Program Reviews

1️⃣ Break out of your bubble—use Meetup! I joined language exchanges and food tours through the app, connecting with folks from Spain, Brazil, Japan… you name it. It’s not just about Barcelona; it’s a global vibe. You’ll learn slang, hidden spots, and maybe even salsa steps!
2️⃣ Turn “abroad” into a launchpad. I applied for a school library grant to research second-gen Chinese Spaniards’ identity here. Interviewing families, diving into Chinatown’s history—it wasn’t just “academic.” It clicked for me: Chinese-Spanish culture is Catalan culture. Their stories are part of Barcelona’s heartbeat.
3️⃣ Skip shipping from home—trust Barcelona (and the planet!). Unless it’s urgent, don’t haul stuff overseas. Shipping costs a fortune, cranks up your carbon footprint, and honestly? The diaspora here (like the Chinese-Spanish community) has everything. Needing toothpaste? Hit a farmacia. Craving chili oil? Check out shops in El Raval. Hunting for substitutes led me to quirky local tiendas—think olive soap, recycled notebooks, or paprika-spiced chocolate. Bonus: you’ll learn the Catalan word for “aisle”!

Living here taught me: Say “yes” to the weird onions, download that app, chase opportunities that scare you, and trust the local hustle. You’ll taste, learn, and belong in ways you never expected. 🥳 (And yes, always lick the romesco sauce off your fingers… and save the shipping boxes for souvenirs.)

This was an absolute amazing opportunity, where I was able to learn an abundance of different things that I can now incorporate into my future jobs. Everything was very easy to use and the website was a breeze to navigate through making the whole experience very user friendly. Everyone made sure that I was doing great and they were always asking If I had any questions or if I needed anything at all. Even when something was needed and it was not very important there was always someone to reach back out to you in a hurry making it very easy to communicate.

This experience was absolutely amazing. I was able to explore Barcelona as well as other parts of Spain. The program offered many wondrous opportunities for me to have a great time. I am thankful to the SAE office for everything they have to done to give students the experience they deserve. During my last few days in the United States before my departure to Barcelona, I was very nervous about what my situation would be in terms of classes and of my housing arrangments. However, the SAE team made me feel very comfortable and were available to answer all my questions whenever I had any. One of my favorite aspects of the program was how involved the director, Rich, was with the students. The fact that I could easily interact with the director made my experience so much better.

This program was designed so well. I went for a semester with a group from my university. We were greeted by the amazing staff and from day 1 exciting activities were planned. The staff really got to know you and they were very willing to work with my group and professor to fit the program so we would have the best and most fun learning experience. The staff always took time to check in with us. I also took some of my favorite classes during this program. The professors not only would teach us with a lot of passion, they also took us out and about in the city for experiential learning. These were genuinely some of the best months of my life - I highly recommend BarcelonaSAE to anyone!

Thanks to the Barcelona SAE program I had the opportunity to visit the city of my dreams. Prior to going to Barcelona the staff was extremely helpful and would quickly answer the many questions that I had. It was definitely nerve racking to go to a foreign country not knowing anyone; however the Barcelona SAE staff gave me clear instructions about my stay and it was relieving to see someone with a "Barcelona SAE" sign when I landed. My adventure began when I was dropped off at my host families house the place that would become my home while completing my semester abroad. My host mom was so welcoming! She showed me around our neighborhood and I quickly got to know my way around this beautiful city. I attended the University of Barcelona, an astonishing school in both education and the architecture of its buildings. I went to school with locals and other international students and the professors were amazing as well. I took language and cultural classes that at times were a little tough but still very interesting. While abroad I planned trips around Europe with the friends that I made within my program but the Barcelona SAE staff also planned many trips for us. The trips were planned out well and I had a great time at each and every one of them. We went to Sevilla, Besalu, Sitges, and Morocco to name a few. The Barcelona SAE team was always willing to help and they planned the most heart felt goodbye dinner. I truly fell in love with Barcelona and I submerged myself in its culture. Towards the end of my visit I took the metro like a local and I had tried all kinds of 'tapas. 'I will never forget my four months in Barcelona. I strongly recommend the Barcelona SAE program because I had the experience of a lifetime and you can too!

Six months before the program started, I was absolutely terrified that I was heading to a country where I knew no one and the native language was completely different. One and a half year after the program, I have traveled to 12 countries and have taken a job far away from home. This is all because of the Barcelona SAE program.

The staff were not only helpful during the program but quite literally help me till this day. I have had many career chats and received a ton of advice from these staff members and I don't believe I can ever repay them for this.

My favorite memory were three very specific instances. One, as an FC Barcelona fan, attending El Clasico at Camp Nou was one of the most surreal experiences of my life and I still have goosebumps thinking about it. Two, being able to learn and physically see all of the historical beauty of the city of Barcelona and the region of Catalunya. Three, the Moroccan experience from within the program helped open my eyes on the very different walks of life. This trip is the reason that I have planned out further trips in Islamic countries to learn more about the religion and culture.

I would 100% recommend this program to anyone that wants to experience some of the best of food, culture, sports and life.

Barcelona SAE made my first study abroad experience memorable. The staff always had contact with us everyday and they were just awesome overall. The teachers of the school were very accommodating and friendly. They always had opportunities for the group to be together on our day trips-- whether it be going to another area in Spain or learning how to make traditional Spanish dishes or dancing lessons. All of the staff had knowledge about everything that we needed to know when in Spain. I loved this program very much. This experience taught me so much about life.

I spent summer 2016 in Barcelona with Barcelona SAE. I was 1 of 2 students whom stayed for the full 8 week program. I was placed in a homestay with 3 crazy boys and an AMAZING house Mom Nani! I would do the program all over again a just to have Nani as my mom!! My roommates were like brothers. We went to eat brunch on the weekends and took a trip to France for a couple days. My classmates became close friends! We spent our afternoons exploring the city, snacking (of course), and somehow still finishing homework! I loved being able to walk to/from school and take in all the amazing architecture and hustle and bustle of the city. Coming from a small farming town I was nervous about being in another country and HUGE city for so long. But I came to absolutely love Barcelona and the program! Through my classes and the program I have almost completed my Spanish minor in hopes of teaching Spanish some day. My love for traveling grew and last summer I taught in the Bahamas! I will never forget the cionnection I made to Barcelona, the Spanish language and culture, and friends!!

Studying abroad in Barcelona was the best decision I’ve made in my college career. It was such an incredible experience and I have learned things that I never would have imagined happening. Even though it was a great experience, there were definitely up and downs. I was difficult to adjust at first and get used to the classes and culture but by the end of my time abroad I had fallen in love with the Spanish culture and implement parts of it back into my life back in the states.

When I went to Barcelona I didn’t know no Spanish and I was real shy. After spending 3 months overseas in Barcelona I evolved as a person both mentally and spiritually. Even though, the program was dealing with school and taking classes the program made it so the whole city was our classroom. We had numerous field trips to different places around Barcelona, Spain. We went to museums , different businesses, etc. the staff was so helpful with helping us find different resources and traditioning into the culture of Barcelona. We had the chance to even go to Africa through the program. I believe the most helpful thing to be aware of is money spending and having food. If you stay in a home stay your home stay mom makes the meals but if you’re in a apartment you have to make your own food. We went all around Spain on different trips it was truly amazing. The impacted my life after the program by making me more talkative and helping with jumping out my comfort zone. I loved being in Barcelona and being able to travel to different places. I would give anything to go back overseas. My favorite memory is when I went to Amsterdam and ended up getting lost. It was the best experience because I used my resources and asked for help and was able to find my way to the hostel. I believe everyone should have the chance to study abroad and see the world.