You can't go wrong with CIEE ALA
Ratings
Academics: 4
Support: 5
Fun: 5
Housing: 5
Safety: 5
Review
Barcelona is a great, approachable city to get to know during a semester abroad, and choosing CIEE's Advanced Liberal Arts program definitely made my experience the best it could be. I lived with a host family, and my Spanish improved astronomically. It was great to have a home away from home to come back to every day, and it was cool to see how families in another country live. I also really enjoyed taking classes at the Universitat de Barcelona and with CIEE. It was nice to be immersed in local university life while also having the CIEE Casa as a home base.
Would you recommend this program?
Yes, I would
Private Note to Provider (optional)
I think the sign-up system for weekend events was a little stressful because everyone at CIEE in Barcelona was competing for a spot. It got less competitive as the semester went on though, which was nice. That said, I think it would've been nice to mix more with the kids in other programs! I think people would mostly stick to friends in their own program, which is understandable. I also think it would be nice to have more guidance as far as courses go. I think some people were really over their head in coursework. Luckily, my courses were just fine!