Abbey Road Programs

Did the full four weeks at Saint Laurent, and it was a decent program with solid French immersion, although there is a lot of room for improvement. CLASSES: The daily French classes were average, at best. While our teacher was a native French speaker, which was a big plus, he was not very good at designing engaging exercises, and many lessons became repetitive. Towards the end of the program, he essentially ran out of ideas on what to do for class and would ask us what we would want to do. HOMESTAY: The homestay experience was great, stayed with a very kind family in a beautiful home, great French practice, generously provided amazing food. However, I went into the program expecting to be the only student with the family, or have one roommate, and it turned out there were four of us total staying with one family. This was a great way for the four of us to get bonded, but took away some one-on-one time with the French family, which would have been nice. FRENCH CONVERSATIONELECTIVE: You have the choice between two electives, French Conversation and Photography. I did the French Conversation elective and was pretty disappointed. We learned very little French as the activities hardly involved us conversing with native French speakers, and the lessons were not quite organized. One of my friends from the Photography elective appeared to have more conversation with natives than us. Additionally, the teachers for this elective were not great. So, do not have high expectations for this. EXCURSIONS: The excursions were amazing! We went to Monaco, Cannes, San Remo, Antibes, and other very nice towns in southeast France. It was amazing to get to see all these places, which helped enrich our understanding of French culture and history. Also a great way to bond with our campmates. 10/10! WHATSAPP COMMUNCATION: WhatsApp communication is very poor for the Saint Laurent group specifically. The majority of students in Abbey Road's French program do the Nice program, and while both groups do the same daily activities, we have separate WhatsApp group chats. Information about electives, excursions, and other group events are always communicated to the Nice groupchat, but the counselors often overlook sending it to the Saint Laurent group chat. As a result, we missed a lot of important info, such as meet up times, weekly plans, and historical background on places we visited. This should not be an issue the students have to deal with. Overall, while I had a fun time on this program, I would highly recommend you do SYA France instead. They are much better organized and you will have more French progression.

Thank you Abbey Road team for such a wonderful experience. My daughter had an incredible time. She made great friends and says she gives it five stars! She is sad it is already over, some tears here too. She made great friends and hope that they stay in touch and see each other again.

Just wanted to say thank you for everything and this wonderful opportunity. My daughter has loved this experience and we are very grateful for the many hands involved in making this a positive experience for these youth! To all the parents: - she made the best of friends that will be cherished forever!❤️Thank you! To the leaders: - you have an inspired program that truly changes lives. ?

My daughter had the best time in the Nice program! She met new friends from all over the world and loved spending the month in this beautiful city. Arthur and staff were extremely communicative and helped to meet the needs of the students at all times. The schedule was busy and there was always something fun to do. Thank you for making this trip something she will always remember!

Our son had the most fabulous time of his life on the extended Barcelona immersion trip this summer! In addition to the top notch instruction in conversational Spanish and overall substantive content of the program, he was delighted by the upscale accommodations, the delicious and special dining experiences, the friendships that he developed, and all of the tremendous support from Arthur, Diana and Amira. The entire trip was curated to maximize exposure to the local culture, while providing age appropriate independence. The local day trips were memorable and fun. A comfortable, safe and perfect experience for a rising senior!

Our daughter had a fantastic experience. The staff were responsible and the other students were friendly and a lot of fun. She learned a lot about Italian art and gelato! She made great friends and wishes she could do it all again!

My son and his group bumped into Boris Johnson during a trip to the museum activity. What are the chances? They even had a conversation with him. Great opportunity to broaden the horizons through education and cultural immersion.

Our son had the best time of his life! We are happy to see him develop into an extrovert. Overall, my son's experience in the Barcelona program provided by Abbey Road Programs has been overwhelmingly positive. The blend of academics, cultural diversity, and a supportive environment makes it an excellent choice.

My daughter made wonderful friends and laughed a lot. Thank you to Arthur, it was an amazing experience that she will absolutely treasure! Great program with excellent communication between Arthur and the parents!

Our 15 year old son attended the Abbey Road St Laurent program last summer and we highly recommend it. He stayed with a French host who was warm and welcoming, and made him feel at home. Every day she provided a home cooked dinner and conversation, which helped him to improve his French. The morning classes were well planned and engaging. Our son especially enjoyed the cultural activities that Carla organized. On top of exploring Nice, they went to Monaco, San Remo and Cannes, discovering many charming places in the area. He had a wonderful time, made fantastic friends, his French improved and made lasting memories. This program offers a great balance between learning French, being immerse in the culture of the country, having a lot of fun, and growing as a person. Again, we highly recommend it!

My 17 year old son had an excellent and unforgettable time on this summer program to Barcelona. The program was extremely well run, the residence was 4 star and the kids, who came from across the US, were all great. They had wonderful weekend trips and it seemed like a perfect mix of structured and free time . We were very happy with this program !

My son loved this program. He was well taken care of, well fed and exposed to so many new and different experiences. Despite being the youngest in his group, everyone was inclusive and engaging. Thank you Abby Road! My younger son wants to go on a trip next year!!

Our expectations were exceeded by Abbey Road. This is a very well run program, and our daughter had an experience she will cherish forever. In her own words... "Going on exchange with Abbey Road was one of the best decisions I've ever made and ended up being the highlight of my summer. I formed many lifelong friendships, significantly improved my French-speaking skills through engaging conversations and immersive classes, and gained a deeper understanding of the culture through the fun excursions."

My son enjoyed his 2.5 weeks on the Abbey Road Program in Barcelona. He found the other students to be very friendly and enjoyed all of the activities. The accommodations were above what he expected and he really liked the counselors on the program. He was sad for this experience to be over.

My daughters participated in this program and had an incredible time. The program offered the right balance of supervision and independence. The experience was incredible, from the food to the field trips. Most of all they appreciated the opportunity to get to know the beautiful city of Nice. The staff took great care to make sure everyone had a wonderful time and remained safe.

My three teenage kids just finished a two week program in Florence with Abbey Road and it was fantastic. They took different classes - studio art, art history, Italian language, Italian cuisine, and fashion design - and all of them had wonderful experiences. The teachers were terrific, the food was delicious, and the accommodations were ideal. They made great friends and loved traveling around Italy. My only complaint is that they don’t have a separate program for the parents, so we could enjoy studying abroad, too! Highly recommend!

i stayed 4 weeks in florence so i got to meet two sections of students. many types of people were drawn to the program and i found that this was a great opportunity for me to become more comfortable with people with very different life experiences. as far as studying, i found that my teachers were all genuinely passionate about their subjects and their students. i studied art history and italian, and was even able to try out studio art for a couple days. socially, i found the program very welcoming. of course some students were closer than others, but all were friendly. during the evening free time we would often get together in large groups and play games or go out on walks to see the city. the leaders were all incredibly accommodating and trusting. pros: amazing food passionate teachers chance to safely practice independence cons: lack of communication about plans for the day/week hot weather (be prepared)

My daughter loved her experience in Nice. From a parent perspective the staff and activities offered were above and beyond our expectations. Thanks for providing care and give attention to all kids needs and interests.

Being apart of the Abbey Road Florence program this summer was one of the best experiences in my life. I stayed 3 weeks with the program learning Art history, Cooking, and Photography from very helpful and approachable teachers. All the teachers/chaperones on the program went above and beyond in making sure students needs were met so we could have a more enjoyable trip. I am extremely grateful to have been apart of this program and can only wish to have stayed longer.

Abbey Road’s Florence Program was amazing. The two classes I took, Italian Language and Art History, were taught by two extremely knowledgeable and approachable teachers. Everyone on this program was so kind and wanted to make sure we had the best experience possible. I am so grateful to this program for making it the best summer ever. Thank you so much!!