Chile: Santiago - Spanish Language, Culture, International Studies

I had a great experience! This program convinced me that I want to pursue a career in which I can use my Spanish language skills. I think future participants should know to plan ahead as well as be flexible when plans change. I would also advise participants to try new things and enjoy being outside of their comfort zone. I would recommend spending as much time in nature as possible, the natural beauty in Chile is phenomenal and beyond comparison!

The USAC team is very helpful and offers a ton of fun trips out side of the curriculum. Santiago can be dreary in the months may-august and in general is not a touristy city. this program is for people that are willing to reach out and get to know people around them in your community, if you're outgoing and can facilitate your own adventures both in an outside of Chile this program is for you. The best alpine skiing in the Southern Hemisphere is an hour outside of Santiago, the Atacama desert is unlike anywhere you will ever go on the planet and Patagonia is Patagonia. Nightlife very fun in Santiago, their bar districts are massive and karaoke is massively popular. People are shy but friendly if you make the effort to meet them. Overall, having a good time is not something that occurs just by being in Santiago, you have to immerse yourself and go out and seek it. USAC does the best they can to help you do this.

I had the incredible blessing of living with the sweetest host family on the planet, who adopted me as their own and made me to forget what missing home felt like. I set out on this study abroad semester with the goal of improving my Spanish language skills as a part of my Spanish major; I came home from this semester with a wealth of wisdom that I could never have anticipated. I loved to travel before this semester, but now I know the beauty of living in a place that was not your own, as a resident and not a tourist. I came home with a head full of knowledge about the culture and history and politics of Chile, with a heart full of awe at the beauty of diverse peoples and geographies, with a spirit full of new understanding about Who created me and what else He made when He spun Creation. I could never have fully anticipated the depths to which I would be moved and the angles in which I would be pulled during my five months in Chile. Yet sometimes I fall asleep with the simple, happy image of a still lake that is home to a small town called Frutillar, whose only landmark is a dock on the lake -- I have so many little sweet snapshots of memories stored in my mind that remind me of beauty all around the world, near and far.
My perspective has been greatly widened since my time abroad, and it seems that the ripples of that experience have yet to stop unfurling and teaching me new things about how to look at this life. Not to mention the fact that I can converse with a chileno now, which was an impossible goal when I first landed in Santiago, being that "Chilean Spanish" seems to be an entirely separate language upon first contact (and even after months of immersion, if we're honest, sometimes).
I wouldn't trade my time in Santiago for anything in the world. And USAC was a wonderful facilitator of this experience; I highly recommend the program offered in Santiago.

If there is any doubt in your mind about studying abroad in South America, I'd like to start off this review by telling you, GO DO IT!!! South America was an amazing place to study abroad, and Chile is perfect as a home base. Each weekend, I traveled to the mountains or the ocean or the deserts or the huge metropolitan hub of Santiago and experienced a new/vibrant/wildly different cultural immersion in the many communities and landscapes Chile has to offer. Although I did thoroughly enjoy studying with USAC, most of my cultural immersion experiences were of my own volition. USAC is an amazing stepping stone into the Chilean culture, but they also won't hold your hand (which I appreciated). USAC was, for me, the perfect balance of provided opportunities and freedom. I had amazing peers around me who were ready to travel at the drop of a hat, a program supervisor (shout-out to Jorge, Brenda, and Isabel!!) who was eager to act as a cultural liaison, and a homestay I was excited to get back to after a long trip.

If I can offer any advice for a student getting ready to go on this trip, it is to say "yes" as much as you possibly can. Say yes to a 12-hour overnight bus ride to a small surf town, say yes to going out with locals you may meet, say yes to taking part in as much "ordinary" life as you can while you are there. Explore markets with the same curiosity as museums, make friends with the Chileans you meet in hostels, and maybe deprive yourself of a little sleep if there is an asado (Chilean bbq) the night before you have a test.
Studying abroad is about so much more than what you experience in the classroom, and although USAC will give you incredible teachers for that portion of your experience, it's up to you to take the extra step in stepping out of the extranjero bubble.

I spent four months living in Santiago with USAC in the spring semester, and it was one of the best decisions of my life. Santiago is a marvelous, huge city that at times seemed a little overwhelming, but always offered a new experience and so many opportunities to learn.

I would recommend USAC Santiago to anyone who wants the best of both worlds. You have the opportunity to live in a city of 6 million, but be only a half hour from the most gorgeous nature and mountains you could ever see. You don't have to choose between mountains and the beach because you can get to either within two hours! Chile offers so many incredible travel opportunities. From the Lake District, the breathtaking scenery of Patagonia, and the out-of-this-world Atacama Desert, it truly does have something for everyone.

Academia wise, the program is based on Spanish language tracks, so you have the opportunity to earn four semesters of college Spanish classes in just one semester. I thought the classes were challenging enough that I felt like I was learning, but were not so demanding that I could not immerse myself in my host family/local culture. The campus is very urban (i.e. no central campus area), but there were many parks and places to hang out and eat nearby.

Overall, the four months I spent in Chile were probably the best of my life and I will always remember my experience here thanks to the incredible people I met and the exciting city I called my home.

I studied abroad with this program in the spring of 2017, and it was a fantastic experience! The coordinators of the program who live in Santiago and assist the students in their experiences (Jorge, Brenda, and Isabel) were outstanding individuals who were always willing to help in any situation. My Spanish language professor, Gabriela, was the best language instructor I have ever had, and I can say with confidence that I am conversational in Spanish (as well as the unique Chilean dialect) because of her instruction. Furthermore, there were only eight students in my Spanish class, which facilitated close relationships with the students and a fun and educational atmosphere. My homestay experience was instrumental in developing my skills in Spanish acquisition, and I had some fantastic home-cooked meals as well. One of the best parts about studying abroad in Santiago was learning how to live and thrive in not just a foreign country, but in an urban environment as well. Outside of Santiago, this program had excursions to Valparaiso, Viña del Mar, Pomaire, Isla Negra, and a field study in Patagonia, which can all be great ways to experience more of the vibrant culture and history of Chile.

Santiago was awesome! Lucho and the rest of the staff were great. I also definitely recommend a host family, mine was great. Having a host brother to show me around made all the difference in my experience. Also do the tour! USAC does a great job of organizing field trips and other events.

Chile was amazing!

I loved the chance to stay with a host family - most of the students lived with older couples or singles who didn't have children or whose children were older. I lived with a young family with a 7-year-old girl and a 3-year-old boy and I loved it!

The trip to the north was the highlight of the semester. I highly recommend it - Chile's north is incredibly beautiful, both naturally and culturally.

I also recommend taking the opportunity to travel around the country as you can - definitely take a weekend in Valpo or Viña, head up into the mountains for hiking or rafting, and go south if you can afford it. But don't miss out on Santiago! There is SO much to see within the city, and the metro makes it very easy to get around, so take advantage of that. Explore the city! Get out of your comfort zone.

As far as academics go, I didn't think that the courses were challenging at all. There was hardly any homework and the exams were easy. Honestly, I wished that they had been more challenging.

But overall, I had a wonderful experience in Chile and I highly recommend the program.