Home on another continent

Chile, in my opinion, is the most beautiful country in the world. If you love nature, or if you are a big-city person-- this location could not be more incredible. Santiago is a city of 7 million where you can get to almost anything imaginable by public transport. And right next to the city are the snow-capped Andes mountains, full of incredible nature experiences for anyone looking for adventure. With so much diversity in one city, you don't even need to travel outside Santiago to find an incredible experience!

The IFSA program makes all of the logistics of living and studying in a foreign country so easy, and the program staff on site are incredibly caring and helpful. The on-site director personally texts and calls in response to any problem you may have, no matter what time of the day or night. there are many incredible scheduled activities and trips with the group, and the on-site staff are always available for any questions about your host family or social life, your academics, travel, health and safety, language learning, culture shock, homesickness, or almost anything else that you may need.

One amazing thing about this program is that it allows you to truly become a part of the city's community and culture. You get to pick classes in multiple universities, and that helps you even more to see what a diversity of thought and opinion there are in the country. I went to the two best universities in Chile, the private Ponticicia Universidad Catolica, and the public, more liberal Universidad de Chile. It was so interesting and fun making friends at the two universities, and seeing two different perspectives on life. The stay with a host family in Chile was one of the most rich immersion activities I experienced while I was there. I really became a part of the family customs and traditions, and even helped my host mom to decorate the Christmas tree!
Overall, my time in Santiago, Chile was one of the most influential moments of my life, and it has made me dream of returning some day, or maybe even living there in the future. For anyone wanting to travel to Chile, I definitely recommend IFSA in Santiago.