Adelante Abroad

Program Reviews

Nick
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Had an amazing time in Madrid, thanks to Adelante!

I shadowed a doctor in Madrid for around four months, and it was the most amazing time of my life. Adelante made the setup process extremely easy, and it was very affordable as well. They were very flexible and accommodating in setting up the perfect internship for me. My doctor was also amazing, and I learned much about respiratory and cardiovascular health while there. I also got a unique look into Medicine in a different culture than my own. The first two weeks of Spanish classes that Adelante provides was very helpful in getting me started. Overall a great experience thanks to Adelante, and I would recommend it to anyone who wants a different experience than just taking classes abroad.

The people at Adelante regularly check in to make sure you are enjoying the program and are safe. They are there for whenever you need them and truly provide a great abroad experience.

What would you improve about this program?
I loved the program, but maybe a little more clarity about the various internship options that are available to you, instead of just being set up with one. Turned out great for me though!
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Mattia
4/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Internship in Madrid

The main reason why my experience was unique is due to the type of company I worked for and activities that I was able to perform. When I discovered that my university program required me to work for a full school year in a foreign country I was worried that I would have had to take part in one of those classic, mundane and monotonous 9-5 jobs which involved performing tasks while sat at a desk in front of a computer screen. This is basically the equivalent of suicide to someone like me who loves living his life outdoors performing sporting activities. Thanks to Adelante's program, however, I was able to find a football club in Madrid that allowed me to actively participate in their training sessions, as well as help out coaches in as many ways as possible during the sessions. My university accepted the program and I was able to spend these 7 months here about as well as I could have ever hoped for.

What was your funniest moment?
Coaches' reactions to players performing exercises incorrectly. No doubt. Hilarious.
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jonathan
2/5
No, I don't recommend this program

scam that takes advantage of young adults

arrived in Madrid with a "guaranteed" internship in an Alzheimers lab for psychology. after two weeks in the Spanish school was told my level wasn't high enough as the internship was something that required near perfect fluency. no alternatives were then offered and three months of my life were wasted if not for me strengthening my Spanish further, had I gone just through their school which was amazing and actual responsible for everything that Adelante claims to actually do I would have paid only half of the cost. still waiting for my refund which the program seems to be mute on ... I guess sign contracts don't mean much to some companies... avoid at all costs unless you want some basic internship that provides you with no actual experience

What would you improve about this program?
program should be shut down as it only has a short list of companies to work with and it seems to be common practice to oversell internships to students then not deliver upon arrival as this happened to another American who arrived during my last month.
Response from Adelante Abroad

Jonathan, thanks for taking the time to write out your thoughts however you are forgetting so many things! The most important one is of course, that you cheated on the language level test to get accepted into the program in the first place. Our Intern Abroad program requirements are pretty clear, published in many places for a reason, and a low intermediate level of Spanish is one of them. When a person applies, a free online language test is part of the initial application process. Accepted candidates do not have to be anywhere near fluent or advanced, but must have enough Spanish – a low intermediate level - to be able to understand a directive in the workplace and reply back in short sentences. The test results you sent us showed a solid B1, low intermediate, Spanish language level, therefore you were accepted into the program. Upon arrival in Madrid, however, you were unable to qualify for the BEGINNER level of the two weeks of Spanish classes included in all programs!
Then, on your first day at your contracted internship, in Spain, you were unable to understand a simple question and worse, replied back to your Spanish supervisor in English. Of course, they terminated your internship at that point, however they did offer to re-assess after a few more weeks of Spanish classes. This was a huge favor. They had your placement ready and waiting for you, projects lined up, a Supervisor scheduled to be in charge of you. And all that had to be cancelled. This is a successful, national corporation working in the Psychology arena, specifically with Alzheimer’s and other memory related illnesses. They were ready and waiting for you. It is logical that they terminated: you are in Spain, interning in a Spanish owned or run corporation and, again, while you do not need to be fluent, you do need, of course, to be able to understand and to be understood. Hence our stated language level requirement.
Our refund policy is also very clear and published in many places. We have reminded you, upon your request for a refund, that we provided all services paid for, and as contracted and in a timely manner. It certainly isn’t Adelante Abroad’s fault that you presented in all required documentation that you were an intermediate speaker, when you were actually pre-beginner upon arrival.
We stand by our very successful Intern Abroad programs, in operation since 1999, with literally hundreds of public reviews, the overwhelming majority of which are from candidates outlining strong and positive experiences overseas.

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Kelsey
4/5
Yes, I recommend this program

A Learning Experience

I was an English-teaching intern in Viña Del Mar, Chile for a month. The city was an amazing and beautiful place to be and I felt quite safe. It was relatively expensive to live during the month I was there as my roommate and I had to provide our own food and transportation. However, the work that we were during was great. I had never taught English before until this internship, and I learned a lot about myself; how well I work in a position of authority, and my planning skills. The program had a lack of guidelines on what we were supposed to be teaching, and although that was a challenge, it provided us with the opportunity to create an entirely new lesson plan that catered to the needs of the students. We taught four amazing adults who were eager to learn from us and it felt great! I’d encourage future interns to take as many weekend outings as they can in Chile. The city has so many amazing activities and sights that will keep you busy in between your working hours. The only downside of the program was that I had to find my own transportation back to the airport at the end of the program which was expensive and difficult to navigate. But my experience in teaching in Chile outweighed any cons that arose!

What would you improve about this program?
Airport transportation needs to be provided at the end of the program, not just at the beginning. Also, there should be some sort of guidelines or subject matter for the English-teaching interns so that they have a better idea of where to start and what the students are expected to know by the end of the program.
Allison
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Fall Semester in Sevilla

I originally chose this program with Adelante because it was by far the cheapest one available. The price is reasonable and includes meals and housing-- both of which turned out great. I loved my host and the meals she made for me. I felt at home there. Also, Sevilla in general is a beautiful city that is very safe, colourful, and walkable.
The university (UPO) is not within walking distance but has its own metro stop so getting to class is easy and convenient. The courses required some work but were not overly stressful.
Adelante was helpful as well with connecting me with a local study abroad program and continuing to check up on me through email throughout my stay.
I will say that the program works best for students that are independent, as Adelante representatives will tell you. Many other programs are so expensive because they have some trips bundled in the cost-- this is not the case with Adelante. So, if you are interested in planning your own trips and activities around Spain/Europe with more flexibility, this program may be a good fit. You also may want to consider how willing you are to meet new people and try solo travel for the times when the schedules of other students who have more boxed-in programs don't align with your travel plans. These aspects worked for me and I got to travel a lot with the money I saved by choosing this program-- also, there are many student/erasmus travel programs for the weekend like We Love Spain which I also would recommend.
Sevilla is a beautiful city and I had an awesome time there. I gained a lot of confidence in myself during my stay there and would highly recommend it!

Hello I'm Stephanie!
Stephanie
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Great Learning Experience!

I really enjoyed my experience with Adelante in Madrid. I was really nervous going into the two week Spanish course, but the teachers were all wonderful. My level of Spanish significantly improved in the duration of my course. By the end of the course, I felt comfortable speaking in Spanish around town. I was also really glad I could participate in the activities around the city through the school.
My internship was in Accounting with Hugo Boss. I learned so much during the internship and gained the experience in the industry which helped me land the job I have today.
I made lots of friends in the process who I still keep in touch with. My roommates and I traveled around Spain together, which are memories I will never forget!
Overall, I had a great experience and I highly recommend Adelante. They took care of all the details of my personalized program. I loved that they sorted my accommodation, Spanish lessons, and internship as one package. Communication was great leading up to my departure and throughout the duration of my program.

Jessica Castronovo
Jessica
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Don´t want to leave!

LOVE this program! I was in Madrid for International Marketing and gained SO much experience, more than I ever could doing an internship back in the states. I got to learn hands on experience and just learn things that I was never taught in classes that has boosted my resume immensly in helping me get a job later on. The company that I worked for was so nice that I am now great friends with all the girls. Not only did I learn great work experience, I got to travel so much! After I graduated I tried to find a job and was not satisfied so looked to Adelante Abroad. I figured why not boost my resume AND travel. You have the rest of your life to work 9-5 everyday, when is the next time I get to travel for 6 months? If anyone is looking for a LEGIT (yes, I was scared at first this could be a scam) program- this is it! Everyone is so helpful and just care about your experience!

What would you improve about this program?
Everything about this program was amazing. The only thing would be maybe housing, certain things needed a bit more maintence. Also once I was done with the language classes and I wish they would still inform me of any trip they have planned such as museum visits, day trips, etc.
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Claire
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

2 Month Ecuador Internship

My 2 months in Ecuador was an incredible experience! I lived in Quito with an Ecuadorian family and completed 2 weeks of Spanish Language classes before beginning a 6 week placement at a veterinary clinic. Not only did I gain incredible skills and knowledge from my work placement that I can apply towards veterinary school in Canada, I was also able to travel around Ecuador and get to know its culture and people. My main goal out of this experience was to learn to speak another language. I came to Ecuador with some basic Spanish, but being immersed in it every day ,both at home with my host family and at work, allowed me to accomplish this goal. I met so many amazing people during my time in Ecuador and I am so thankful for this amazing experience!

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Amanda
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Amazing Internship Experience!

When I first decided that I wanted to do an internship abroad, I was skeptical about the programs. I was very hesitant to join Adelante, but it ended up being such an amazing experience! I interned in Madrid for three months in the summer doing Digital Marketing. The Spanish classes at the beginning of the course were so helpful, and the internship itself was great experience. I met so many amazing people during my time in Madrid, and many of us were able to use our weekends to travel around together. I highly recommend this program. If you are having doubts, I completely understand, but I have 0 regrets about doing my internship with Adelante. My boss was great, and the program coordinators were always helpful. My housing was also in an amazing location - I could not have asked for better! It was truly one of the most amazing experiences I have ever had - for both interning and traveling!

What would you improve about this program?
The housing was really great, and I could not have asked for a better location. The apartment could have used some more maintenance, but overall my housing experience was still great!
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Amanda
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

AMAZING Experience

When I first decided that I wanted to do an internship abroad, I was skeptical about the programs. I was very hesitant to join Adelante, but it ended up being such an amazing experience! I interned in Madrid for three months in the summer doing Digital Marketing. The Spanish classes at the beginning of the course were so helpful, and the internship itself was great experience. I met so many amazing people during my time in Madrid, and many of us were able to use our weekends to travel around together. I highly recommend this program. If you are having doubts, I completely understand, but I have 0 regrets about doing my internship with Adelante. My boss was great, and the program coordinators were always helpful. My housing was also in an amazing location - I could not have asked for better! Madrid is absolutely beautiful, and it is definitely a place I will want to return to in the future. This internship was truly one of the most amazing experiences I have ever had - for both interning and traveling!

What would you improve about this program?
The housing was really great, and I could not have asked for a better location. The apartment could have used some more maintenance, but overall my housing experience was still great!