Settling In 125Students don’t take all parts of the test, only those related
to their major. Admission requirements for the traditional
universities are tough; applicants must have high test scores
and a good high school record. There are a limited number of
spaces, so competition is fierce. The requirements for private
universities vary according to the school.
Spanish Programmes
Many Spanish-language programmes are offered in Chile.
One of the best known in Santiago is the Instituto Chileno
Norteamericano (North American-Chilean Institute). This
institute, like several others, offers both Spanish and English
courses, which promotes interaction between both groups.
The Centro Chileno-Canadiense and the Goethe Institut also
have good Spanish programmes, in addition to teaching
English and German respectively. A number of universities
and smaller institutes offer Spanish classes as well.
SHOPPING
Large, modern shopping
malls and huge box stores
are popping up everywhere in
Chile, although many smaller
stores still line the streets.
Some of the major shopping
malls in Santiago are Parque
Arauco and Alto Las Condes,
and new shopping centres
can be found up in La Dehesa.
The main department stores
are Falabella, Almacenes París
and Ripley. When making
a purchase in a department
store up to three different
salespeople will wait on you.
The person who makes the
sale brings your purchase
to the caja where you
pay and get a stamped receipt.
What to Bring
Chile imports many items and
you should be able to find just
about everything you need.
However, if you are very attached
to a particular brand or item, you
might want to bring it with you to
be on the safe side. Books tend
to be expensive and the selection
of foreign language books is
limited, so bring lots of reading
material. Items associated with
a holiday that is not celebrated
in Chile should be brought as
well. Many toilet articles and
children’s items tend to be a
bit more expensive in Chile so
you might want to stock up on
them as well. Clothing in Chile
may fit differently, requiring you
to bring a full wardrobe from
home. Finally, if you are taking
a specific medication it may
not be available in Chile. For
electronics, remember that Chile
runs 220 volts, not 110, so it
may not be wise to bring these
from home.