Program Reviews

I spent three months in Oaxaca studying psychology. Understandably, this is a difficult discipline to study as an intern due to the often confidential nature of the work. Despite this, I felt that the program coordinator Carlos did a great job connecting me with local psychologists to learn, assist with presentations, practice Spanish, observe therapy sessions, and even lead sessions on my own. I wanted to learn what it would be like to work as a psychologist and I feel Adelante helped me reach this goal. I also was afforded plenty of time and flexibility to travel throughout Oaxaca and to spend time with my brilliant housemates. The language courses were much-needed and I felt much more prepared going into my work placement having that introduction. The best part of this experience for me was the housing placement. Myself and the girls I lived with were placed with an extremely hospitable family from Oaxaca. Talking with them was the best practice I had for my Spanish. They were also some of the most pleasant people I have met and I felt they really embraced me as part of the family.

If you are thinking of traveling with adelante, I recommend it. It was extremely affordable compared to other programs I have seen. The process was as stress-free as possible, from the pre-departure materials and interviews, the arrival and integration with language classes, and the departure, everything was well-organized. It was also important to me to have independence and to be able to tailor the program to my goals, and this was fulfilled. Everyone I worked with from Adelante was pleasant and helpful. If I decide to study away again, I will likely choose adelante.

If you are thinking of traveling to Oaxaca, also, I recommend it. Some of the best food I’ve had on my travels, some of the kindest people I’ve met, and some of the best places to visit, from the vibrant city to the ruins to the mushroom mountains and to the beaches on both sides. One could spend a lot of time studying and traveling Oaxaca, and by the end, they will want to make it home. Carlos was great as a program coordinator. If you have any concerns about speaking Spanish, I entered the program knowing a decent amount of Spanish but mostly unable to communicate at all with native speakers without great trouble. Through the classes and being integrated I quickly grew in confidence and was able to communicate much more clearly.

if you have any specific questions about the program you want to ask a former participant, I am happy to chat. My email is Jacob.gerber@alumni.furman.edu. Bon voyage.

This was the best experience in the entire world! The staff at adelante and the staff here in Madrid have been so amazing throughout my entire 6 months in Spain. Adelante had stayed in touch and continually checked in on how I was doing. And the best part, the help from the connections in Madrid have been what has made this experience so amazing. From the language school to the AMAZING internship placement, I could not say any bigger thanks to Angel and everyone else here in Madrid.I am very thankful for this opportunity and think that everyone who is considering it should go for it!

Adelante went above and beyond with helping me file for my visa and any other documents. They were very straight forward about pricing, and I was very happy about my internship and housing placement. From your first phone call to your final day in Spain, they will help you with any problem that might arise. They made the visa process very simple for me and even helped me get college credit for my legal internship abroad. They have excursions that you can take a part of, and you will meet amazing people through those excursions and events!

I did a legal internship in Oaxaca for three months with Adelante and it was an incredible experience. I made lifelong friends both from the program and locals. I was extremely happy with my internship placement and the family I lived with. My spanish has definitely improved and it really helped with my university application and I will definitely be returning to Oaxaca!
I learnt so much from my internship which will help me in my career but also had enough freedom to get to know the city and do other activities as well as learn new hobbies and develop other interests.

I completed Spanish courses and a social media and promotion internship with a Spanish language school in Maldonado, Uruguay right near Punta del Este. I lived in the school residence for 3 months. I loved the neighborhood and being so close to the beach!

The work environment I experienced was very flexible, which is a plus as I mostly made my own hours and worked from the garden of the school. The negative of this was that it sometimes lacked structure and feedback. I do think my language skills improved through writing in Spanish for posts and a newsletter as I was provided with corrections.

I also was able to meet other international travelers learning Spanish and speak with them, which was super interesting. The clientele of the school was mostly middle aged people and not so many university students, so that's something to keep in mind.

Uruguay is a beautiful country with a lot of different places to explore. My favorite weekend trips were to Colonia del Sacramento, a cobblestone street city lined with bright colored buildings, and Cabo Polonio, a secluded beach town with a lot of sea lions. I highly recommend coming to Uruguay!

I really enjoyed my time abroad in Seville and especially at UPO! My host mother was wonderful and Seville is a fantastic place to live. Everything is within walking distance or easily accessible by the metro, and it's very safe (even at night). There are a couple of things I wish I had known before coming, though - international students typically don't take classes with Spanish students and are actually on a different semester schedule, so although there is the opportunity for language exchange partners, it was a lot harder to actually be immersed in Spanish than I expected. Additionally, the add/drop dates for classes are very short, only 1-2 days of class, so it's hard to switch Spanish classes if you end up in the wrong level. That being said, all of my professors were wonderful and we also had Fridays off every week, which meant we were able to travel much more easily!

Adelante did give us the wrong semester dates during the summer, which meant I had to switch my flights after coming to Spain, but they did send me a refund for those additional costs. However, they also recommended that students not apply for visas after the semester dates had been extended, which I was uncomfortable with given that we stayed past the 90 days allowed for tourists. I ended up getting a student visa regardless and am glad that I did (and would also recommend future students to do so)! It's also worth noting that a couple of things advertised on Adelante's website or in the orientation packet didn't end up happening, like the first-week meeting with the on-site director.

A couple of other things to note are that the 2 meals provided are usually either breakfast and lunch or breakfast and dinner, so I would definitely recommend bringing a container or two for lunch and some packable utensils. Meals at the cafeterias are around $5, so although they're decently cheap on occasion, they're less affordable on a daily basis. Seville also does get cold, so I would recommend packing warmer clothes! It stays a lot warmer than most of the US, but because a lot of buildings and home stays don't have much indoor heating, it can still be really cold indoors. Also, everything outdoors is built to channel wind so it stays cool enough during the summer - which is great, but means the fall/winter can be freezing if you're outside!

Studying in Barcelona was an amazing opportunity that I will forever be grateful for. The language school we attended, Kingsbrook, was great and I learned so much in my first two weeks there. Kingsbrook is also a perfect way to meet and make friends from all around the world. I did not have the best luck with my internship, it was pretty far away (close to an hour and a half one way), and I really did not learn anything, especially anything that would be beneficial to my career. Some of that is out of the program's control, but I do wish I was met with more understanding when expressing my concerns. The house we were originally placed in was also not clean, as advertised, but this was quickly taken care of by the staff in Barcelona and we were able to find new living arrangements. The experience is definitely what you make it and it's important to explore, make new friends and go out of your comfort zone. Adelante has great pricing for all that is included and a program that I would recommend, I just wish the communication was better.

I spent an amazing one month and one week in Barcelona and had the time of my life. While abroad, I studied in a small language school called Kingsbrook Idiomas and met so many different students from all over the world (over 12 different countries to be exact). The school had a variety of students from young to old and we all became fast friends. I took classes twice a day, 5 days a week with the most wonderful teachers and explored the city through different excursions once a week with my class. From beach days to bike tours, we did it all! Being a part of this program has given me the opportunity to improve my Spanish in both an educational setting and in a social one. It was amazing to be able to talk with people from all over the world and know that it is Spanish that has allowed us to connect. I was placed with awesome room-mates and the living space was average but comfortable. Traveling through Adelante was a very pleasant experience; from airport pickup to providing living accommodations and classes. I would recommend taking the leap to experience this once in a lifetime opportunity, and don't forget to soak up every minute because time sure does fly when you're having fun.

I was put in a place to succeed even with very little prior Spanish skills, Adelante was very accommodating throughout the process! Everything about the program was great: the 2-week Spanish course, the internship, the housing and of course the wonderful city itself all made for a perfect experience. I highly recommend this program to anyone that loves to travel, would like the chance to immerse themselves in a new culture, or even simply someone looking for meaningful work experience (though I guarantee you will get more out of your time here than that!)

I absolutely loved my experience living in Sevilla through the Adelante Abroad program. This is not your typical study abroad program in which they hold your hand throughout the entire process. You are expected to be completely independent and self-sufficient, and the contacts that you have in your city are simply there for any questions or support that you may need. I loved the structure of the Adelante program because it enabled me to really immerse myself in the city like a local rather than only learning about the surface level/touristy aspects of Sevilla. The only Americans that I interacted with in my 3 months were my roommates and of the friends I made were from all around the world. I don't know of another program where I would have had the opportunity to completely make my own experience.

The simplicity of the program (in which they find you housing and internship placement and then leave you on your own) is also what makes this one of the most affordable abroad experiences. My university has a 5-week program in Sevilla that was 3 times the cost of Adelante and not half as immersive. That being said, if you are planning on doing an Adelante Internship you should be aware that the lack of structure in the program means you have to figure out everything on your own--food, travel logistics, budgeting, safety, socializing, etc. Your program is completely what you make of it, so make sure you are prepared to be pushed way out of your comfort zone. For me, this was the perfect program and if I could go back in time I would have done the exact same program over again.