IES Abroad Reviews

I had an amazing time studying in Barcelona during the Spring 2023 semester. A ton of preparation happens before you even board a plane to study abroad, and IES was extremely helpful in this process. Info sessions, advisor meetings, and thorough emails all took place in the months leading up to my abroad experience. Once I was in Barcelona, I had a ton of resources to make sure I was comfortable and enjoying my time abroad. One thing about IES that other programs do not offer are the multitude of events and experiences available to students. Weekend trips, fun local excursions, and opportunities to connect with other students in the program were constant. In addition, we were still given plenty of freedom and encouragement to travel and explore Barcelona on our own. Overall, I was able to visit so many cool places and made more new friends than I ever could have imagined.

When I signed up for my program I didn't know how much literary influence the city of Dublin has had on the rest of the world. Big-name writers from Oscar Wilde to James Joyce wrote about the life they lived in Dublin and being able to have that same experience was special. I left for Dublin with a strong interest in non-fiction writing but left with a new perspective and interest in short stories. There is something so special about the professors at IES Dublin, the way they believe in your abilities and support your learning. I felt so inspired after each class I had and encouraged to write about everything I experienced during my time abroad. I encourage anyone who wants to continue to expand on their creative endeavors to apply for this program, you won't regret it.

From the beaches to the mountains and everything in between, over the last four months I spent traveling, learning, exploring, and taking in every aspect of Barcelona and its culture. Although my trip started out rough; landing without luggage, knowing no one, jet-lagged, and classes starting the very next day, in no time at all, Barcelona became one of my absolute favorite places. Having the opportunity to live and learn abroad is one that I am always grateful for and so I strongly encourage others to try to do so as well. On my program with IES Abroad, I not only met the best Spanish teacher I have ever had, but also was able to meet so many cool people that I eventually traveled all throughout Europe, Africa, and the UK with. I also had the opportunity to take classes at other universities such as Universitat de Vic - Universitat Central de Catalunya, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, and Universitat Ramon Llull where I took courses like Start-Up Creation, International Marketing, Finance, and Producing a Sitcom. These classes allowed me to meet students from all around the world and gain a new perspective on my studies while working with all my Spanish professors. My favorite part of my classes was when I directed a Sitcom scene that my peers and I created. It was hectic to be in charge of everything and everybody, but satisfying seeing everyone work together to create something amazing. Barcelona reinforced my passion for travel and love for learning about new cultures. To live in a Spanish-speaking country after learning Spanish for 7 years and actually getting the opportunity to use my skills daily was an incredible feeling. IES Abroad gave me the opportunity to live a life completely different from my every day and it was a refreshing change of pace. If there’s one thing I’ve learned from this whole experience, it’s that, as cheesy as it sounds, the world is so big, and I want to keep exploring it.

Studying abroad was one of the best experiences I could've had. Every day I noticed personal growth and confidence within myself and I am proud that I went on this journey fully by myself. After studying abroad I realized how much growth I made academically and personally. Any problem or question I had on the program was answered by the IES staff and was taken seriously. I was also supported by my peers and IES staff who I will remember forever. The relationships I made on this trip, the personal growth, and immersive experience has positively affected me forever!

As a voice student, I always knew that I wanted to study abroad in Vienna. If I could spend another semester (or year, or years!) in Vienna, I would do so in a heartbeat. I could attend the opera and classical concerts - for just a few Euros! With a few exceptions, the pre-departure staff were generally helpful with choosing internships, housing, and courses. The on-site staff were phenomenal, organizing frequent community-building activities. In a weekly newsletter, the staff gave us suggestions for additional events, customs, and restaurants to try out in Vienna. There was a wide variety of music courses. All my professors made an effort to teach me about the culture of Vienna. The music professors were fabulous, introducing me to new aspects of music history.

This program made it abundantly clear that the students were not their first priority. Miscommunication after miscommunication, students looking for answers were met with hostility. The amount of money spent on this program is not shown in the quality of the school facilities or the experience. While some staff was incredible, others were clearly not interested in helping students, one even offering us their position "if we wanted it so badly". Safety concerns, cost discrepancies, and course registration issues all piled up into many of us feeling as though we were left to dry in a foreign country. Differing treatment was also visible between programs, with French speaking programs clearly being favored above our English speaking one. Overall, an unfortunate experience with poor administration to thank!

This was the best decision I made in college. IES Abroad, and specifically this location, Nantes, France gave me the chance to meet so many amazing people, including the professors, my host family, and other locals. The town is big enough that you can find pretty much anything you need, but small enough to get to practice your French on a daily basis with locals. People are very welcoming of you, especially the staff and your host family for this program. I can't say enough good things about it.

This was a great program! Throughout my semester abroad I got to experience so many cool things and meet a ton of great people! IES organizes field trips to different cities around Madrid where you get to learn about the history of Spain and its culture. There were activities organized pretty much every weekend that gave me opportunities to get to know local students and experience life in Madrid. My housing was in a very convenient location close to a bus stop, metro stop, and lots of stores and restaurants. I definitely recommend this program to anyone looking to immerse themselves in the Spanish culture and experience life in Madrid!

My study abroad in Milan was so so amazing. I got to see and experience that I never dreamed would be possible. I think that if I were to do it all over again and start from the beginning, I would still choose IES Milan a million times over. I actually went abroad by myself and I was so scared that I wasn’t going to make friends but with the orientation that IES held and the way they do housing, by the end of the first week I had made so many lifelong friends. IES has a class schedule where most weeks you don't have class on Friday’s so not only was I able to experience Italian culture, I was also able to travel to many different countries in the three months that I was in Europe. I would definitely recommend this program to anyone who loves fashion, big cities, and pasta/pizza.

I spent my fall semester of 2022 in Vienna, and I can safely say it changed my life. I attended the Psychology and Social Sciences program as a psychology major, and I had the chance to take courses that were not offered at my home school, such as Psychology and Society in Vienna and the Psychology of Prejudice and Discrimination. These classes met usually once a week. I also had an intensive German class that met 3 times a week; I had taken German before so I was placed in a higher German class, but I heard from friends that they benefitted greatly from intro German classes. Classes were held at the IES Abroad Center, in the 1st district, near Stephansdom.
I lived in the 2nd district, in a studio apartment with a shared kitchen. The shared kitchen let me connect with new friends from IES while still having a space to go back to that was my own. The commute from the 2nd district to the 1st for class was about 15 minutes, and the IES Vienna staff walked us through it the first time. I appreciated this as someone who had never lived in a city before.
IES staff were incredibly welcoming and easy to talk to; they helped with everything from housing issues to personal issues, and were a great resource to better understand the culture of Austria.
IES Vienna gave the opportunity to explore not only Vienna, but Austria as a whole. The program offered trips around Austria, such as to places like Wachau and Graz, as well as the legendary ski trip in the Austrian Alps. I also had the opportunity during the week-long break to tour Salzburg, Vorarlberg, and Innsbruck. Overall, I saw as much of Austria as I could, and I grew as a person in ways I could not have imagined. I had the time of my life and would do it again in a heartbeat.