Location
Life in Santiago, Chile
Situated in a narrow strip of land between breathtaking mountains and a stunning Pacific coast, Chile stands out as Latin America’s most stable and prosperous country. Within Santiago, Chile’s capital city, the majestic Andean Mountain Range can be seen from almost anywhere. Housing more than six million inhabitants, Santiago is a friendly, relaxed city with an active center of arts, culture, commerce, and trade, and one of largest areas of green parks within any urban space worldwide. It has a modern subway system and a new fleet of buses. The climate is mild and Mediterranean, with a cool, rainy winter and a hot, dry summer.
Outside of Santiago, Chile’s varied geography offers spectacular outdoors travel destinations, from Patagonia to the lake district; from the island of Chiloé to the vineyards in the central valley; from the beaches to the desert in the north. Popular day trips, just 120 kilometers from Santiago, include the coastal city of Viña del Mar, famous for its beaches and young, hip crowd, and Valparaíso, Chile’s main port and UNESCO World Heritage site.
For more information about Santiago and Chile, visit: http://www.sernatur.cl/internacional/?lang=2
Host Institutions
Established in 1842, the Universidad de Chile is the oldest, largest, and most prestigious public university in Chile. Enrolling approximately 23,000 undergraduate students each year, the University has four main campuses that house a total of 14 schools (“Facultades”) and 4 institutes. Each year, approximately 500 international students attend the Universidad de Chile for one or two semesters. Visiting GW students take courses alongside their Chilean peers and can choose to participate in a wealth of extracurricular activities, including sports teams and volunteer placements.
The Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile was founded in 1888. With about 18,000 undergraduate students, it is Chile’s second largest university. It offers 83 undergraduate majors and more than 100 graduate programs, spread throughout 18 schools (“Facultades”) and four urban campuses. It is known for its infrastructure, excellent library system, and computer facilities. The sizeable San Joaquin campus is new and modern, with sleek buildings, gardens and cafeterias.