Program Reviews

This program was so great! I learned so much and had such amazing opportunities. I was able to enter the operating room and converse with the actual surgeons about different techniques and procedures. The contacts I made in Spain not only with the surgical staff, but also the friends in the program, will help me through out my life. It was such a unique experience and I am so glad I went! I have already been able to use this experience to help with my further studies at my university as well as on resumes for jobs.

Spending part of my summer in Quito was an amazing opportunity. While there were rough moments/challenges, I gained so much. I knew minimal Spanish when I arrived, and was able to learn the language very quickly with my classes. I also gained a huge amount of academic/professional experience. If you're looking to travel, gain a lot of hands on career practice, and overall life experience, this is a great program.

The Adelante Abroad program was a great experience for me. I enjoyed the independence that was allotted to me, while I also felt that I had all the resources I needed to be comfortable and safe. Ecuador is a great place to meet many people from all over the world and travel on a budget. I lived with a warm and welcoming family that took great care of me. I was able to work in a small marketing/communications firm and learn a lot about the field. I would highly recommend this program to anyone who is looking to have real work experience abroad, with the comforts and resources of a traditional study abroad program.

One of the unique aspects of this program is its location in Vina/Valpo, most programs tend to be in Santiago and I liked being outside of a big city because it allowed me really try and immerse myself into the culture and gave me the opportunity to speak and practice my Spanish. There are a lot of college students in this area and it’s close enough and inexpensive to get to Santiago.

It’s a flexible program and you really have to be very independent because there’s not a lot of administrative support. We basically had to figure everything out on our own. However as a girl traveling alone I really liked that Vina feels safe.

I really enjoyed my internship a lot although they never really gave me real work to do. In terms of getting actual experience I really didn’t feel like I did as much as I wanted to. My internship was in Valparaiso, which was nice because I was able to get to know both cities and everyone I worked with was great. They were also really flexible which is convenient if you’re coming to Chile to travel.

I personally didn’t like being forced to take Spanish lessons for three weeks; it was annoying to have to spend three hours doing grammar everyday especially because I’m a fluent native speaker. Learning a bit about the culture and slang was really useful especially once I got to my internship (but I probably could have learned on my own).

The housing placement was good, I had my own room, it was super central, and a five-minute walk to the beach but it’s poorly run. It’s not very well taken care of (filthy and falling apart) and the last month of my stay was considerably better but it took two months of insisting that things on my part to get to that point. The staff at the international center is nice but honestly I felt like I had to constantly bug them to get info that I wanted or needed, they don’t particularly go out of their way to help you. They’ll do it but only because you insist, which was really frustrating at times.

However despite any of these problems, the program does live up to what it promises.

This program has so much to offer - I had such a great experience over in Barcelona! I was there for 2 months and did not want to leave. Barcelona was fun, young, and lively. Everyone I met there was very nice. Not once did I feel in danger - it was a safe and clean city.

My marketing internship was done at the language school you attend the first two weeks of the program. I could not have asked for a better internship. I made so many new friends and loved the place.

This was the first time I had ever lived on my own - let alone in a foreign country. I could tell how much more mature I felt leaving as to when I first arrived. It is a great experience to have, and luckily this program helps you along the way.

This program was a great experience for me. I enjoyed the independence that was allotted to me, while I also felt that I had all the resources I needed to be comfortable and safe. Ecuador is a great place to meet many people from all over the world and travel on a budget. I lived with a warm and welcoming family that took great care of me. I would highly recommend this program to anyone who is looking to have real work experience abroad, with the comforts and resources of a traditional study abroad program.

I chose to enroll in this program because I knew the value of having international experience in a field (law) I that I plan to enter all while improving my Spanish skills. Personally speaking, Madrid was the ideal place to pursue an internship because I had already traveled there before with my family and I was confident enough in my Spanish speaking abilities to work in a zero English environment. I hit the jackpot with my job placement and boss as he was one of the most friendly and hospitable people I've ever met. We never seemed to have issues communicating with one another and I can say that I learned a good deal from my internship that will certainly help me down the road.

My time in Sevilla was incredible, I know Adelante has the option for Barcelona, Madrid, and Sevilla, but Sevilla is by far the best. I visited Madrid and in 2 seconds was so grateful I picked Sevilla. My friend went to Barcelona and she said, though it was beautiful, the people were not as nice. Andalucia overall has a stronger since of culture and the locals are so friendly and proud the be from there. My internship was really great in the since that I had a lot of important work to do and I was able to network with a lot of successful people. The only negative was that I had to work in English because I was at an online newspaper and there couldn't be any mistakes. The language courses made a huge difference in my experience and were the best part of it all. After the classes I kept improving my Spanish, but it is all up to you. You have to be willing to stick you neck out and just talk to people. The Adelante staff were really helpful and checked in on me all the time, the only person that was a problem was my landlord. He was unresponsive or would say he would do something but never follow through. I still have things that need to get fixed since my first day and I am leaving day after tomorrow... At least when I complained to my Adelante contact about not having an iron she was able to get him to give me one after he said that he wouldn't. Overall though my trip was incredible and I would do it again in a heart beat. The social scene is really fun, it is a lot of outdoor seating areas in plazas. There are places to go dancing too, but it is a really relaxed vibe. I loved going out I always felt safe and the people were friendly. I definitely recommend coming here. Just a heads up it is insanely hot, but usually it is dry so its not unbearable.

Adelante is a great program for those interested in improving their Spanish language skills as well as achieving personal and professional growth. Kingsbrook Language School in Barcelona is an excellent institution that provides students with a good learning environment as well as the opportunity to meet other people at varying levels of language acquisition. Adelante supports their interns while also giving them the independence to make the most of their experience abroad. Great communication and support both at home during the application process and while abroad!

The program staff was extremely supportive and involved prior to departure and throughout the duration of the program. My host family was amazing, and my internship could not have been better. The one-on-one Spanish courses for two weeks prior to beginning my internship were extremely helpful as well. The program director/contact in Ecuador works with other organizations all over the world, so I was able to meet volunteers from this program as well as many others.