CIEE Reviews

Barcelona is easily one of the most amazing cities in the world, and CIEE helps students experience it to the fullest. From immersive classes with local students to trips around Spain, CIEE gave me the full experience of actually living in a different country, not just being a visitor for 4 months. The program manager, Alberto, is incredibly accommodating and kind, and he genuinely wants all of his students to have the best semester possible. I highly recommend studying abroad through ALA Barcelona, and I wish I could go back in time and do it all over again!

Let me just start off by saying that I didn't chose to study abroad because I wanted to travel and party. I wanted to learn more about the Spanish culture and immures myself in a place that I knew I could learn the most about Spanish, and that is exactly what CIEE's ALA program in Barcelona offered me.

I not only got to taste some amazing Spanish food, and see the amazing architecture of some of the most historically praised buildings but I got to do it as the locals did. I learned how to use public transportation and went to school with students that had been learning in Spanish their whole lives. Yes it was a little scary, but ALA helped me through every step of the way.

They took us out to trips almost every week where we could learn more and more about Spain! I linked a video bellow with the activities and experiences I had in JUST THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER. I made a video for every month I was there along with some extra ones because I couldn't squeeze to much activity into 3 minutes.

Study abroad with CIEE in Barcelona through the ALA program and I guarantee it will be life changing if you let it be. And by that I mean, don't speak english with your friends, practice your Spanish as much as you can (not just in class)! Don't go to touristy clubs, go to local bars and restaurants. You can experience some of the most magical moments in your life if you allow yourself to truly experience what Spain in Barcelona are all about!

Before I get writing, let me rate CIEE's program real quick: 10/10, would recommend.

When I give CIEE such a high rating, it's because they not only fulfilled every need I needed attention for, but also were proactive about contacting me for important events and deadlines should I have forgotten them. Imagine that you're in a new country, speaking a new language, and you're swamped with obligations. Stressful, right? Now imagine that you're in the exact same situation, except with amazing support staff that literally BUILD group bonding into your time abroad, just because it's the right thing to do! In addition to CIEE staff, local CIEE ambassadors have been superb ambassadors to not only their home country, but also the idea of cultural exchange.

Here are a few experiences that I wouldn't have ever experience had it not been for CIEE:
-Making tofu, from SCRATCH
-Visiting a tea farm in Yilan
-Staying at a "hotel" at a Buddhist temple and learning expert Buddhist breathing techniques to calm myself down (I have anxiety, so this was a great skill to learn!)
-Enjoying all-expense paid Taiwanese meals during program events
-Making a TON of the coolest friends on Earth.

Not convinced yet? Just ask the several years of satisfied program-goers before me!

If I had to change anything about this experience, it would be to make it six weeks long instead of four. The beginning process was a bit confusing, but once I was able to personally connect with someone to guide me through it, everything went smoothly. Once we got to Barcelona every hurdle faced to get there was quickly forgotten. The city, the culture, the CIEE staff and of course my host family were all absolutely delightful. The class was very well structured and organized for maximum learning and retention. I thoroughly enjoyed the on site learning. They allowed me to retain the information needed to fully meet the objectives of the class. Nando, was an exceptional professor. he is very engaging, knowledgeable and passionate about this class and I believe it was easily transferred to the class.
My host family was the best! she went over and beyond the call of duty to be very supportive of me and my studies. I am certainly going to miss her cooking and my study trays when i needed them the most with cafe con leche y pastelles and a fruit or chocolate to keep me going. She reminded me every morning that i was the best student in the class. With that kind of support, how could you not succeed. i highly recommend this program to anyone who wants to study abroad, but cannot commit to an entire semester.
This experience allowed me to emerge in the Spanish culture, to give me a better understanding of Spanish and a lot more confidence in speaking the language to native speakers, This will be useful to me as a nurse in Washington DC once I complete Nursing School.

Those who are viewing this, if you are on the brink of studying abroad I would say go for it. It is worth every penny. It will be a trip you never forget. I would say I am one of the shyest people I know but with such a small group of people that go on this trip (10 total including me) you get a chance to learn everyone's names and get to know a little about everyone. I am writing this review 3 weeks in to my 4 week trip and I cannot say enough about the other students and the support we have here. My pre departure experience was phenomenal and coming here was even better! They worked with my through every step and were there with any and ALL concerns I had.

Coming here was an experience of a lifetime and I cannot stress how much it was worth it. I was lucky enough to get a few scholarships to help pay my way but I can tell you right now if I knew how good of an experience I would have I would have paid it in full with my own money. Experiencing a new culture is unexplainable and the way of life here is completely different than the way of life in the United States. The views were incredible, the people were incredible, and I fell in love with Palma. I would love to come back here and share all I have learned with loved ones!

Thank you to the CIEE team, my classmates, my host mom, and everyone I met on this wonderful trip! I will not forget this beautiful island.

It’s an outstanding program that enchants our language and culture skills. It helps you view the world in a different perspective and be alert of your surroundings. For example, in France there’s a variety of diversity from all over the world due to the fact that France is close so people migrant to the country. I had the Time of my life I made a lot friends from all over the country. My favorite memory was us in Port Vendres in the Mediterranean Sea.

This experience was an amazing introduction to traveling abroad. It has inspired me to pursue foreign language much more seriously! although sometimes challenging, this program and really helped expand my language skills. One of the most unique ways that someone can learn a language is to stay with a host family. This program allows you to do so, which also results in more knowledge of the nations culture itself.

This program was worth it. If you are looking for an immersive Chinese program, but still want the chance to get involved in the culture, this program makes both possible.
The academic standards are definitely high, but your Chinese will progress rapidly because of it. This program gives so many opportunities for immersion, from a language pledge, to Chinese roommates, Chinese tutors and and passion for seeing their students improve.
As far as culture, activities are every Friday, on top of other side things that may pop up. As an old capitol, Nanjing houses a lot of history, and we have access to it all. There are also chances to travel alone and with the whole group to other parts of China, which in my opinion are the most rewarding aspects of the program. To be able to see and interact with truly different cultures makes the experience especially rich.
It was hard, and learning chinese was not always easy. But in the end I am so grateful that I attended this program. The friendships and memories that I made here will be remembered for the rest of my life.

The ALA program at CIEE is an incredible and unique experience in the heart of Barcelona. This program allowed me take all my classes in Spanish while splitting my time between CIEE and the University of Barcelona. The program brought together a small group of about thirty students dedicated to improving their Spanish. What makes the program unique is the high level of Spanish shared by all of the participants, something that is hard to find. The program director, Alberto, has a ton of knowledge on how the University of Barcelona functions and helped us integrate into the university with minimal issues. What I did not know before arriving in Spain was how special this program truly is. It is extremely rare for American students to have to opportunity to take classes alongside Spanish students at a European university. Being one of just thirty students made the program extremely special and personally tailored to my needs. I took classes that I never imagined I would. I enjoyed a small seminar on Don Quijote with the amazing professor Elena Losada, which opened my eyes to historical literature that I never would've read otherwise!

The accommodations provided by the program from housing to personal tutoring to academic advising were incredible. I was amazed by my beautiful private room in the heart of Barcelona, just steps away from Plaza Catalunya and Las Ramblas. Living steps away from the University and walking distance of anywhere that I wanted to go made my time in Barcelona much more fun. The small nature of the program allowed me to make amazing and life long friends during my semester abroad. Living in Barcelona was an incredible experience and was made better by the people that I met on the program. The personal support from CIEE staff was helpful as well. We had two interns just for our program who were available to tutor us and help with whatever we needed. I frequently went to them for help editing a paper or to study for an exam. The professors at CIEE were constantly available and willing to help us succeed at the challenging courses at the University of Barcelona. The differences in academics were vast, but made easier by the help of those at CIEE. There was always someone there to help us whenever we were struggling with the differences of the Spanish academic system.

I'll always remember my time in Barcelona and the amazing friends that I met thanks to CIEE. I learned about a completely new culture and was able to experience academics in a truly Spanish way. It was an unforgettable experience, and I can't wait to return to the country that I called home for the last four months!

CIEE approached my high school to begin doing study abroad trips during my junior year; it was the first year that my high school got this sort of opportunity. I had been planning on majoring in French in college, so I was interested in the program. Through my high school's connections, I applied to the program and was accepted. It was going to be my first time outside of the United States and going on a trip by myself of that magnitude. For me, a big reason why my parents were so okay with this prospect was how involved the program was with the school; they held presentations, gave out information, and were readily available for questions. They laid out the whole program, something that my parents appreciated. They also liked how there were mechanisms in place to give us the flexibility of being more independent or being with a group, such as with traveling there. CIEE was parent-friendly and it was easy to work with them and learn more about the program, which made it easier on me and my parents when preparing for this experience.

I really enjoyed the program; I liked my host family and my house-mate. The group of students that I met were amazing and I'm definitely glad that I still talk to the friends I made while I was there. This experience definitely made me champion studying abroad; I've talked about it with friends and some of my friends went on different CIEE trips after I went. As a whole, the summer programs give a glimpse into what studying abroad for a full semester or a year could be like. There were times when the program felt a little too structured where there wasn't any flexibility, but it's also understandable as we are high school students in a foreign country.

As for after studying abroad, it only made me want to go again very soon. I still keep in touch with the friends that I made while I was on the program and we talk often enough to know what's going on in each other's lives. The program also helped steer me into knowing what I wanted to do later on in college both as a French major and a Political Science major. It wasn't more than a meeting, but we had the opportunity to meet with the US ambassador to France, which to a then-potential Political Science student was really exciting. I loved the immersion experience and the opportunity to do this, especially in high school. Some people don't get the chance to study abroad until college, so being able to do it when I did was an amazing opportunity that impacted me academically and helped shape what I wanted to do then after.