Barcelona SAE Academic Study Center (SIS) - Semester or Summer

This program has been an incredible experience. They made me feel comfortable when I first arrived and helped me create a sense of independence in the process. They set me up with the most amazing homestay which helped me improve my Spanish as well as connect with a local. The excursions especially were out of this world; not only did they take us around Barcelona but they helped us explore around Spain to Costa Brava and Tarragona. I recommend this program to any student with a love for traveling!

I came on this program by myself and was initially nervous about coming to Barcelona, but knew it would be worth it. This program completely exceeded my expectations. I made lifelong friendships, had the most wonderful homestay family, and got to experience Barcelona as well as other parts of Spain like a local. I would 10/10 recommend this program. It includes several day trips, field studies in classes, and weekends away that are all included in the price of the program. All of this really made it feel worth the price. On all of these trips meals were included as well. Not to mention they also have scholarships available. The staff was friendly, supportive, and always available when needed. There was a 24/7 emergency line as well, which added an extra feeling of security while there.

At the beginning of the summer, I knew nothing about Spain, but that all changed because of Barcelona SAE. I feel like they provide a great balance between cultural/in-field activities, enlightening classes taught by teachers from all over the world, and overall daily immersion (especially in the homestays). These all contribute to creating an environment where you really feel like you can feed your curiosity and develop your interest in Barcelona and the rest of Spain, without getting sucked into viewing it from a single perspective. I also loved the group activities Barcelona SAE planned for us. They helped me grow closer to my peers and provided their knowledge as locals to give us the best quality experience possible. I also appreciate that they did this without being suffocating.

The classes were a good challange and the staff was very nice and well equipped for their positions. It was an amazing time living in Barcelona and learning about local life and culture. I made a lot of lasting friendships and totally improved my Spanish speaking skills as I was immersed in the Spanish environment. Also, I found the Catalan culture so fascinating with their crazy festivities like the Correfoc, a parade in which people paint their faces, literally swing fireworks around in a crowd and play booming drums. It was so exhilarating!

This program completely changed my world-views and greatly impacted my career goals in a positive way. Throughout the quarter, we were taught to look at subjects such as history and multiculturalism from different perspectives while seeing the history of different places first-hand. Our professor was very negative and I didn't like his teaching style, but the program itself was great. I bonded with my host family and was immersed in the culture of Barcelona, as well as other places that we traveled to (other parts of Spain, Italy, France, and Morocco). After my time in Barcelona, I changed my major from Accounting to International Business so that I can hopefully travel the world as a part of my future career. One of my favorite memories was being lost in Barcelona with my roommate the first week we were there. I was starting to get frustrated, when suddenly I turned around and saw Sagrada Familia. I was in awe and realized that beauty can be found under any circumstance! From that point on, I learned to be okay with getting lost and wandering the streets while finding new sights.

Upon coming to Barcelona, I thought it would be a whole different world of weird tales every day. Barcelona SAE made my program feel like home. My favorite element is that it wasn't a program through my university meaning I got to meet so many different people from different schools. This program was pretty inclusive especially with all the counselors, teachers, staff, and weekend trips. It made Barcelona feel like a second home.

This was one of the most memorable adventures I have ever experienced. The program was on the smaller side, roughly 12-15 students, which meant the trips, tours, and dining through the program was intimate and geared toward everyone's tastes. They didn't constantly provide programming, which was great because for the most part we were able to choose our own day-to-day and weekend trips. They provided the pre-planned portion of the schedule in advance so it was easy to decide when we would be travelling solo. The events they did include were tours of the Gothic part of the city, several museum passes, the first few days they made sure to schedule activities so the attendees could get grounded without being overwhelmed by a new city and get to make friends with the other students. They provided us with tips, tricks, and safety advice. About mid-trip (week 3 out of 6 weeks) we took a 3-day weekend tour to 4 cities, with a two-night stay in Costa Brava. It was amazingly beautiful, and not an overly tourist driven city - which was SO cool. The program really encouraged you to not be the average american study abroad participant, they wanted you to experience Barcelona more organically. My friends and I enjoyed the housing they found for us, which was a private 3 bedroom apartment in a residential barrio. This program was one of many that sent students to the larger university, so even if you're looking for a larger program you can still get that vibe when you go to class. The program also schedule cultural events at least once a week (flamenco dancing, tapas dinners out, watching soccer games at the local bars) which was awesome. Seriously, I cannot recommend this program enough!!

TLDR: definitely book through Barcelona SAE. They are AWESOME.

I had the amazing opportunity to study abroad in Barcelona for a semester. It was a unique experience because Barcelona SAE was there every step of the way to help the students transition into the Spanish lifestyle. This included day/weekend trips to surrounding towns, tours of each barrio (neighborhoods), and activities such as flamenco dancing, cooking classes, and intercambios with the locals. Without help from the program, I wouldn't be able to fully make the most of my time in Barcelona.
The highlights of the program were definitely the trips we took outside of Barcelona. We went to Zaragoza, Bilbao, San Sebastian, Guernica, and numerous other towns. It was a great way to experience how other Spaniards lived and know what each town was famous for.
Besides the trips, Barcelona SAE also helped with our transition within Barcelona. This included our homestays/apartments, transportation, and classes.
Overall, it was an amazing experience that I would highly recommend to anyone who is thinking about or planning on studying abroad in Spain.