of Freiburg definitely has to be mentioned as well. Freiburg is a smaller college city but there is plenty to do and places to see. There is a great social scene because of the college aspect which makes for a really fun atmosphere. I highly recommend this program to anyone that loves to travel but also wants to learn a ton about Europe!

This program had it all: the freedom to travel around Europe, the ability to live with an Italian family, an inclusive and planned trip to Tuscany or Amalfi, amazing academics, but most importantly, the ability to make a difference while having a blast in la Bella Roma. I feel we became parts of the community rather than long-term tourists - we left our mark here! IES's internship program really shaped my time in Rome and helped me make an impact. I was able to get a first-hand look at the refugee crisis in Rome, through my public policy class (that had many great speakers and field trips) and my social action internship. I taught refugees English through IES, and it added such a meaningful dimension to my semester. My different IES professors were phenomenal teachers, who brought the city to us in the classroom and us out into the city on various field studies. I saw St. Peter's tomb and the underground necropolis there, I did a bike tour of Villa Borghese with my Italian class, and I visited an ethnic market in Rome's multicultural neighborhood. I never felt like I was stuck in the classroom. I also choose to live in a homestay rather than an apartment, and it was a great decision for me. I learned a lot about the Italian culture while living in the very-hopping area of Trastevere, along with other homestay students. All in all, it was a fantastic program in a breath-taking city.

For anyone who has ever studied Mandarin Chinese and is interested in studying abroad in China, Beijing is the place to go. After studying abroad for even just one semester, it’s easy to find hundreds of reasons to fall in love with this amazing city.

The IES program in Beijing gave me a great environment, helpful tools, and great support during my semester. The program’s location on the campus of Beijing Foreign Studies University is ideal. It isn't too far from many of the major sites of the city, including Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace, Beihai Park, and other amazing areas. Transportation in Beijing is fairly easy- you can hop on the subway and reach an amazing site halfway across the city fairly quickly- just be careful to avoid rush hour! The campus itself is in the university district, and the area is full of a variety of restaurants, stores, bars, fruit stands, and other stops. If nothing in the immediate area is what you're looking for, there are thousands of options just a quick subway stop away! The program's academics helped me immensely with my goal of improving my language skills. The classes are small, which made it easier for me to get to know the professors and my classmates. The language classes are taught in Chinese and the area studies classes are taught in English. For students at or above a certain language level, there's also the option of taking other Chinese-taught electives. One of the requirements of the program is a language pledge. The pledge may sound intimidating, but it really did help me improve my listening and speaking skills, even more so than in classes back at home. The living situation was also helpful for improving my Chinese and my overall experience abroad. You can either choose to live with a host family or in a dorm with a Chinese roommate. I had an awesome roommate who taught me about her culture and was curious about American culture. The opportunity to get to know my roommate and talk about our cultures was an amazing opportunity for me, and definitely added to my experience abroad.

If you are considering studying abroad in China at all, my advice is to take the leap and go for it! Studying abroad in Beijing was the best decision I have ever made, and I would enroll in the IES program again in a heartbeat.