Four months that offered transformative self-growth and lifetime friendships. Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

On-site administration of your program

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

The courses I took at Universidad Andres Bello were designed specifically for students in my study abroad program, so I never was in class with any local Chileans. Class could have offered a great opportunity to meet Chileans, but because they were designed as they are, I, along with everyone in my program, missed the opportunity to meet locals. Of course, there were alternative ways to meet Chileans. We just had to make more of an effort than we would have had we been taking classes with them.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

For the most part, I always felt safe in Santiago. The city is massive and there are, of course, parts that are less safe than others. I was usually in places that are generally considered safe. The major danger with Chile is pick-pocketing, which is extremely common. I was pick-pocketed twice despite the fact that I was on guard nearly all the time. At least a fifth of the people in my program were pick-pocketed at one point during our semester abroad. Future students should be aware that getting robbed is- seriously- common and that you can never be too careful. Pick-pocketers are sneaky and good at what they do. If you are careless, you will have something stolen from you.

USAC was affordable (in comparison to other recommended programs). My program director was helpful, fun and comfortable to be around. They were experienced and seemed to do a good job pairing host families with students.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

If you wanted to be more conservative with money you could certainly get by on a low budget, but that may mean sacrificing going out, eating healthier food, etc. Santiago, Chile is certainly not the most economic place in South America to study abroad, however it is surely less expensive than just about anywhere in Europe. If a student in heavily considering budget, I would opt for South America over Europe. I know Peru, for example, is considerably cheaper than Chile.

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

This is difficult to rank as students could choose which classes they took and some were taught in English while others were tough in Spanish.

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• Host Family

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• Host Family

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• Americans

• Sense of community among students & program director
• Courses offered
• Cost

• Integration with Chilean students
• Informing us about food culture before going abroad (some students are gluten intolerant and gluten is a staple in Chile)
• Giving us our host family assignment sooner

The Avid Adventurer