CIEE College Study Abroad in Madrid, Spain

I attended Summer Session I in Madrid with CIEE which was a 4 week program for college students. CIEE did an amazing job being available for any assistance and help you may need and were always happy to help. Day 1 I was feeling nauseous from jet lag so one of the CIEE staff took the time to walk me to a pharmacy and help me get what I needed, thanks Jon! The class was a lot of fun too, the first half was lecture, but the second half we explored the city in ways that connected to our in class learning. Two CIEE staff even used their free time to give us an unofficial thrifting tour because they knew it was something we were interested in. I plan to study again with CIEE next summer!

I went on the Summer Session 1 trip to Madrid through CIEE. I had an absolutely wonderful time! All of the staff were incredibly helpful and welcoming. They were always quick to respond to any concerns or issues we had. They also gave plenty of helpful suggestions for fun things to do!

I was well informed of events and prep work both before and during the trip. The CIEE team made sure we had the “Know Before You Go” Canvas module, so I could learn about what to expect in Spain.

Finally, the classes were amazing! Both of the professors were very fun and made the class enjoyable. Both classes allowed us to actively go out into the city and explore during class time. It was wonderful to be able to get close to some of the things we were learning about. The classes were never too much though, and I always had time to go out exploring on my own or with friends.

The program at CIEE Madrid was perfect for my semester abroad! The classes there were fun and interesting and greatly contributed to my experience. The class schedule allows you to take 2 classes at a time for 6 weeks so I was able to take up to intermediate spanish language. I was also able to conduct my own research project with great support from CIEE staff. The schedule also allows lots of travel on the weekends! I traveled to 12 other cities while I was there. The other students in the program were amazing and we became such great friends- we would do cultural things like go to museums or parks and explore the nightlife of Madrid (which is incredible). This semester was an incredible experience for me!!

My experience with CIEE's Madrid Open Campus program has been fantastic. All the staff are super helpful and care about not only helping students but getting to know them as well. They really encourage students to explore Spain and get out of thei comfort zones. All of the classes included excursions that related to the class content and helped solidify what we learned in class. The teachers are interesting and willing to work with students. The program also offered lots of cool activities that could appeal to everyone's interests. If at anytime I had a question I knew someone with in the CIEE Madrid office would help me find the answer. The connections and skills that I've developed in this program will benefit me for years to come. Overall a great program that I highly recommend!

From the day you get accepted (along with the application process,) you have support from program staff members both in the US and in Spain that help you through every step of the process. Upon arrival, you are immediately met with helpful people and other students from the program. They really want you to get to know each other and have a good experience, and they foster community from the moment you land. During orientation, staff members are open and honest with you about the ups and downs that come with study abroad, which was helpful for students who have never done it before. The classes are amazing, and they are both informative about the subject matter and Spanish culture and society. The teachers
are engaged and kind, and they are just as helpful outside of the classroom as inside the classroom if you need it. The program has a great balance of challenging you to be independent but also give support whenever you need. You have a lot of options that the program gives you about different events to go to (most of which are paid for by the program if you sign up with them,) which help your engagement not just with Madrid but other students.

My time in Madrid with CIEE was absolutely incredible! I had a full immersion experience, taking classes at the local university (UC3M Getafe) and living with a great host family. CIEE offers many options in terms of studies, housing accommodations, and activities. They also held weekly events to visit new spots in Madrid. Some of my favorite include a cooking class, a trip to an art and history exhibit at Circulo de Bellas Artes, watching the sunset at Templo de Debod, and a Flamenco class. They really touch on every "Madrilena" experience I wanted to get. I truly believe CIEE allowed me to have the freedom I needed to grow independently as well as the support I needed to feel safe while miles away from home. I could not recommend CIEE enough and would love to answer any specific questions anyone has before choosing a program.

CIEE's Engineering and Society program in Madrid was amazing! The staff is very friendly and helpful--I felt very comfortable talking to them right off the bat and they always suggested cool places to check out in Madrid.

All of my classes (apart from the three week intensive language course) were direct-enroll, so I was in class with local Spanish students--though my classes were in English. This was a good way to get to know local students as well as gain an understanding about their perspective on academics and education, which was different from what I am used to in the US. In doing this I also met a lot of other American students that were not in CIEE..

The staff organized a lot of social and cultural events (like Flamenco lessons, bike tours, socials with local students, and cooking classes to name a few) which were very fun and a good way to make friends with other people in the program (as well as non-engineering-CIEE students). My favorite things they organized were our weekend excursions. My semester we went to Bilbao and then on the way back we went wine tasting in La Rioja. We also took the high speed train to Sevilla, which was another great city. It was really fun to have these excursions organized by the staff because it enabled us to explore different areas of Spain with some direction (they covered hotels and most meals and tours) while giving us enough free time to bond with other students and explore on our own.

Madrid is my absolute favorite city after living there for a semester (and I live in NYC!). The people are nice and the Spanish culture and night life is so fun to explore! I stayed in a homestay which I really enjoyed (as it was where I developed most of my language skills), but I also know people who enjoyed living in an apartment with other students.

All in all I recommend this program!

I had the best semester of my life in Madrid. It's a great city, especially for students. Madrid isn't Spain's top tourist destination, but it is the heart of the country. I visited most regions in Spain, and 12 countries, and I would not have chosen to study anywhere else. There's no reason to leave on the weekends, but cheap transportation (domestic and international) is abundant if you wish to travel elsewhere on the weekends. The CIEE Staff went above and beyond to support the students. Occasionally, I stopped by the CIEE Study Center just to say hi to them because they foster such a friendly, welcoming community. I made many lifelong friends from other universities during my time here, including my host family. I would absolutely recommend this program.