IES Abroad Madrid

I had an experience I will never forget in Madrid thanks to IES. They were very organized and helped me throughout my entire pre departure process. I did not apply for a visa through IES, and when I ran into problems the staff was very helpful in solving the problem.

Once I arrived, it did not take me long to feel at home. I had the most wonderful host family, and the staff helped us acclimate. The weekend excursions, and extracurriculars that I participated in were especially fun and marked my experience. I would recommend getting involved in all the activities that IES offers such as cooking classes, dance lessons, and exchange groups where you meet with Spanish students.

As for the classes, I enjoyed some of them and some were fairly bland. I did expect this being abroad, and overall did not feel like I was wasting my time despite the course load because it helped me improve my Spanish. I would recommend taking the Art History class at the Prado it was an unforgettable experience.

My living situation was perfect, the food was delicious, and the people on the program were amazing. My only complaint would be the Spanish connections to the community. I felt that it was not the easiest to connect with Spaniards organically, you had to search for opportunities such as going to intercambio bars to truly feel connected. Overall it was a semester I will never forget and I would highly recommend this program to anyone considering it!

This was an incredible program that offered multiple opportunities to get involved!!! It was because of my time in Madrid I have become the person I am today.
Being abroad can help you become a more confident and knowledgeable person, but a key aspect of this is having a supportive program that keeps you safe while giving you enough room to grow. The staff at IES Abroad succeeded in doing this. It also helped foster positive relationships between everyone (locals and other Americans) while keeping it all-Spanish, which is key in developing confidence in speaking another language.
IES Abroad –Madrid was an incredible program, and I would be happy to recommend it to anyone.

I had a fabulous experience studying abroad in Madrid with IES. I greatly improved my ability to speak Spanish through not only the courses that I took, but the other opportunities that the program offered such as being a teaching assistant and going on excursions with local students. In addition to this, I had an excellent home stay where I got to experience local cuisine as well as really get a feel for what life is like for someone living in Madrid. I felt that I was given ample opportunities to explore not only Madrid, but also parts of Spain with IES.

I fell head over heels IN LOVE with Madrid, Spain! The culture, the people, the city, the food, the language, everything! I wouldn't trade my experience for anything. It was more than I could have ever asked for!

The program specifically was phenomenal. The classes were intriguing and challenging while also making the information very real and relatable to us. We were able to take a class at the local university called La Universidad Complutense Madrid (UCM). There we were in a class completely with local Spanish students, so it was a lot of fun to talk and meet new people while also learning about a subject.

As far as my living situation, I stayed in a homestay with a family and I absolutely loved it! The family was so loving, and the kids were just adorable! Not to mention, my host mom could make some mean fish! She is such a cook!

The program took us on many side trips within Spain such as Bilbao, Asturias, and Toledo which gave us the opportunity to experience the various cultures of the different regions within Spain. Even within Madrid, there was so much to experience there. The city was always moving and going! You would wake up in the morning and go to class, and then have a comida and a siesta around 2:30pm. From there you could visit parks like Retiro, walk down some beautiful streets or visit a museum. The night would roll in and you could eat dinner in a restaurant with friends and continue the night as you enjoyed the fun atmosphere of Madrid's nightlife. Eventually, you would go home and wake up the next morning so that you could do it all over again.

If someone offered e another chance to go back, I would take that opportunity in a heart beat, for I believe that I left a large part of my heart back in Spain.

As a student majoring in Spanish and International Relations, studying in Madrid was a like a capstone to my undergraduate studies. In Madrid, everything that I had spent semesters studying at my home university came to life as I spent my free time traveling around Europe; it was nothing short of magical.

Studying abroad is both an exciting and anxiety-inducing experience, and I found that the staff at IES were always extremely accommodating with me at every point of my study abroad experience, from assisting me in the preparation of pre-departure documentation to supporting me in whatever situation arose while in Spain. What really set IES apart from other study abroad programs for me was how personal the experience was-- every administrator knew my name when I arrived and were constantly checking in to see how I was adapting. When you are living in a new country, these little gestures can make a world of a difference.

Academically, IES was very good at engaging students in Spanish culture. During my semester I had the opportunity to take classes at various art museums around Madrid, at local universities, take the DELE language certification exam and even participate in a part time internship for academic credit. Since most courses are taught at the IES Abroad Center, students have the support of a community of other US college students studying in Madrid, but are also encouraged to seek out friendships with Spanish students outside the IES community by living in Spanish dorms, taking a course at a local university and participating in language intercambios.

The program does a really good job of ensuring students experience all the wonderful things that Spanish culture has to offer by providing cooking and flamenco lessons, weekend excursions, and inviting students to dinners and performances around Madrid. Students have the option of living in a traditional homestay, an apartment with other US students or dorms with Spanish students. The choice is up to you, but can greatly influence your level of cultural and language immersion with dorms being the most social option and an apartment being much less immersive.

What makes IES so great is that every student is given the opportunity to make their study abroad experience fulfill both their unique needs and personal goals. Highly recommended for anyone considering studying in Spain!

I always knew I wanted to study abroad in Madrid, and I have to say it was one of the greatest decisions I have ever made. IES Abroad truly made my time in Spain such an enjoyable one, that I would tell everyone to go abroad through this program. The day I arrived, the IES faculty warmly greeted me, and to my surprise they all knew my name and some background information from where I came from. The faculty truly made an effort to help all students through the tough transition of arriving in a foreign country. IES provided historic tours, intercambios (student exchanges), cooking classes, and great excursions to help assimilate into Spanish culture. With the help of IES Abroad, I felt comfortable enough to explore the city of Madrid on the metro/other forms of public transportation; I embraced the famous siesta, tried some great tapas and even attended a few Real Madrid games! Additionally, IES Abroad Madrid made sure every student felt comfortable and safe and always made their offices open to answer any questions or concerns. It was apparent that a lot of work went into making this the best study abroad experience for all students. If I could do it all over again, I would definitely do it again with IES Abroad!

Writing about my experience makes me want to return to Madrid. Everyday in Madrid is different than the next, and I loved the city. I had a blast playing the “let’s get off at a random metro stop and walk around” game, and discovered a city completely ALIVE both day and night. Everyone I met was super helpful with improving my Spanish, and there are quite a number of fun museums and attractions to visit. It’s also easy to get from Madrid to anywhere else in Spain and, quite frankly, the rest of Europe if that’s your thing.

I must commend IES on their excursions. During my time we visited Bilbao, San Sebastián, Asturias, Toledo, Segovia, and a few local places around Madrid. I thought the trips were well organized and gave us the perfect amount of free time to ourselves.

IES staff are sincere people. I think they do a great job of ensuring your living situation is comfortable, and I always felt I could approach them. They personalized my experience and provided me with a homestay right in the center of Madrid, which I absolutely adored. My host mother was the best!

I had fantastic professors in IES, including a A+ grammar teacher and an employee of the Prado Museum of Art. Every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon, I would check-in at the Prado and we would walk around the museum analyzing paintings and artist styles while the paintings were right in front of us! What a unique experience.

I loved my time in Madrid, and am grateful to IES for their support and excitement about my growth.

People will tell you that when you go abroad something changes in you. I never really felt this until I went on to Spain. Coming from a small southern town to a bustling city environment was a huge change for me. Especially when my host mother spoke not one word of English. To be honest, the first night I was not so sure that I would do well. But as the days passed, I soon met new people through my program, started to learn more spanish, and began seeing this big city as my second home. It was a big change from the southern hospitality I was used to but I also discovered that most people in Madrid are just as friendly as my neighbors at home. This study abroad experience pushed me academically, as I learned more Spanish in one summer than in the 19 years prior. I made friends I will not forgot. But most importantly, I learned more in one summer about growing up than I have in my whole life. I would highly recommend IES because the staff was excellent, my host mom was so sweet, and the people that were accepted in this program were awesome. IES did an amazing job of helping us get our bearings and giving us opportunities to go on trips and see Spain, but also the freedom to ultimately decide what we wanted to do. I hope that you will find your other home in Spain like I did!