CIEE College Study Abroad in Santiago, Chile

I commend CIEE for placing a lot of emphasis on navigating cultural differences and self-reflection with respect to one's social standing. Emphasizing those skills really helped me grow more aware as a person and opened my mind to unthinkable concepts that were new to me and the cultural framework that I come from. CIEE is really strong in highlighting difference and how to approach it with an open and willing personal attitude. Some of the logistical aspects could have had more transparency, but no program is perfect. In comparison to the profound cultural discoveries CIEE facilitates those things seem like smaller obstacles in the bigger picture. Every obstacle you face is an opportunity to grow and learn. The most important thing about CIEE, is that your growth and intercultural tools will only reach high levels of satisfaction if your own attitude and willingness to have an open mind are strong when going in.

All of the high marks in this rating can be attributed to Santiago itself. It is a beautiful city with interesting customs and a complex history. I would not recommend studying abroad through this organization, though. In summary, the pre-departure to on site orientation process was disorganized and some of the program leaders seemed unknowledgeable about the visa and class registration processes. They also asserted during the cultural orientation that racism doesn’t exist in Chile, which (which just isn’t true) and can alienate POC participants. Staff was available to help participants’ issues throughout the semester, but most of my fellow participants felt a loss of respect with this company. This was due to a lack of accountability or even apology for inconveniences that were within or out of their control. For example, I spent $400 USD on a student visa that never got approved, and also wasn’t necessary to temporarily reside in the country. The program also promised an equal opportunity to attend Santiago’s UChile, UCatolica, and Universidad de Diego Portales, however 80% of our orientation week time was spent at UDP. It is fine for legal business relationships to exist between CIEE and UDP but it is patronizing to sell American students a false promise of that not being the case. If your US university permits, I recommend researching other programs that arrive to Santiago BEFORE the week of registration. This program is by no means inexpensive, so you’re better off choosing another one.

I was able to work with CIEE in Santiago twice during my undergrad. The first time I participated in the Open Campus Program
and the second time I was in their internship program. Chile was one of my favorite places I’ve traveled to - the staff is AMAZING and I loved both host families I lived with. I made life long friends during both experiences and one is even in my upcoming wedding. I would recommend this program to anyone wanting a great study abroad experience and memories to last a lifetime :)

The program was infallible. I thoroughly enjoyed meeting and working with the CIEE staff. Apart from the socials they organized to get to know one-another and learn about the Chilean culture, they were extremely welcoming and helpful. They were great in providing insight on how to adapt and thrive in a new country as a visitor, and provided great recommendations on things that must be done while there, including but not limited to: visiting the universities, beaches, mountains, learning of Chile’s rich and complicated history and how it ties in to what we saw during our stay there, and reading the works of their literary luminaries. etc. I learned a great deal of Chilean history through the program and found especially insightful the analysis of the Chilean newspaper, “El Mercurio”- the critical thinking which I brought back with me while reading the papers. Overall, I was thoroughly impressed with the depth of the CIEE program. I will always be grateful having been surrounded with such amazing staff that gave me the some of the greatest experiences of my life.

The program was extremely well structured and the coordinators offered a substantial level of social, cultural and academic support. Additionally the city is large but very well connected via public transit. Whether you like an upbeat night life or quiet journeys in nature, Santiago offers. It really is what you make it though. Don’t be afraid to engage the community, get out there and get to know the city, explore the history and dive deep into nature. The city and the program give you the tools to have an amazing time.

It's now been about 15 years since I studied abroad. However, as Mauricio was the head of the program and he was a pretty young guy, I wouldn't be surprised if he still heads it. My study abroad in Chile with CIEE was a great time in my life - not only in terms of personal experience, but our orientation and CIEE programming really connected us with the Chilean history and culture, especially with regards to history of human rights, as well as touched upon so very strong intellectual conversations and growth. Our Chilean university (PUC) is respected among the best in Latin America. Santiago is a relatively modern place within Latin America - and has a wide variety of things going on. The nature in Chile is spectacular - I compare it to California a lot. Overall highly recommended program!

I loved this program and loved Santiago so much. If you are a flow artist or have an interest in circus arts I recommend Santiago so highly- it is the world capital of jugglers and you will be inspired by events and presentations all of the time throughout the city. Also recommended for people looking to get to know a city- very easily traversable city by foot/bus/subway.
Downsides: Living with a homestay at the beginning was amazing and exactly what I needed to practice my Spanish, but by the end I was really wishing I had the freedom of living with other students and having my own space. Also, taking only classes at the University of Chile with other chilean students was an amazing experience, but very hard. Sometimes too much stress for what I was looking for.

Overall I am so thankful I chose this program. It is so difficult but one of the best programs out there if you actually want to be fluent in Spanish by the end, in my opinion. Would recommend.

Though Chile was not necessarily the first place that came to mind when I thought of going abroad, I am immensely grateful that I ended up there. Santiago is a lively, bustling city filled with all sorts of things to do--whether it be hiking, checking out a new cafe, art shows and performances--you can really find everything there. And beyond Santiago is an incredible country filled with incredible people and unbelievable places--the driest desert in the world in the north, glaciers and ice fields in the south, volcanoes and waterfalls and lush green landscapes in between, and so much more. And while just exploring the country itself would have been enough to make this an unforgettable experience, the people were also wonderful--I could not have asked for a better host family to live with and learn from during my time there. Not to say that it was without its challenges; the language barrier seemed insurmountable at first, the lifestyle and cultural norms weren't always obvious, and don't get me started on public transportation (though it's actually great once you get used to it). Perhaps that was even my favorite part; being somewhere was I was challenged each day, whether it be figuring out new ways to communicate or learning how to navigate my way around the city. It has inspired me to seek out those uncomfortable moments in my everyday life, to always search for opportunities to grow and learn, no matter how unattainable or awkward they may seem.