IE University has rapidly gained popularity over the past few years, especially among European and Spanish-speaking students, quickly becoming a top study destination for many. But is IE all it’s cracked up to be? Below, you will find my honest take on some of the rumours surrounding IE after a full year of attending the university.

“IE is a very international university – there’s practically no Spanish students.” 

While it is true that IE boasts a really large international community, estimated at over 75%, there is still a quarter coming from Spain. Additionally, a large portion of the international students come from Spanish-speaking countries which carry some similarities in terms of culture. That said, the degree to which a student will get the full effect of the international experience depends on many factors, most importantly – the campus they choose. The Segovia campus tends to feel more international, due to the fact that many Spanish students prefer living at home in Madrid. 

“The Segovia Campus is boring and there’s not a lot to do there.”

In my personal opinion, Segovia is far from boring. Despite its size, the city is extremely lively. There’s always festivals, concerts, marathons and town markets in the Plaza, and that’s only during the day. Apart from that, Segovia is a beautiful city with scenic hiking trails (which the IE Hiking Club always takes advantage of), hills where we often watch sunsets, and a lake to go swimming when it’s warm. There’s also a few bars and clubs which are always full. However, the one thing I often miss in Segovia is academic events or conferences – those usually happen at the 

Tower. Ultimately, whether you choose Segovia or Madrid depends on whether you are a city person or not, but there are pros and cons for both locations. 

“The attendance policy is extremely strict.”

The attendance policy at IE is like high prices and bad weather – everyone complains about it. Every student is required to attend at least 80% of each course which, in some cases, means you can only miss 3 sessions per course. If you go below 80%, you have automatically failed the course and cannot retake the exam in the extraordinary session. You will have to retake the entire course the following semester. If you are on a scholarship, it is also likely you will lose some of it. It is possible to get your absences excused for good reason, but the office will require sufficient proof. That said, once you get acclimated to the system, it is possible to work within it so that you can travel a bit or do other things while maintaining your attendance high. 

“It’s hard to make friends in the IE Tower.”

This is pretty true. If you are based in Madrid you will likely have all your classes on the same floors of the Tower and will see the same people every single day. However, if you make enough of an effort, it is also possible to expand your friend group through attending extracurricular activities or events. It’s all down to how much you prioritise this.

“IE is a rich-kid school.”

The typical IE student tends to come from a pretty privileged background. However, due to the large number of scholarships and financial aid available at IE, I’d refrain from calling it an exclusively “rich-kid school”. The student population is incredibly diverse and, while it does tend to be cliquey, the likelihood that you will find people you vibe with is higher than at a more homogeneous university. 

‍