IES Abroad Santiago

I studied abroad with IES: Santiago in the spring of 2015. It was, by far, one of the best decisions I have made. Class sizes at the program center were small and the opportunity to take classes at one of the local universities, Universidad Pontifica Catolica de Chile, helped me to feel integrated into the city. My internship afforded me the greatest opportunity to practice Spanish, and I feel it contributed the most to the advancement of my ability to speak Spanish. Santiago as a city is safe and welcoming and a great jumping-off point if you are looking to travel both within and outside of Chile. The program size was small which allowed me to get to know everyone in the program and living in a home provided a fantastic cultural experience. I highly recommend this program!

I studied abroad in Santiago, Chile during the spring semester. Being the only student from my university on this program, I was incredibly nervous going into the experience. However, the decision to study abroad with the Santiago program was the best decision I made. My program included 21 students from various universities across the nation, allowing me to meet people I would not have met otherwise. They were all welcoming and kind and created a wonderful foundation for me throughout the semester. The professors and program director at IES: Santiago were wonderful. They were willing to listen and help solve any problems that came up. I learned a lot during the semester and my Spanish improved greatly. Between the new experiences in a foreign country and travelling, I was kept busy and involved. After returning to the US, I would not trade this study abroad experience for anything.

My semester in Chile was the best experience of my life. From the new people I met to the culture I was immersed in, I could not have asked for a better 4.5 months. I would highly recommend this program to anyone! What is special about this program is that it incorporates a semester overseas with a new language and a medical focus. This aspect was integral in my choosing of this program. Every week, we got to go to a different medical facility and observe doctors and learn how the Chilean health care system works. It really was an unique opportunity that I would not trade for anything!

Ever since highschool I dreamed of studying abroad in college. I couldn't wait to experience a life that was different from the one I experienced in the states and to be fluent in Spanish. My opportunity came junior year this year 2015 and I couldn't be more excited. Although I come from a family of very limited resources I was determined to make my dream a reality regardless of whatever sacrifices I had to make while abroad. There were only two important objectives for me while abroad: 1. Be in a different country and 2. Improve my Spanish. I decided I could do that despite my economic situation. I was able to live my dream but it came with a minor glitch, my experience was of a lower quality because of it. I tried hard for my economic situation not to affect me but honestly it did affect me. I couldn’t go on as many restaurant or ice cream trips after class with my program mates. I couldn’t explore Chile as much as I wanted to like the other students and when I found out that I didn’t have to take a class at one of the local universities, I opted out of taking a class at the university because it would save on transportation. My social life suffered a lot because of the decisions I had to make. But at the end of the day, I completed my two goals: I was in a different country and my Spanish improved tremendously. I would like to say that the IES study abroad experience was great in the sense that the teachers were great, the classes were interesting and the course work was not incredibly demanding.

Every single day that I spent in Chile felt like an adventure. My Spanish improved daily and I learned so much from my host family. I was able to travel from the Northern most city all the way down to the Southern most city and everywhere in between. Santiago is an amazing home base with an amazing social scene! It is surrounded by the Andes mountains and multiple vineyards. Weekend trips by bus were always taken and empanadas were eaten daily!! I will forever be missing a piece of my heart because I left it with my second family in Santiago!

As for the difficulties, I was very homesick and that sadness was met by an amazing support staff at IES! They were also amazingly supportive when I had an emergency gallbladder removal surgery in the middle of my semester there! I highly recommend this program!

Check out my pictures below! I included a picture of my host family and me, a picture from my visit to the geysers, and a photo from my visit to an island inhabited by only penguins!!

This past semester, I was studying abroad in Santiago, Chile with IES and it was was such an amazing, unforgettable experience. The entire IES staff is extremely nice and supportive. IES also helps immensely in making you feel comfortable with the Chilean culture and customs. I was able to be a part of the Chilean student life and meet some amazing friends by taking courses at the Pontifica Universidad de Chile, one of the best universities in South America. Though at times the academics at the university can be tough, there are many resources available to help international students. During my stay, I lived with a host family and had the nicest host mom. She made me feel completely at home.

Santiago is a vibrant city full of history, culture, and excitement from the fast-paced city environment to the calm and peaceful mountains surrounding the area. I highly recommend spending a semester in Santiago, Chile with IES abroad.

IES struck a perfect balance between accessibility and hands-off-ness, allowing us to have as much help or be as self-sufficient as we wanted. Here are a few examples:

Times when IES was involved:
* Complaints about homestays were heard and handled personally and promptly
* Security threats such as protests or natural disasters were addressed promptly and demanded immediate responses
* Holidays like Halloween and Thanksgiving were celebrated in the IES building.

Time when IES was hands-off:
* We were allowed to take classes at partner Universities
* We were free to get involved in whatever group or organization we found without first running it by IES staff.
* We had the chance to arrange our own housing if desired.

I studied abroad in Santiago, Chile last semester and I can honestly say that it was one of the best semesters of my life. From day one IES made me feel at home and welcome which gave me the confidence I needed to travel and explore this beautiful city and country. This program gives you the opportunity to not only take great classes at the IES center in Santiago but also allows you to take courses at two of the best universities in Chile; Pontifica Universidad Católica de Chile and Universidad de Chile. I took three classes with IES, including the internship seminar, and then a class at Pontifica Universidad Católica and I enjoyed them all because I was learning something new everyday. My host family was very accommodating and made me feel right at home which made it even harder for me to leave at the end of my program. I would definitely recommend this program to anyone that is looking to have a culturally rich and exciting semester abroad!