Great support and awesome program

My time in Tokyo was only enhanced by the support and experiences provided by IES. A (very negative) person that I used to know would always dismiss study abroad programs or touristy guides, saying that you can always go out and do these things yourself for free. His point was disproved by the way that IES has blown me away with their field trips, assistance, and integration into the host city that simply wouldn't have been available if I'd "gone out and done it by myself." The cost of IES is completely worth every penny, because there's no way to go to Tokyo and have the incredible experience that I and many others have had without their planning and readiness to assist. The academics were good, the integration into Kanda University (the school where you take the required Japanese courses) was incredible (re: the e-pal program; highly recommended), and the extracurriculars like field trips and guest lectures were above par. I can't recommend IES enough.