ISA Study Abroad in Madrid, Spain

I've been to Madrid 5 times before and studied abroad with 2 different companies prior to "studying" with ISA and I can honestly say ISA has been the worst company ever. Their policy is if something goes wrong it is your fault. If you find a problem with their substandard housing or education, then it's your problem not their. ISA Madrid and the main staff in Austin are completely useless, rude, and do not care about their students. Unwilling to help you, and in fact hide their shortcoming to make themselves look professional. AVOID, AVOID, AVOID!!

International Studies Abroad is an incredible organization with FANTASTIC people working for them! They all helped me with every single thing I needed, were encouraging, supportive, fun, and great people to get to know!

I always knew I would return to Madrid to study abroad ever since I visited for 3 days in high school on a cultural immersion trip. The city life, the loving people and the overall Spanish vibe provided me with the best study abroad experience I could have asked for. My homestay experience was everything I hoped for and more, I can't wait to go back and visit my host mom again! Universidad de Antonio de Nebrija was the perfect place to take classes for an American looking to meet people from all over the world while still feeling at home in the classroom. The ISA Office staff in Madrid are all perfect humans and will answer to your every beckon call. They really made you feel like you belonged in their city while showing you the best places to sightsee, eat and enjoy what España had to offer. Overall, my study abroad experience with ISA provided me with a whole new outlook on travel, culture and life in general and I would do it all over again in a heartbeat!

Living in the city centre was extremely exciting, with plenty to do, you will most likely be busy from day to day. You will have class every day, which is extremely helpful in immersion. The fact that not everyone speaks English can be a challenge at first, but about two weeks in, you will be grateful for that, since immersion is the number one goal.

I went to Madrid in order to fulfill my class requirements for a Spanish minor, and in my opinion I left with more knowledge than I could have hoped for. All of my classes were taught in Spanish, so I was continuously engaged in thinking and speaking in Spanish. I attended a small private university, Universidad Antonio de Nebrija, which allowed for small class sizes which benefited everyone trying to learn a new language. There is a placement exam on the very first day, so that the staff can make sure that every student is placed at the correct language level. As far as coursework, I personally didn't have that much because my classes were more focused on speaking.

I lived in a homestay that ISA handpicked and I always felt like part of the family. The family did not speak English, but they did speak slower and explained things that neither my roommate or I understood. The apartment was small and cozy, but had everything essential for my 3 month stay. The host family made an effort to buy and make food that was typical of Spain so that I could experience it all. Two home cooked meals were provided each day (no one really eats breakfast in Spain), and on days that I had an ISA excursion the family made sure to send me with a meal. I also happened to be in Spain for Thanksgiving, which is not celebrated there, but ISA wanted to make sure that all of the students felt comfortable so they organized a Thanksgiving dinner for us.

Madrid is centrally located in Spain and the metro system around the city makes it extremely convenient to travel around Europe. I was fortunate enough to travel to Barcelona, Santiago, Paris, and Rome on top of the trips with ISA.

The 3 months flew by so fast and my time abroad is all I can talk about. I would not trade this experience for anything, and I am actually looking at graduate programs in Spain.

I went to Madrid not knowing what to expect, where I could go, and who I would meet.

Even before the first day, ISA was able to set my worried mind at ease. We were led through the visa application process and travel planning step by step (this included an airport pick up by ISA-Madrid staff).

On that first day I met my host family, who I still Skype on the weekends, almost a year after my program started. I could not have asked for a more loving and fun family to live with. A single mom, with two kids, would work all day, then come home and cook for us. She treated us like her own and I would argue that we ultimately became family.

Not only that, but the excursions included in the ISA program were a great opportunity to see more of Spain and grow closer to the other kids in the program. Whether it was Toledo, Salamanca, or Granada: we found ourselves immersed in culture and history. I made friends that live all over the US, but I still talk to them and laugh at all of the pictures and memories of our incredible semester away.

Finally, the ISA-Madrid staff was so helpful. Their centrally located office was always open to us to study, hang out, and ask for just about anything. My friends would need to go to the doctor, get a new phone, or figure out where the best paella was and the staff was always there to help.

I had such an amazing experience on my study abroad and I can confidently say that ISA had a large part in molding that.

I studied in Madrid, Spain this last summer and had an amazing stay abroad. I was so nervous going to Spain especially because it was my first time out of the country on my own and I feared the language barrier I may encounter. However, my time abroad turned into an unforgettable journey. I was able to indulge in the rich and beautiful Spanish lifestyle. I watched a real futbol game at the Real Madrid stadium and was even able to surf in the northern beaches of Spain! I made so many connections with students from all over the world and the United States. Studying abroad really opened my eyes both educationally and personally. I would have never dreamed of going to school in Spain, but classes were so interesting because of the different cultures imbedded in each one of the students. Every day was a different adventure and I am so glad I took the chance to expand my international experience.

During my stay in Madrid, I can honestly say I was never bored. There was always something for me to do if I had spare time after classes or on the weekends. There was always another area to explore. I still want to go back and get to know Madrid even better. There was always a new restaurant or cafe to try, but at the same time I found my favorite little spots. The big city feel that Madrid gave me makes me want to return one day to live and work there because I enjoyed the atmosphere so much. The location of my residence was probably another huge part of my happiness. I was literally two minutes walking from the main square in Madrid. I love being in the center of the action, so I couldn't have been happier with my location. I was two minutes away from the metro station. I was 100 yards from a grocery store and plenty of places to eat. I could go on and on for hours about Madrid. I left knowing that someday I'll be back.