Geography Study Abroad Programs in Santiago, Chile

I studied in Santiago with Middlebury in Chile, where I was fully immersed in urban Chilean culture while fostering lasting relationships within my program and having the freedom to explore interests, academic and professional alike. The curriculum was the best kind of challenging that pushed me to develop my personal agency, and my Spanish skills absolutely skyrocketed over the course of the semester. I absolutely loved the city of Santiago and its culture; the friendships I made with my cultural mentor, my host family, and the other Midd students were so special. Chile is truly such a welcoming and beautiful country, and I will be forever grateful for the way I was able to fully appreciate it and allow it to shape me and my worldview through immersion.

Studying abroad in Chile was a wonderful and eye-opening experience. It was beautiful because I got to meet so many new people and learn so much from different cultural experiences. But it was also challenging in some ways. Going abroad really requires you to step out of your comfort zone and engage with a different environment. It was scary at first, but it's such a fulfilling and exciting experience. After going to Santiago, Chile, I understood the importance of getting out of your bubble and seeing what's out there. I'm so glad I had this opportunity and I would recommend it to everyone!

In the fall of 2022, I attended the Middlebury Schools Abroad program in Santiago de Chile. I lived with a wonderful host family with whom I remain in contact to this day. I made life-long friends and have gone back to Chile since my Middlebury semester to conduct academic research through my university. My time in Chile profoundly impacted me and changed my life for the better. The Middlebury Staff provided me with amazing opportunities, like an internship at a human rights organization. They also helped me enroll in interesting classes at Universidad Alberto Hurtado (i.e., museums of Santiago and their histories, lingüistic anthropology). My classmates were welcoming and excited to have an exchange student in class. It was hard to integrate into social circles at the beginning, but after putting myself out there a lot and asking a bunch of questions (you have to be outgoing), I made great friends. I liked my study-abroad cohort peers a lot, but I was primarily friends with Chilean people I met at school, the skate park, or a cultural event. I didn't really spend time with other Americans, which helped me improve my language skills significantly. The language pledge, which sets Middlebury apart from other study-abroad programs, was also great. Everyone in my cohort got noticeably better at Spanish throughout the program. I really appreciated all of the staff's commitment to helping students learn about Chilean history so that our time abroad was grounded in knowledge of and respect for the place we were living. I wish we had had more cultural outings in Santiago and Valparaiso because I learned a lot from the ones we did have, especially our trip to the national cemetery in Recoleta and the Museo de Memoria y derechos humanos. However, we did get to go on an incredible trip to Torres del Paine in Patagonia! While the academics were engaging, my university spent a lot of time on strike, so I didn't attend as many classes as I usually do in the US. Because of that, school was not the center of my life. I found my friendships, going to skate parks, visiting museums, taking hikes, wandering around the city, etc., to be super fulfilling. Studying abroad can be a lot of fun, but it can also be lonely and challenging. Santiago is a big city, and you have to put in effort to make plans with people to coordinate travel time. Sometimes, I felt isolated because of that. I leaned on my host mom and the program heads for support when I needed it. I loved my study-abroad experience. Shoutout to Juan, Lindsay, and Paulina!

I had such an incredible experience with CIEE! Between the program coordinators and instructors, easy application process, and communication, I was very happy with my experience with the program in Spain.

I could not recommend studying abroad with IFSA enough. My friends and I all studied abroad through different providers and I no doubt had the most impactful experience out of any of them. While most providers allow you to take classes in English with only exchange students, this program allows you to directly enroll in classes at the local university. This means that they are taught completely in Spanish and that you are taking classes alongside Chilean students. You also have the opportunity to live with a host family which allows you to fully immerse yourself in the culture. The on-site staff is very supportive and helpful throughout the whole experience. If you want to experience something that is a step further than just being a tourist for 5 months I would absolutely recommend IFSA!

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. 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. One amazing thing about this program is that it allows you 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. This program is also great for those who love to have more independence-- you take most of your classes with Chilean students in subjects that you get to choose yourself, and you have a ton of free time to explore and become involved in the things that interest you the most. But that does not mean that you are on your own-- 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. 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 for a short time in the future. For anyone wanting to travel to Chile, I definitely recommend IFSA in Santiago.

My semester in Chile was indelibly marked by the large student and societal protest movement that erupted in mid-November and rocked the country from tip to tip. Vast economic inequality and inopportunity drove millions of people of all ages, religions, and statuses into the streets to chant, demonstrate, dance, and make their voices heard. Fortunately, this movement and the isolated violence that accompanied it never hurt or harmed anyone in our program directly. Unfortunately, it did throw a wrench in our plans and classes for the remainder of the semester were cancelled. However, thanks to the infallible and constant leadership of IFSA and our on-site coordinator Isabel Yevenes, my experience was not tarnished in the least. With the help of my amazing and wise host mom, I was able to learn about the historical context of the protests, attend some of them, and safely understand the movement that was so powerfully gripping an entire nation. While things eventually calmed down to a degree, we were not able to return to classes. This was no matter, however, as my experience in Chile was enriching in so many other ways. From my Spanish language immersion to the friends I made to the amazing program excursion to the Atacama desert to the solo travels I was able to have, my semester with IFSA in Chile was truly the best five months of my life. Thank you IFSA for making that possible. I am forever grateful.

Despite the circumstances that lead to the optional departure of our program in Santiago, Chile during Fall 2019, I believe that IFSA did a phenomenal job making sure all of the members of our program were safe and stable. Throughout the program, I felt that IFSA had my back, whenever I was feeling overwhelmed or confused about something, I knew I could go to the office and our advisor, Isa, would calm my fears. She worked endlessly for all of us, especially when we were stranded in the north of Chile on our all program trip to San Pedro de Atacama. When there was social/political unrest, my family was extremely impressed with IFSA because IFSA would send daily updates to our parents to calm their anxieties about the well-being of their children. When we were advised not to leave our houses, IFSA arranged for an all program trip to the suburbs of the city so we could all see each other and swim in a pool. It was a much-needed break and helped the students get a better understanding of the current climate because Isa facilitated conversations. After my interesting experience studying abroad in Chile, I absolutely trust IFSA and think that they are a program that has the interests of their students in mind. If I had the chance to study abroad again, I would choose IFSA and I recommend IFSA as an option to all students I encounter who also want to study abroad. 10/10!

Studying abroad in Santiago, Chile was truly an amazing experience. I feel extremely privileged and humbled to have been able to travel and live in another country for four months. I lived with an incredible host family that gave me cultural lessons every night during Once while also reminding me of those universal family values that unite each and every one of us as human beings. I loved sandboarding in the Atacama Desert, hiking in Patagonia, and surfing in Pichilemu, but the thing I enjoyed most were the small moments with the various people I met in Chile. I met an amazing friend who worked in the IES building where I had my classes. Though I was still working on my Spanish, she was patient and so welcoming. We talked about our families, our pets, and our hopes and dreams. I also met my host-family's extended family who took me in like I was one of their own. We sat around all Saturday afternoon playing cards and I listened to old family memories and stories about the people and places they grew up with. Though I was in a country far from home, there was not much of a difference between the conversations at my dinner table in New Jersey and theirs that day in Val Paraíso. If anyone has the opportunity to study abroad in Santiago, I would 100% recommend. I was challenged in the best way possible in daring to make relationships with different people from all walks of life and it made me realize how communication can really open up a whole new world.

I chose to study abroad with IFSA in Santiago because it perfectly balanced my desire to feel independent and fully immersed with my need to help navigating class registration, living accommodation, etc. IFSA was wonderful because it enabled me to pick from four different Chilean universities and take any classes I wanted, matched me with a host family that met my needs and interests, had an incredible support staff that offered free tutoring services for those who needed it, and even organized fun excursions around Santiago and to the Atacama. As a result, I had all the support I needed AND the freedom to explore Chile on my own and integrate fully into my host university. I made the friends of a lifetime and now hope to move back to Chile to live after graduation.

I had an incredible experience in Santiago, Chile in the spring 2019 semester! I loved the size of my IFSA group (21 students) and we all became close friends, which I hadn’t anticipated when I arrived! I also loved my host family experience; I lived with a 70-year-old widow and we still talk to each other even though I’ve left (we became quite close). IFSA’s on-site staff and leadership were very kind and helpful when it came to anything. Additionally, they were so friendly and had their doors open to students to come by and just chat! Chile itself is a beautiful and biodiverse country so it was amazing to be able to hop on the bus and travel during weekends to different parts of the country. Santiago is a booming city with excellent transportation, resources, restaurants, and museums; we never ran out of options for activities!

IFSA really connected me to Chile as a country and the city of Santiago. I had an incredible time during my semester abroad through IFSA Chile Universities Program- Santiago. I got to immerse myself in the Spanish language, connect with other students who are passionate about politics and engaging in their communities, and grow very close with kids at an after-school program through community service. I got to explore the Andes mountains and the Chilean coast. I learned about Chilean history and culture. IFSA supported me along the way. They placed me with a very welcoming Chilean family as my host family. They helped me decide what classes to take to fulfill my major requirements as well as my interests. They helped me connect with other international students as well as local Chilean organizations including the after-school program I got to volunteer through. They even helped me get health care coverage when I had an injury and when I had to see counseling.

I loved my multi-location program! It gave me the opportunity to experience two cultures in the span of one semester, with a trip to Peru included. With its focus being on emerging economies, I really could apply my experience to my studies back in the US. It was fascinating to be able to compare the economies of Chile and Argentina with each other and the rest of South America. Class field studies tied all my knowledge together and gave me a better understanding of what I was learning about. With housing assignments being home stays in both cities (Santiago and Buenos Aires) I felt like I was better able to experience the culture since I was in each place for a shorter period of time. The staff were so accommodating and had the students' best interest in mind. Feel free to check out my IES Correspondent blog to learn more on what the program has to offer!

Learning about the history and the politics in each country, in addition to the economics of course, made learning about their financial state make so much more sense because we also learned the context. With lots of field trips and excursions as a part of the program, we learned a lot both inside and outside the classroom. The professors at IES in Buenos Aires and Santiago are some of the most intelligent and passionate professors I have ever had.

In Santiago, I was perhaps more ambitious than I realized when I decided to take 2 advanced courses at the local university. As difficult and stressful as it was at times, I immediately saw the benefits of enrolling through IES rather than a direct university enrollment. IES had strong staff members that were my support system when things were going downhill; they were encouraging and have so much experience with students so they always have a viable solution at hand. Chile made me not only a stronger academic student, but gave me opportunities to meet locals, live with an amazing host family and learn more culture, practice lots of Spanish (as the general public rarely speaks English), and see beautiful landscape (Atacama Desert, Patagonia, Chiloé island). No doubt, being a foreigner abroad even with a local IES support system still presented an emotional rollercoaster. But it is the frustrating situations I overcame, along with the high-flying fun times, that shaped my experience to make me an independent person who is now stronger and more appreciative of different cultures.

I studied away with IFSA-Butler in Santiago Chile from February to July 2016. While there, I took three courses at local universities and a course with the program, and I lived with a wonderful family. IFSA-Butler was an amazing program because it gave me the flexibility I wanted to really personalize my experience while simultaneously giving me enough structure through the program when I needed it. I highly recommend studying with IFSA-Butler.

Before traveling to Santiago, Chile I was quite nervous about living in a foreign country for 5 months, but from the moment I stepped into my host family’s apartment, I knew it was going to be a great experience. The classes I took, the places I travelled, and the Chilean culture all made a truly unforgettable experience, but the people I met along the way helped Chile steal my heart. My host family, the IES staff, Chilean students at the university, and especially my fellow IES students helped me to learn, to grow, and most importantly, enjoy every moment of my time abroad. The staff at IES made it clear from day one that they wanted our experience in Chile to be as fun, productive, and safe as possible. During the first week, they taught us everything we needed to know about Chilean culture, how to navigate the seemingly enormous city, and how to decode the very fast paced Chilean Spanish. The academic coordinator met with each student and helped us select the best classes for us, and the student coordinator had an answer for literally every question or problem we may have had. The staff and professors were always very supportive and helped guide us through every aspect of our journey abroad. I enjoyed all four of the classes I took abroad, my favorite being the Health Studies Clinical Observation program. In this program, we not only studied how the Chilean healthcare system works, but we also got to observe in a different healthcare setting each week! My host mom could not have been more excited to welcome me, and all my friends, into her home. My host family very kindly included me in all their family activities: birthday parties, cookouts, holiday traditions, etc., and that truly made my experience one of a kind. I got to experience Chilean culture through a fun, loving, and hilarious family that made way too much delicious food. I knew I had formed meaningful relationships with all the members of my host family when they were all very sad to see me leave and my host grandmother begged me to come back to Chile soon. I keep in contact with my host aunts and cousins through Facebook, and my host mom and I still message each other quite frequently. Santiago, Chile is a wonderful city with endless activities of all types. Within the city there are museums of all types, beautiful parks, cute cafes on every corner, lots of shopping, bars and dance clubs, etc. The Andes mountains lie just outside the city and the parks in the foothills of the Andes provide easy access opportunities for hiking, mountain biking, etc. An hour bus ride west of Santiago gets you to beautiful coastal towns like Valparaíso and Viña del Mar. Chile is unique in that it offers literally every type of landscape and I highly recommend trying to see as many as possible. From desert, to beaches, to the frozen icebergs of southern Patagonia, and all the way out to Easter Island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, Chile has everything you could wish for. Some of my fondest memories abroad are traveling and exploring with other IES students! If you still have a doubt about studying abroad in Chile after reading these reviews, know that you should go – immerse yourself in the Chilean culture, travel to all the different regions, and meet some truly incredible people. ¡Viva Chile!

This fall, I went to Santiago through the IES Semester in Santiago program and had the absolute pleasure of meeting some of the most wonderful people in the world. Many study abroad programs have similar draws—small classes, hands-on learning, fantastic teachers, cultural integration, etc—and don’t get me wrong, my program definitely had all of those. However, one thing that really set the program apart was the type of student on the program, the staff at the study abroad center in Santiago, and the host families. All the students on my program got along fabulously, which was honestly pretty strange. I went abroad in high school on a different program, and there were clashes within the program, as happens when many very different people spend a lot of time together. However, in Santiago, we literally all got along well—there was no exclusion, no cattiness, nothing. The group was comprised of very smart and interesting students, who were laid-back in attitude and all of whom enjoyed nature, and for whatever reason, this made us incredibly cohesive. I can’t stress enough how bizarrely lovely and inclusive it was. Our cohesion was probably due in part to the incredible staff at IES, who were intentional about teambuilding and introductions from the start. The five women who work at the center were some of the most loving, kind, compassionate, funny and warm people I’ve ever had the good fortune to meet. Not only were they good at the administrative aspects of their jobs, they cared for me and the other students like their own children. I had bronchitis for about a month (immunodeficiency, whaddup), and they worked tirelessly with me to coordinate makeup work and tests while also firmly and lovingly demanding I go take a nap and give myself a break. They are amazing. Again, I can’t stress this enough. One of the women who works at the center is responsible for housing placements, and she does an incredible job. Each homestay is hand-picked by her, and she is careful and thorough with her reasoning. You get to fill out a form in which you indicate what your desired outcome in a homestay is—whether that’s to be integrated into the family, to spend a bit of time with them, or to have it more as a place to sleep and eat rather than a family setting—and she matches you with people who have similar desires. This eliminates a lot of awkwardness around being unsure on expectations. I wanted to be part of the family, and I ended up in a house where I would spend hours talking to my host mom about life philosophy and experience. She is my second mom (even now she texts me asking if I’m sleeping enough. That’s mom love for ya). On my program, I navigated a big city after living in rural college towns my whole life. I formed loving and warm bonds with people I never would’ve met otherwise. I explored and grew and learned and laughed and cried and ate too many empanadas, and IES Santiago gave me the space for that. Go. You won’t regret it.

IFSA-Butler was a great experience for me. I had an awesome host family and this program provided me the liberty to take my own excursions when I didn't have class. The structure was fairly laid back and really provided me the opportunity to develop my experience in Chile as my own. It's a lot more independent overall, though the Santiago advisor is much more involved than other programs I've talked to, so I definitely would recommend this program to someone who has an overall idea of what they want to get out of abroad and not someone who needs to be in a structured environment.

Hola todos! I had such a rewarding experience in this program and I wanted to share some of it with you! I was already pretty excited about studying abroad in general and was super excited to go to a Latin American country. The reason I chose Chile is because of how kind the people are. I felt as though everyone just had such a great attitude in life. I knew that they had a hard recent history with the dictatorship, and it was difficult but necessary to learn about that time to fully appreciate the Chilean identity. From my host family to some of the friends I made at Universidad Católica, I loved the how open the people were to foreigners! My experience abroad was something that I will never forget and I hope to go back to visit Chile again in the near future!