IES Abroad Quito DE – Universidad San Francisco de Quito

The IES staff, my host mom, and my professor were all so lovely, caring, and attentive to me during time abroad. When I got sick one weekend, my program advisor replied to my messages immediately and was constantly asking what he could do to help. My host mom was also so caring during that time - it felt like being with my mom whenever I'm sick at home. I always felt that there was a lot of help + support if I had any issues. The IES staff was very welcoming and provided us with plenty of information and opportunities to feel immersed in the culture. Additionally, the opportunity to enroll directly at USFQ was great for both improving my Spanish and also being able to pursue courses in topics that were more unique to Ecuador, such as Ecuadorian Archaeology or Anthropology of the (Ecuadorian) Coast. Everybody was so nice and the food was delicious - I still miss hornados and bolones de verde. Studying abroad was a very formative experience for me and I'll always have an affection for Ecuador because of my time there. It's definitely something I'll remember for the rest of my life. The ability to live completely in Spanish was essential to improving my Spanish to basically fluent and giving me confidence in my language skills. The excursions also allowed me to see places I never would have otherwise thought much about visiting. For instance, in my Andean anthropology class, we had the opportunity to visit Oyacachi, a small indigenous village, where we saw a beautiful waterfall and thermal springs. We also got to learn about reciprocity as it works in the town, as all property in the town was communal. The Galapagos was also one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. My entire 4 and a half months would have been worth it only to have visited there. I would 100% recommend the program to other students.

My semester with IES was a great experience. At the beginning there were a few field trips which helped in getting to know the area. After the first few weeks though there were only a few intermittent program activities and two optional trips. I really liked this, the program provided the necessary support, along with a lot of freedom to make the experience what I wanted to make it. The IES abroad advisors and directors were extremely helpful before leaving with setting up classes. I also liked that IES helped me find a volunteer opportunity.

IES Quito Direct Enrollment is the ideal program for students with a fairly strong background in Spanish looking to vastly improve their language abilities. The level of immersion is ideal in that students take all of their courses at a local university (arguably the best in Ecuador) and therefore can easily make Ecuadorian friends and become integrated into Quiteño life. Furthermore, the university has a huge international student population, making for an easier transition and a wide offering of courses (Spanish, cultural, etc.) geared toward exchange students.