A Whirlwind 4 Months

We had 3 different home stays throughout the program -- one in the north in Putre, one in the south near Temuco, and our "home base" in Valparaíso or Viña del Mar. This is where my Spanish improved the most, without question. The program does a really great job of matching students with families and, if the family doesn't work for you for whatever reason, the program staff is good about moving you to another family. In my experiences, the families were really wonderful and invested in our wellbeing.

The travel that we did with the program was one of my favorite aspects. The 1-month independent research project was also a highlight for me. You're given the opportunity to elect a theme and are permitted to travel anywhere in the country to conduct that project.