Internships in Madrid, Spain

I had an absolutely wonderful experience with Adelante Abroad. They were so helpful before departure in making sure I was set up for success, and really ensuring my experience was going to fit my personal and professional goals. They reached out throughout my time in Madrid as well to make sure everything as going smoothly! I really loved my internship, the people were so kind, and I really enjoyed the experience of getting to work in such a unique setting. They made it easy in setting my up living situation as well, and it was amazing living right in the city center of Madrid. I highly recommend gonig through Adelante!

This was one of the best experiences of my life. Not only is Madrid itself one of the best cities in the world, but the internship experience was one of the best intern/company experiences I've had. My fellow interns, coworkers, and managers were some of the best people to work with and were always a reliable source to go to when I needed help or had questions. The apartment itself was also very well kept and clean. The only downside was that the stovetop had a burner that did not function, but all other appliances that you could need were provided in both kitchen and room. Overall, the internship and life experience provided me with some of the best times of my life, and the people I met and worked with are some people that I hope to keep in contact with for long after this internship.

Adelante gave me the incredible opportunity to work with industry professionals in my field. I worked directly with professionals in my field and was fortunate enough to get to work with my first choice company. I was also able to make friends with all of my roommates and other's I met through networking around Madrid.

I would like to update my review about my experience with Adelante - I spent the first month of my trip living in a non-air-conditioned room that was actually assigned to me from the Spanish School nearby, Eureka. The last two weeks of my internship were spent taking classes with Eureka, and these two weeks of Spanish school are part of the deal that Adelante coordinates for you. Unfortunately, I had spent my last two weeks taking Spanish classes with Eureka rather than my first two weeks in Madrid, which is not what is advertised by Adelante. However, I believe this was the case due to the fact that most Spanish businesses are taking a break during the months of July-August; I also speak Spanish fairly well so this wasn't much of a problem, but this is something to keep in mind. To reiterate my point, I am updating my review because I realize that my "no AC complaint" was mostly out of Adelante's hands. Additionally, my negative experiences with the boss of my work placement aren't completely in Adelante's power as well, as Adelante's main job is to secure an internship placement, and I assume that they weren't made aware that my boss would make my work experience unenjoyable prior to placing me there. Adelante has also reached out reimburse my software license that I paid out of pocket, which I appreciate. In hindsight, I had a much better experience in Madrid than I initially described in my first review - if I could do another internship or job abroad I'd do it in a heartbeat, because any big city in Europe has a ton to offer, especially when you are young and developing your career and interests.

My time abroad in Madrid with Adelante abroad was an amazing experience. I couldn’t have been more grateful with the organization I was placed with, and the friends I made with others in the program. Being able to go to work with easy access to the metros and busses was perfect and added even more to the experience.

Doing Adelante Abroad was one of the best decisions I’ve made. The internship gave me real work experience, not just busywork, and pushed me to grow professionally and personally. Working in a different culture definitely took some adjusting, but it taught me a lot about flexibility and communication. Living in Madrid was unreal. The city has this energy—late nights, amazing food, and people who really know how to enjoy life. I learned to slow down, be present, and step out of my comfort zone every day. If you're looking for something beyond a basic study abroad, this is it.

I had a great time interning here in the centre of Madrid. The accommodation was right by the Sol metro station in the very heart of the city, which made travelling to whichever corner of Madrid easy and convenient. On top of that, you get to meet a range of people you would not see elsewhere (in the same place) while studying for two weeks in the language school. And the internship itself is a great opportunity to gain experience in a field that interests you—in my case, this was getting to work with kids and adults in an educational setting. Given that the hours are reasonable (20-ish per week), there are plenty of opportunities to enjoy the cultural life of the city, especially on the peripheries where fewer people visit. Overall, a great programme that you can adapt to your needs depending on how much time you have to invest. In my case, I used Adelante as part of my compulsory year abroad for my university degree, and the help received from the team in terms of admin and pre-departure information and communication was definitely a great help.

I had a wonderful time in Madrid, it was a beautiful city with so much to see. The culture and the language is amazing, I loved immersing myself into it. I met so many awesome people. I would love to visit again in the future.

I had an amazing experience with my programme in Madrid. They were professional, supportive, and made the whole process smooth, from placement to visa support. Working with a company in the heart of the city gave me real-world experience and helped me grow both personally and professionally. The language practice component was also super helpful in building confidence and fluency. I’d highly recommend this program to anyone looking to combine work experience with cultural immersion.

Okay so the first thing I can testify to is that Adelante Abroad is absolutely legit. My biggest fear with these things are being scammed-Adelante Abroad has been professional the whole way through. The interview process is quite smooth and the contacts are timely and very sweet. No disputes about money or any hidden fees or anything like that. They are also very affordable considering what other programs charge which is another reason I picked them. I like that they're not affiliated with any sort of university, they're a unique way to study abroad after college-an experience I always wanted but wasn't able to do until now! I also really love their flexibility-for the internship program you can pick how many months you want to intern, and they tailor the program to you. One bit of advice I would give is if you're picky about the sort of internship you want to do to be as involved as possible in the process, and respond timely to their emails. Something really nice they provide is a personal chaffeur from the airport when you land to where you'll be staying, which was so great not having to navigate foreign transportation after an international flight. Another thing they provided is two weeks of Spanish immeresion classes before your internship. Both of these things were included in the price. For me personally, my internship was in Music in Madrid. I'm a singer and wanted experience in the business side of things. For my particular internship, a large part of the work I did was online, so I took advantage and traveled to Portugal, Germany, and Morocco! Mandatory events I had to be in Madrid were musical events, some of which took place in churches and castles. I got along great with both my boss and my roommate thank goodness. I was provided really nice accomodations with a working professional near a metro in a very safe part of town. One thing I will say is this internship works well if you're very independent. They do not hold your hand and fill your schedule with things, so if you're very adventurous and free, like me,this program will be a good fit for you. If you want a set schedule with things constantly planned out for you, maybe not. If you're looking for something legit and affordable in a Spanish-speaking country to boost your resume and travel, I would recommend Adelante Abroad.

Studying and interning with Adelante Abroad in Madrid, Spain, was an incredible experience. The two-month program provided a unique blend of academic learning and hands-on work at a local NGO. I gained valuable insights into Spanish culture and language, while also contributing to meaningful projects that made a difference in the community. The staff and mentors were supportive and knowledgeable, creating an environment that encouraged growth and learning. The experience not only enhanced my professional skills but also enriched my personal perspective, making it an unforgettable journey.

I was volunteering in Spain as a language assistant at Kingsbrook, however it wasn’t exactly how I thought it would be. I thought I would be learning how to plan and organise lessons and help out more during classes with the kids. Thinking this would lead to teaching English in the future. I did not do any of this! I’m disappointed by how much money I paid and getting little in return back for a future job. I would not recommended using adelante abroad for your volunteer placements!

My experience abroad was fantastic, I had a great time. At first it was scary and I did not want to go out and it was difficult to go out for long periods of time because it was extremely hot, over 100 degrees Fahrenheit for my first two weeks in Madrid. I didn’t really like my internship for the first few days but then I got adjusted to it and I had fun. The Spanish courses at Eureka Academy were great, although I am a Native Spanish speaker I learned some new words and had a great time there. I was at a great location too, minutes away from Plaza Mayor, the Royal Palace and Gran Via. The other major attractions like the Prado Museum and Retiro Park were very close when taking the metro also. Overall great experience I loved it and loved Madrid.

I would recommend Adelante Abroad to anyone who is considering an internship abroad in Madrid. Was grateful for my two weeks at the language school (Eureka). Adelante Abroad takes the hassle out of interning abroad and sets up your placement and accommodations. My internship in Madrid helped me realize where to shift my focus to coming back to USA.

I have to admit, leaving my home for two months and living on the other side of the world was a scary experience at first. However, being faithful and excited about my experience, I dove into this new life of mine head-first. From the start, I realized how easy it was for me to transition into this new world due to my advanced Spanish skills. Everyone in Madrid was friendly, charismatic, and open to people from all over the world. Through the program at Eureka Spanish School, I met so many excellent people from all different walks of life: people older than me, younger than me, and all of them from different cultures and backgrounds. My living situation was a fun experience with a full house of students from Germany, England, Italy, France, and fellow Americans! We all got along so well and created friendships that will last a lifetime. As for my internship, I feel like I got placed in an incredible situation with Fernando Fanego. He was a joy to be around and the stories he taught me about his illustrious Law Career were stupendous. I indeed learned a lot from him about the career but also crucial lessons of life. By also exploring the city with my group of friends, I found so much appreciation for Madrid and Spain.

Last year in 2021, I decided to go back to school and go for my master’s degree in accounting and started applying for internships and jobs, but they never selected me due to my lack of experience. That is when I decided to apply for an Internship in Madrid. I was scared initially but willing to face and enjoy this new experience. I was supposed to take Spanish classes for the first two weeks, but I only took one week since Spanish is my first language. Everybody was friendly, and I met other students from different countries who were trying to learn Spanish and helped them practice. Within a week of arriving in Madrid, the program found an intern position for me at a film institute, where I learned a lot; I assisted with day-to-day financial transactions, including recording payments in their system. My place of work had a great environment, and everybody treated me like family. Overall, I had an excellent experience. When I was not working, I explored Madrid and other cities such as Segovia, Toledo, EL Escorial, Alcalá de Henares, and Barcelona. I even went to other countries such as Italy and Portugal. I also got to experience Christmas there, which was beautiful. Madrid was always full of life; there was always something to do. My apartment was in the heart of the city, a few steps away from Sol and it was very convenient. I loved walking around to Retiro Park all the time, loved having tapas, tinto de verano, and churros with chocolate. I also joined hiking groups and made two hiking trips to the mountains. We went to Monte Abantos in El Escorial and Sietes Picos in Cercedilla, which was an incredible experience; I met people from all over the world and shared our experiences. Furthermore, the housing situation was good; I shared an apartment with several other students whom I keep in contact with to this day. So, to conclude, I went back home and started applying for new jobs, and thanks to my experiences as an intern in Madrid, I received three offers. This experience was undoubtedly worth it and paid off – the best time of my life.

Living in Spain has been a dream of mine since I was younger. One day I came across Adelante Abroad and knew that was my opportunity to do so. I have loved the culture and people in Madrid more than I could have ever imagined. My internship has also been a great experience, as it is in the same field I have been in, being able to work in Spanish now fully is the best experience I could have gotten. I also love how much more relaxing the work environment is than in the US. Finally, being here has made me even more independent than I ever have been. Having to be there for myself, and not knowing people here really makes you get out of your comfort zone more. I have been able to make so many friends and memories traveling around to other parts of Spain and Europe. If you are someone who has been wanting to move abroad and get work and life experience, I highly recommend this program!

I had a lot of fun during my 3 month stay in Madrid. With my travel card I was able to visit towns outside of Madrid on the weekends when I had some spare time after my internship work. Unfortunately, I was not able to get the exact work experience that I wanted. However, the experience was nevertheless joyful. I met new friends and had a lot of fun learning Spanish at school. The biggest negative, however, was the housing. In the apartments no one had air conditioning - just fans. The fans did not help much, and it was horrible during the heatwave. Overall, it was excellent.

Coming to Madrid for 3 months was the best decision I ever made. I have made friends with people from around the world and have greatly improved my Spanish. This was my first time living by myself, and I can safely say that it has prepared me for university and for future life, as I have had to cook, clean and food-shop for myself. I loved living in and experiencing the culture of Spain!

Living in Spain change my life. I cannot be more grateful with Adelante Abroad because they offered an one lifetime experience. I learned how to be more independent and meet amazing people along the way. The job and position that I was offered gave the conditions and the push I need to start growing professionally and mentally. I would like for others to find courage and take this chance in their life because I promise they will not regret it.

I really enjoyed my time abroad! My internship placement was really nice and my housing placement was in a perfect spot right in the center of Madrid. I would definitely recommend this program if you are looking for a laid-back and fun experience!

This was a life changing opportunity and Adelante Abroad made it possible. I encourage anyone that is able to take advantage of this company and their services. It has been the best 6 months and I have learned so much!

My Internship in Madrid was one of the best things I did. As part of my Year Abroad for University I participated in this programme with Adelante and even during Covid I managed to experience a fulfilled work environment in a bakery. Adelante and Eureka both advertise a variety of social outings and gatherings which was also greatly appreciated in the first few weeks.

This is my 6th week in Madrid and honestly I love it. This is not only my first time in Madrid, but also Europe so naturally I was pretty nervous. However, Adelante was very insightful and specific when answering my questions. I love my apartment. The location is in the middle of the city with many shops and right by two train stops. My internship placement was directly related to my previous work experience. My supervisor was very kind and a true inspiration. You can tell she’s truly passionate about her business. Ángel, the director in Madrid, was literally an angel because he helped with every question and concern I had. He really does care for the students and interns. There’s an overall support system here. I look forward to working with Adelante in the future.

Overall, I had a great experience with Adelante. The housing is an excellent location, the Spanish classes before the internship are taught by fluent and kind Spanish professors, and my internship itself was a 10 minute walk away from my housing with coworkers who were intent on helping me learn and help in the pharmacy. I was sent resources by the Adelante staff prior and during my departure to help me cope with the transition better, although I do wish they had sent me my placement earlier on to help me be more mentally prepared for my work. Angel, the program director in Spain, tends to be slightly scatterbrain and confused sometimes because he is running a Spanish school in addition to being the liaison between Adelante students and staff, but he is very kind and helpful, especially if you call or go into the Eureka school to see him or the other staff. I do wish Adelante had provided more opportunities to make friends earlier on, such as hosting a Eureka/Adelante dinner monthly and had been more clear on the excursions that would be offered by Eureka prior to departure. However, you can definitely make friends with people in the language school or your roommates or outside Facebook groups if you put in the effort. For the price, the value of the Adelante program - with 2 weeks of school, excellent housing location, and an internship - is very high!

I spent 2 months in Madrid working in a LGBT public health office. My experience living in this beautiful city was phenomenal being that I was immersed in Spanish culture. The nightlife is amazing, as you'd imagine, and I made great friends both inside and outside the program. We loved visiting other Spanish cities as well as Portugal whenever we got the chance. I really enjoyed my time at the Spanish school as everyone was extremely supportive and I learned a lot in a short period of time. All my coworkers were also lovely and helped me improve my Spanish skills throughout my time there. I do feel that it is important to mention though that you should take the Spanish language skill required by adelante seriously. Some internships do require a higher level of speaking and if you are dishonest with adelante about your ability there isn't much they can do to help if your boss becomes dissatisfied. Additionally, I will say that my expectations were not fully met on the adelante side. My original desire was to work in a hospital or clinic and although the backup plan of public health was established over the phone and I agreed to it, I got the sense that the Plan B discussed became the default for myself and the other interns I spoke to. I believe I only met 2 interns that were fully satisfied with their work placement and received their Plan A. However, in this situation I believe you get what you pay for being that adelante is securing an internship for you even if its not ideal. To me and many of the others this didn't end up being a big issue as we grew to like our placements, but if youre passionate about working in one specific area to really build your resume, adelante may not be the right fit. Conclusion: Adelante provided me with the opportunity to live and work in Madrid which was most definitely one of the best experiences of my life. I feel as if the internship placement could have been better, but being the most affordable program I found, I'm far from dissatisfied.

I did an internship in Madrid from June 2018 - August 2018 at a local Non-Profit Organization called ACULCO. I am very pleased with the placement given to me by Adelante. My co-workers were amazing and kind. Madrid, as a city itself, is incredibly rich in culture. The museums there are top-notch and the nightlife is insane! One thing that I had a hard time with in Madrid was how insanely hot it can be in the summer, for one week it did not go below 85 degrees! The housing given by Adelante did not have A/C (many buildings in Europe just don't come equipped with A/C so it is not really Adelante's fault.) I also was not placed near Sol - where most Adelante students are placed - but instead was housed in Tetuan, a working-class neighborhood in northern Madrid. This actually was a very good thing since I was exposed to a much less touristic side of the city. In other words, it felt like the 'true' Madrid. I also lived with other students from all over Europe! Italy, Spain, and Germany. It was an amazing chance to be able to live in a flat with students from around Europe. It also pushed me to speak Spanish all the time since I was the only American in the flat. Thankfully, the last month when my other flatmates left, an American student moved in and we became good friends. I really thank Adelante for giving me this opportunity to be able to live in Spain for three months. It truly opened my eyes to see how different life can be outside of the United States. As a Mexican - American, it also opened my eyes to how diverse and beautiful the Spanish language is. I highly recommend Adelante! What I do hope for Adelante to do is to coordinate more social gatherings for Adelante candidates to meet each other. Since I was not in actual Adelante housing, it was sometimes hard to meet other Adelante interns and Americans. It probably was a good thing that I was not exposed to as much English but it would've been nice to have met other students in the program.

I did an internship through Adelante Abroad in Madrid and had an AMAZING experience! My internship was in international marketing and loved every second of it. I took skills and things that I don´t think I would have been able to gain working in the United States. I learned how to work in a new work setting in a different country, my co-workers have become great friends of mine AND all the traveling I got to experience. After I graduated I tried to find a job and chose to do an internship with Adelante because 1. I get to travel 2. I´m only builind great work experience to my resume 3. I have the rest of my life to work so why not!

I studied digital marketing in Madrid for three months this summer, and it was such an amazing experience! I would highly recommend this program. I met so many great people, and I was able to travel in the weekends with many of them. My boss was so kind and accommodating, and the program coordinators were very helpful as well. I was very hesitant in doing this program at first, but I have 0 regrets. Such a wonderful opportunity to study, travel, and make friends!

I was in Madrid from mid-May until the end of July doing the Event Planning Internship. I didn't know quite what to expect from Madrid and the program but I had an AMAZING time, better than expected. To begin with, I couldn't imagine meeting such awesome people and I was fortunate enough to meet friends I would consider life-long friends. The program is small enough that you have the great opportunity to meet and become close with people you would not have ever expected to meet from all of the world! Adelante places you in the heart of Madrid which was also a wonderful experience to be surrounded by such liveliness, there was so many things to do at all hours of the day/night. The internship was a cool experience! it was interesting to see how work is done in Spain and expand my skills abroad. It helped me figure out what I want to do as a career back in the states. The program was a great amount of freedom but also they check up on you and Angel, the intern advisory for Adelante was so kind and helpful! I highly recommend this program! Best of the best!

I did a two month journalism internship through Adelante with an English language magazine in Madrid called Guidepost Magazine. Overall, my experience with Adelante and my internship was excellent. The housing provided was great and the logistics such as airport pickup went smoothly. An internship with Adelante is great for someone who does not need someone checking in on them constantly. While I always knew the Adelante staff were available to help me with any problems, I had very minimal contact with them and felt very independent during my stay. Also, the two weeks of language classes that were included were incredibly helpful. As someone who went into the internship with a high level of Spanish, I was skeptical at first about the required two weeks of classes. However, the staff at the language school are great and they have classes for all levels. All classes are 100% in Spanish, and there are other international students there who are learning Spanish as well so it's a great environment to feel comfortable practicing your language skills. As far as my actual internship is concerned, I did not completely get what I wanted out of it, but it was still a great experience. My goal for this program was to be put in an internship where I would be in a Spanish-speaking environment every day, but it was more of a freelance journalism type of job. I had to go around the city and attend events, but didn't necessarily have the constant language emersion that I wanted. Nonetheless, it was not that big of a deal for me because I already went into the internship knowing how to speak Spanish, and I was able to have several articles published in English that will look great on a resume. However, I would not recommend my specific internship for someone who really needed to learn Spanish. I do not blame Adelante for any of this though, as I think they did in a way give me what I asked for. All in all, I think Adelante is a great and affordable program for independent students looking for valuable work experiences!

I wish I had the words to describe how impactful this internship was. I was living and working in Madrid Spain for 6 months for an International Business internship. Something I am so happy I was able to do while I was abroad was to completely invest 110% myself into the country I was living in. One piece of advice I would have is do not be afraid to learn the language, experience the culture and get to know the locals. I met so many incredible people from Madrid and life-long friends I know I will have from here on out. I also met so many awesome people but struggled living abroad because they let the fear of not knowing the language or living somewhere new scare them. Stop. Do not be one of those people. Take chances. Do things that are out of your comfort zones. And be present in the moment. You will be so happy you did once the internship is over. One of my favorite memories was traveling alone throughout Europe when given the opportunity. I did make a lot of awesome friends, however, I had plans of traveling alone and I am so happy I did. You learn so much about yourself when you travel alone. You get quality alone time with yourself and can focus on you and your needs. You meet so many great people along the way and can see the world around you without distractions. If I had any advice for future participants, take a trip alone to experience the world around you. Now that I am done with my internship, I am looking doing my Master's degree in Madrid in International Business and I am so excited to continue this experience and hopefully move back to my favorite city in the word.

I had a great time during my 5-month internship in Madrid. The Adelante team placed me at a top firm in Madrid that was a perfect fit for what I had asked. I grew a lot as a professional, met some really amazing people and saw some incredible places in Spain and Europe. My international experience helped my resumé stand out to prospective employers and I landed my first post-graduation job as soon as I got back home. Thanks to the Adelante team for their amazing service and I would definitely recommend this program to anyone!

Interning in Madrid was one of the most exciting and enriching experiences of my life. I learnt so much during my internship and met incredible people along the way. It helped me figure out that this is exactly what I want to do as a career. The Adelante staff could not have been more supportive, we had our every need met. The language school here was also amazing and most definitely helped me improve my Spanish in the two weeks. The other interns I was living with were all wonderful people and I have definitely made friends for life. I could not recommend this more!

I had a wonderful time working in Madrid at a spare parts distributor for high tech manufacturing equipment. The people I worked with gave me real tasks to do and I was treated as an employee and friend, not as a visitor who would leave soon. I made great friendships with my coworkers as well as the people I lived with. The travel opportunities are almost endless and you'll meet some awesome people staying in hostels. Adelante was incredibly accommodating as I had applied somewhat last minute. The staff work closely with you to find an internship that is highly relevant to your area of study. I was recently hired as an intern at a large US based company and I drew heavily on this experience throughout the interview process. If you're on the fence, just go and I promise you won't regret it.

Stayed in Madrid for a social work internship and it was one of the best experiences of my life. The program sets you up with a great fit for your career choice, and they were very helpful with answering any questions before & after the program! Everyone should do this experience, especially since it's one of the cheapest & best programs to go abroad! Met a lot of amazing people and got the chance to travel around Europe, 10/10 recommend! -Maria C.

First off, I’m glad I made this decision; the decision to move to Madrid, expand my knowledge of their cultural lifestyle, building bonds with the locals and the other Adelante members, interning and working with great people, and overall living out a life changing experience, Adelante made all of this possible and I can’t thank them enough. Adelante does a great job of making this transition a very smooth one. They constantly check up to see how everything is and update you on local events that may occur. I have no legitimate complaint about living in Madrid. The food is amazing, the locals are friendly, and everything is extremely accessible and convenient. I highly recommend Adelante 100%, and would definitely do it all over again.

My Madrid summer with Adelante was amazing. As a graduate student, I was worried that this program wouldn't be rigorous enough for me but I am happy to say I was wrong. My internship was so practical and, unlike in the US, I was given responsibility on projects and trusted with complex tasks that were presented to clients. My Spanish also improved more than I expected it to and now I feel comfortable talking to any Spanish speaker! Part of the draw of Adelante is all the planning they do for you before you even set foot in the country and it was such a relief to not have to try to find housing or get an interview for the job I worked for. If you want to go abroad, experience a new culture and get seriously good experience, Adelante is for you.

I had a great time in Madrid! I already speak Spanish so I was able to live with four girls (who were not on Adelante) from various countries and communicate entirely in Spanish (some of them didn't speak English at all). My internship shadowing Dr Enrique Rojas was wonderful and I learned so much about psychology and psychiatry. I sat in on most of Dr. Rojas' sessions, received lessons during free time, and even conducted a few one-on-one sessions with patients on my own. The social-life was also great, I fell in love with Madrid as a city and can't wait to go back as soon as possible! As a side note (this is neither good nor bad): I wanted to be very independent on this program and I was able to be (especially because I was not housed in Adelante apartments). I lived abroad for almost half of my life growing up and have been to over 35 countries so I loved that, but I would caution others who might not feel as comfortable navigating a new city/language/culture to live in non-adelante housing because you receive a lot less support.

I spent five months with Adelante in Madrid and already knew I would miss it after the first few days. It has been really an experience of a lifetime because not only did I learn about my field in my job but I also made some incredible friends and some incredible memories.

I had an awesome time with Adelante! This was my first time in Europe and they definitely helped me to have a great time. I decided to take a year off school for personal reasons, so I signed up for Adelante to stay in Madrid for six months and it was a blast. All the staff that I talked to were super helpful, both while I was applying and during my stay. The housing was awesome. The apartment itself was just fine, but the location was amazing. I was living right in the center of the city, which was incredible, there was so much to do nearby (Adelante has several locations in Madrid, so you may not get this location depending on how far in advance you apply). It was also really nice having roommates, as they were some of my best friends while I was there. I found the language classes offered in the program to be pretty helpful. I continued to take classes while I was there, just not at the same school that works with Adelante, as their prices are a bit high. The internship, while not the highlight of my stay, was definitely interesting and helpful. I worked for a financial consulting company that analyzed the US stock market. I didn't know anything about the market before I came, but working in the office for 6 months definitely helped me pick up a few things, although I would have liked to learn more. All in all, I highly recommend Adelante. I personally feel that living abroad is an experience that everyone should have, and Adelante is a pretty awesome way to do just that.

Absolutely the experience of a lifetime!!! I was terrified before I left and almost bailed because of my anxiety about going somewhere totally new where I wouldn't know anyone coupled with some Visa issues. But the staff (and my Dad) were voices of reason and got me set to leave. And basically from the moment I arrived- everything was great. I highly recommend living in the housing with other Adelante/international students in Madrid. Definitely some of my best friends were my roommates, but also there is so much going on in Madrid all you have to do is take the initiative to walk outside and you'll meet the greatest people! It's right in the center of the city by so many bars/shops/clubs/transportation hubs/gyms/etc etc etc. Some of the appliances are pretty old and sometimes don't work great (ie microwave, washer, etc), but it's well furnished and equipped with pots/pans which is great. The language school classes before the internship were definitely helpful as a kind of adjustment period. My one complaint is I wish I knew more about my actual internship position before I actually started. I only found out maybe a few weeks before I started what company I was even working for, and even so really was not prepared for the type of work I would be doing. Adelante stresses business casual attire until otherwise noted by supervisor, so I came to Spain with that wardrobe in mind only to find out I needed primarily swim and athletic wear. That being said my co-workers were extremely patient with my Spanish (my bosses did not speak English- another thing I was unaware of before showing up for my first day) and I really loved going in everyday to work with the autistic kids. After arriving home, all I want to do is go back and my Dad likes to remind and tease me about how I didn't want to go and thought I would be happier just doing a regular semester in Boston because the semester abroad was really the greatest one of my life. So JUST DO IT (you're aloud to be scared- but take that leap).

I was very hesitant to do a program like this but I am so happy I did! From the beginning, the Adelante staff was nothing but helpful. I had over a million questions and I am pretty sure I emailed Jeramee about 5 times a day and she replied every single time. They keep you updated (and calm) while you're in the states and continuously check in while you're abroad. The staff in Madrid is awesome as well and will always help if you need anything. For the first two weeks you're in language classes for about 4 hours a day which may seem long but they are necessary. I was slightly annoyed because I thought I wouldn't need two weeks of Spanish classes considering I took Spanish for 3 years but I definitely needed them. The teachers are great and the classes improve your Spanish, I wish I could have taken them the entire time I was here. The only critique I have is the housing situation. For me, I was only there for 6 weeks so I sucked up and dealt with it but others have been here for months at a time and it's not really fair. The room wasn't entirely clean when I arrived and the bathroom was dirty and had a few bugs so a flat mate and I had to clean it. Also it says there's a maid but there isn't so don't expect new sheets or someone cleaning the floors, it's all you. But that has nothing to with program, it's the people running the school. However, the apartment is located in the heart of Sol so you're close to everything: food, shops, metro, school and entertainment. It's also pretty easy to make friends because most people are doing this program alone. I made friends that I know I'll have for a lifetime. And as for the best part of my experience: the internship. I would NEVER have been able to get an internship like the one I have here in America. I was able to get hands on experience, work with an amazing foundation and meet the kindest people. I know I'll still remain in contact with them in the future. Overall, I highly recommend this program. The staff, the location, the experience, it's all worth it. I feel like I grew a lot as a person through this program and learned from talented professionals. The other nice thing about this intern abroad program is you're not working all day everyday so you have plenty of time to explore the city as well as other cities which I recommend as well. If you want to do something for yourself that will benefit your professional, academic and personal life, this is the program for you.

I did marketing in an office for a winery and at first I had decent amount of work to do and then everyone started going on vacation and I had to make up work for me to do. This helped me to be independent and to become decently educated on wine which was something I did not know much about. The Spanish course with Eureka was extremely helpful and the staff there was amazing. They also had excursions to different museums and cities. This was my first time in Europe so I went on different excursions to different countries and it was the best time of my life and I met people from all over the world that have beautiful and interesting perspectives on life. I would say the only downfall was the that the staff from adelante were not helpful at all when I had any problems and were not responsive. I thought it was their job to reply to our problems but they were very lazy dealing with certain issues. I think interning abroad with any program will look amazing on a resume and will be an experience of a lifetime the way it was from. However I would not suggest adelante due to their capabilities of solving issues.

I interned in Madrid for the past two months through the Adelante Abroad program. Adelante essentially sets everything up for you prior to arrival including your internship placement and housing and then you are basically on your own. My girlfriend and I both took part in the Adelante program and were able to live together in an incredibly nice apartment set up by Adelante in a very nice neighborhood of Madrid. It was definitely a relief having an apartment with zero issues, making Madrid instantly feel like home. The Adelante program starts off with two weeks at the Eureka language school where you are completely immersed in Spanish, with zero english speaking allowed in the school. Having very little Spanish background prior to this summer I was definitely overwhelmed in the first 15 minutes at Eureka, but that went away by the end of the first day and I really enjoyed the school and lessons. I actually wish there was someway that the program could work in additional time at Eureka into the 8 week program rather than just the two weeks in the beginning, but I understand that would be difficult with the internship hours the last 6 weeks. I have a fairly unique major in college, making it somewhat difficult to find an internship placement in Madrid, but Adelante placed me with Sotavento Consultores, a financial consulting firm doing market research analysis and I was very happy with my experience at Sotavento. I was basically independent on my own projects for the entirety of the six weeks interning at Sotavento, allowing me to take on as much as I wanted in terms of workload. The work place is certainly different in Spain than the United States, but Im very grateful to have had the opportunity to see how business is conducted in Spain and to give insight on business in the United States. I did a significant amount of research before traveling to Spain and decided to purchase an Eurail pass for traveling on weekends and I am incredibly glad I did. I was able to spend two weekends in Barcelona, a weekend in Valencia, San Sebastian and Granada as well as a day in Segovia all without worrying about the cost of point to point train tickets. My time traveling on weekends was definitely one of the highlights of the trip, and I would recommend other Adelante candidates do the same as you will have plenty of time to explore Madrid during the week days after your internship and in the one or two weekends you spend here when not traveling. Spain is a beautiful country and each region looks and feels entirely different, definitely something worth experiencing. While Madrid was not my favorite city I visited in Spain, I was very glad I chose to do the Adelante program here rather than another city for several reasons: 1)Spanish is much more common in Madrid than other cities. From my experience, it appeared that Madrid had much less English speakers which made learning and speaking Spanish much more important and necessary, something I definitely wanted from an abroad program. While in Barcelona I felt like I heard more English than Spanish or Catalan, definitely not the case in Madrid. 2) Madrid is centrally located in Spain. It was very convenient to be within a 5 hour train ride of every city I wanted to visit, making it possible to see as much of Spain as I did. 3) Madrid is the heart and hub of Spain. From a professional point of view, Madrid definitely had the feel of a big business city most similar to what a businessman is likely to encounter while leaving home for work in the U.S, giving me additional experience in how best to navigate big cities, which is infinitely different than what I grew up around. The Adelante program is definitely not the typical summer abroad experience from what I read about from other programs online prior to choosing Adelante, but that is not a bad thing. The cost of Adelante was definitely cheaper than any other programs I came across, and this is probably due to the independence the program includes. You will feel as connected to Adelante or as independent in a foreign country as you choose. My girlfriend and I essentially had no contact with Adelante aside from the weekly or biweekly emails they send, and I was completely okay with that, while I understand others may want more of a structured program. If structure is what you are looking for than Adelante probably isn't the right program, but if you want to get a real world experience in a foreign city where you can basically do what you want when you want to do it then I would recommend Adelante. I was a big fan of not having oversight while abroad as it forced me to figure everything out on my own. Adelante was definitely the best program for the best price for what I was hoping to get from a summer abroad, and without a doubt the most valuable experience I've had in my life. Having never been abroad aside from the Caribbean, I was very nervous to leave the U.S, but as im getting ready to leave Spain in another day I cannot wait to figure out where I will travel to next.

This summer I was able to intern in Madrid through Adelante Abroad who set up my placement & housing in this beautiful city. Even though my original placement was not what I wished to do, they were able to find me another placement that fit my needs better & that I could intern at. Overall, my experience was great & I would recommend interning at Madrid because of its great atmosphere & enriching culture!

I was placed in Adelante's medical program in Madrid, Spain, for two months during their summer session. My housing was in the heart of Madrid, located in Puerta del Sol. The apartment was fine for a short stay, nothing extremely special about it, but you do get your own room which is great; there were 6 bedrooms in my apartment with 2 bathrooms to share between the roommates. My roommates were in other program areas with Adelante, but we got along great and they are really what made my trip special. My internship placement was with a sports medicine surgeon, and I was allowed to view consults and surgeries, giving me a great medical experience before applying to med school. I learned a lot from my trip!

By far the best decision I could've made! Adelante handled all the details of my program and set up 2 weeks at the language school Eureka prior to beginning my internship. I was then placed at Clinica Centro and have the priviledge to work alongside some of the best surgeons! The staff was extremely welcoming and they truly made me feel at home. It was a great way to practice my Spanish and some of the staff spoke English so it made learning so much easier. I was surprised at how hands on it would be and I scrubbed in just about every surgery. I found myself working 12 hour work days (minimum requirement 4-5 hrs) because of how much I loved it. The biggest recommendation I could pass on would be to live with Spanish roommates as opposed to Adelante candidates. It gives you so much more of an opportunity to learn, grow, practice your spanish, and definitely get out of your comfort zone!

My internship in Madrid was exactly what I was looking for! My university has a co-op program where we work for a semester instead of taking classes. Unfortunately, as my school does not have a translation major, there were almost no translation co-ops available. Adelante Abroad was one of the only outside options that I saw that guaranteed that I would be actually translating for my co-op as opposed to teaching English. What's more, they quickly let me know that I could either work for a translation agency, or as a translator for a company. I quickly went from having no options to having an abundance of them! What's great about Adelante is that they are with you every step of the way. I never felt alone when applying for a visa, arranging flights, starting my internship, or at any other point during my time in Madrid. I did a five month program working for a translation agency. It was exactly what I wanted: the opportunity to work in close proximity with other translators. As an added bonus there were always other interns working alongside me from different countries in Europe, meaning I got a lot of exposure to different languages. It was always great helping my new friends out with any questions about English as they translated into French, Italian, German, and of course, Spanish. The office environment was incredibly laid back and I absolutely loved it. Since my contract was for 20 hours a week, the agency let me have any extra hours I worked as vacation time. I worked so many extra hours I had time to go explore Germany, England, France, Belgium, and the Netherlands, in addition to areas of Spain. They even let me finish my co-op a week early so I could show my mom and sister around my new home! Having extensively studied Spanish both in school and abroad in Argentina, language was not much of an issue. Still, the two weeks at the Eureka school were great! It was a really helpful way to ensure that I was getting back in the swing of speaking Spanish every day. Being in the highest level class, the grammar was a little complex, and wasn't something that I ever really remember using. The conversation half class time was great however! The activities were fun, we got to meet a variety of different teachers and hear the different ways they talked, and all the teachers were really helpful with making sure we were learning. The best part for me was learning the differences between the Spanish in Spain and the Mexican/Argentine Spanish I had learned previously (things like they don't say "boletos" over there, etc). Of all the Spanish courses I've ever taken, Eureka was definitely the best, and I would recommend it to anybody, even if they weren't looking to do an internship with Adelante. My housing was through a company that rents apartments to students, so I was with other (non-Adelante) students either studying or working in Madrid. I lived with students from Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, France, and India. None were native English speakers, but most spoke English decently (and wanted to practice), so we spoke a combination of Spanish and English. We all got along extremely well. The housing was a about a 30 minute metro ride from Sol, which was absolutely perfect for me- the neighborhood was quiet and close to my co-op. I walked to work every morning and back home afterwards, which was great exercise. The apartment was cleaned weekly and any problems were fixed fairly quickly. They even bought us new frying pans when we complained that our old ones were bent! Adelante is absolutely perfect for getting you an internship in any field that you want, while also giving you the freedom to explore a new country or continent!

My internship located in Madrid, Spain, through Adelante Abroad was absolutely phenomenal. I had the once in a lifetime opportunity to work in an orthopedic/trauma hospital called Clinica CEMTRO, alongside some of the top orthopedic surgeons in Europe. There, I was exposed to the ins and outs of life as a surgeon, as I spent my days shadowing doctors both in patient consultations and in the operating room. As a result, I often ended up working between 9-14 hours a day; instead, of only 4-5 as I had expected. I was able leave whenever I wanted, however, I wanted to make the most of my 3-month internship. It was also by working such long hours, that I was truly able to build better relationships with my colleagues and supervisors. Prior to beginning my internship, I studied Spanish throughout high school and then for two weeks at the Eureka language school. Despite this however, I still had great difficulty communicating with the patients, nurses and doctors. As a result, this working environment truly challenged me to improve my Spanish language abilities. Now that I have completed my program, I can confidently say that I am able to read, write, and converse at a much more advanced level The knowledge that I gained in the past three months is incomparable to that which I gained after 6 years of studying the language in school. During my time in Madrid, I lived in a quaint apartment located in the heart of city. Constantly surrounded by people, cultures and attractions, I was able to truly experience its vibrant nature. It is often said that New York is "The City That Never Sleeps", but anyone who says that, has clearly never gone to Madrid. Whether it was going for tapas and cerveza (beer), spending the day at one of the many museums, or dancing the night away at a nearby salsa club, there was never a dull moment. Overall, this was a truly invaluable experience, and I can now say that I certainly want to become a doctor, and possibly a surgeon due to my internship experience. I would definitely encourage anyone seeking career exploration, an adventure, and personal growth to pursue an internship position through Adelante.

Adelante's program in Madrid is one of the finest internship-abroad experiences one could ask for. The program has situated itself with ideal living conditions, located directly in the heart of the city (basically in puerta del sol). Madrid itself is a city with tons of things to do, people to meet, and culture to be explored, so, for one, you will never be bored. I chose to intern in the international business sector, working for a company called IFEMA, organizing international professional fairs. Working in a spanish company was quite invaluable to my maturation as an adult as well as an employee. Your spanish and language skills improve immensely and you learn how to integrate in a foreign culture. On top of that, adelante's internship hour regulations allow you ample time to explore other activities and meet new people and travel within Europe. Its an incredibly individual experience and one that, i believe, is quite invaluable to any student looking for something more, something different.

I stayed with Adelante for 2 months in Madrid, doing a placement with a local psychiatrist. I had a bit of an unusual situation therefore I have started my internship before finishing my language classes (which being honest wasn’t a smart move but there was no other option due to time constraints). Important to note, that I did study Spanish before but my level was far from fluent. I will break review in three parts so it is easier to follow. Internship Internship itself was amazing! Exactly what I wanted and what I expected: to be exposed to a private clinical setting, covering a range of problems starting from family crises finishing with schizophrenia. The doctor himself and his crew were very supportive and friendly, which I think is quite important especially for a new person which doesn’t really know Spanish. During the month, my comprehension skills rocketed up as well as reading ones, doctor would ask you to read A LOT ( a piece of advice for someone doing the same placement is to read beforehand his books, it will greatly assist during your internship and in general in your future career). During the session with a patient, Doctor will explain his/hers diagnosis, share his opinion regarding the matter and would let to ask any question. Also you would have an opportunity to be present and sometimes even interview yourself various patients, complete there profile and participate in a psychotherapy. Sometimes when Doctor wasn’t available, someone from other doctors will invite to the differential diagnosis of his/hers patients. From the negative side, I can highlight only the fact that most of the time instead of finishing at 3 or 4, I would finish at 7 or 8 which in my opinion is a bit too much for an unpaid internship. However, I have been interning only for a month so I decided to make the most of it but someone else who would want to do this internship for longer might want to consider to clarify this. At work no one seemed to be bothered with timing at all, I was told “leave whenever you feel tired”. But at the end it looks like such attitude is common among Spanish people, they are very chilled (at least the ones I have met). Other aspect is language, I should have definitely taken classes before because talking to the patients was tough, my Spanish was very rusty. Also you have to be prepared that sometimes patients would not want to talk in front of you therefore you would have to wait sometimes for a good 2-3hours. Housing I lived near Puerta del Sol with Adelante and Eureka (language school)students. The location is amazing, it is literally the central centre, all the touristic attractions, shops and nightlife are hand away from you. My apartment was very spacious with 5 more people living in, this might sound like quite a lot but in fact everyone seemed to co-exist very well. Throughout 2 months no one had any problem with anyone, a very peaceful atmosphere. The massive downside was, as stated below, an air conditioner and unbearable heat during summer. It was so hot, even inferno would look like a ski resort. When I complained about it to the landlord, I was immediately given a fan, despite being very quick to react, I personally think that at such possibility of overheating air conditioners should be installed. Ironically there were air conditioner units but they didn’t work at any room. Therefore a piece of advice, do internship when it is not too hot and if you choose to do it in a summer, consider looking for an apartment with an air conditioner. Language School I have been to two language schools before in Madrid and I think genuinely speaking that it is not the best one. The director (also a landloard) is very helpful and sorts out problems instantly but if judging school I would give it a solid C, at least for the time I have spent (2 weeks). I completely agree with a review below that Eureka would work best for long-term students or complete beginners, it is not intense enough for short-term users. Conclusion Amazing Internship, good housing (even despite dysfunctional air conditioner), not bad language school. I think you do get value for money here.

My experience with Adelante was very mixed, with some positive notes and some negative notes. I chose to live in the Adelante housing. The location was right next to Puerta del Sol, a great central location with lots of restaurants, shopping, and good transportation links nearby. However, as I was there during the summer, and this summer was particularly hot even by Madrid standard, living without air conditioning was extremely difficult. At one point, I came down with heat exhaustion just from laying on the couch, because the apartment was that hot. To make matters worse, there was an air conditioning unit, but it didn’t work. I asked about it, Eureka, the owner of the apartment about it, and there was no possibility of getting it fixed, so I was left to be taunted by a broken air conditioning, showing that it was possible to have air conditioning there, but yet there was no AC. In short, the Adelante housing is great, as long as you aren’t there during the summer. The first two weeks were spent at the Eureka language school. I could tell that Eureka is a great school, and I appreciated the organized excursions during the first two weeks of my program. However, the structure of Eureka does not work for students who are there for only two weeks. It is designed for students to study there for months at a time. When I signed up for a program that included intensive language classes, I expected an intensive review of Spanish. Instead, I was placed into a class covering material I learned in high school, with people who were learning the material for the first time. So when I needed 15-20 minutes review per topic, I was instead forced to spend 4 days on it, and covered very little material in the time I was there. On a positive note, being just down the street from Eureka, who served as the landlord for the apartment, made it convenient when I had a problem, such as when the wifi stopped down and I needed them to fix it. The internship was not what I was hoping for. I am interested in international relations, and was hoping for an internship that would allow me to explore career options related to international relations. I was placed at an NGO that related to my interest in international relations in name only. I worked in their marketing department, which had very little work for me to do, and I also find marketing to be extremely boring and not enriching enough for my interests. I spent many days just scrolling through news site or reading a book, feeling like I was just warming a desk. On the days that I did have something to do, it was merely translating documents to English or making Photoshop projects, bearing little resemblance to the internship that I had hoped for. I found myself in a marketing internship, which was not what I wanted, and I was extremely bored for 4 hours a day for 6 weeks. This is what the positive element of Adelante comes in: their support. At one point, my frustration with my internship placement led me to email Adelante to ask for advice about how to handle it, and they immediately intervened in the situation. They asked Antonio, the intern advisor, to talk to my boss about it to save me from the awkwardness of talking to her about it myself. When he was unable to reach her via phone, he actually came into the office to talk to her. When she acknowledged that they didn’t have much for me to do, he arranged 2 interviews for me at other companies. Neither of the companies I interviewed with felt like a good match, so I decided to stick with my original company. Although not much ended up improving with internship placement, I really appreciated the support Adelante gave me, and it was nice to know that they tried. It’s easy to dwell on the negative aspects of the program, but generally I had a very positive experience in Spain, but much of the positive experience took place outside of my class or my internship. It was what I made of it. I knew I wanted to be left with a positive impression of Spain, so I made sure to make it positive, by making friends and spending my time doing the things that interested me, whether that was going to see a movie in Spanish or traveling on the weekend. My Spanish improved exponentially during the two months that I was there. Even though my internship wasn’t perfect, being placed into an environment in which I was the only non-Spaniard improved my Spanish in a way that it could have never been improved from taking a Spanish class. I grew a lot from this experience, growth that I never would have experienced if I had stayed in the US for the summer.

My time in Madrid was wonderful, but what everybody needs to know and what I quickly learned is that your experience abroad depends almost entirely on what you make it. The first two weeks of classes went fine. I was placed in an intermediate class "because I had been taught Latin American Spanish and I could brush up on some basics," but I felt that I didn't learn all that much. The classes were geared towards the people that were there long term, since we spent the whole two weeks going over direct and indirect pronouns during the grammar section. I thought that we would be getting more of an intensive overview of Spanish grammar to remember the main points, but the conversation section was great to learn new vocabulary and get used to speaking Spanish again! After the two weeks of classes, I started out at one company that ended up being a horrible fit, but Adelante quickly helped me to find another placement at IFEMA (Feria de Madrid). It's a huge business, and it was an incredible experience to work at such a big company while still a student. I had a few projects to do, but I also had a lot of downtime where I browsed the internet to kill time. Some of this could probably be attributed to the slower summer season and my short time there, but if I were to re-do my summer I would probably choose something more hands on. I did a lot of Spanish writing, but I feel like I did not get to practice my spoken Spanish as much as I would have liked to. I traveled a little bit since I was on a tight budget, but I definitely want to come back to see more. Madrid is filled with endless shops, restaurants, bars, and clubs, and I tried my best to check out the most popular places and some of the more obscure ones as well.

I spent 2 month in Madrid and it was amazing. I loved the people, the language, the culture, the night life, the city, everything, I would love to be here. This was my first trip to Europe. Adelante made my job much easier traveling to Madrid by acting as the middle man, setting up my housing, schooling for 2 weeks, and internship. Without them I probably couldn't have found an internship being from California and not know anyone or anything in Madrid, however the internship turned out to be mostly me staring at my desk, not doing anything, pretty big disappointment, I think my boss talked to me maybe three times, and everyone else was busy at their desks. But I didn't complain to my bosses because I was very busy setting up my new life in Los Angeles (new college, new apartment, classes, jobs, etc...) because when I returned, I leave for Los Angeles (6hrs form where I live from country to city) to start a new life there. If not for that, I would have killed myself from boredom. The school Eureka I was at for 2 weeks and that experience wasn't much better. The teachers were great and friendly, and the director, Angel, was great, but the learning experience was disappointing. I took the placement test on day 1, tested in the 2nd out of 3 levels of classes, and was put in a class that had been together for almost 3 months before I came in, and they were working from a spanish grammar book and I just merged myself in. In the 2 weeks we covered 2 main grammar topics and that was it. I don't even remember what the first week was, but the second week we spent each day learning and practicing using pro vs para. The 2 weeks in class did not prepare me at all for walking outside of that classroom and speaking in the real world. Luckily after the grammar lesson each day, it was followed by a conversational class. The first week was good, i had a male teacher who was full of energy and kept the class lively and going, but the second week I had this female teacher, and she spend a large majority of the class on her phone under the table, texting or what not, barely paying attention to the class so it was mostly silence while we waited for her to look up and ask a question for us to discuss, and then return back to her phone. She was a god awful teacher, I have no respect for her, every student in the school strongly dislikes her as a teacher. Other than her, the rest of the teachers I have heard great reviews on and I loved the rest of mine, it's just the program and classes need to be reorganized because I know many people are going to be at Eureka for shorter periods of time, and this style does not work. We want to review and practice so we can feel more confident when we walk out those doors and spending 1 out of 2 weeks learning the difference between por and para wasn't helpful in going out on my own and needing to be able to communicate to others in spanish because it is a much smaller part of the whole language. One positive thing I was pleased with through Adelante was the housing. I lived in a great apartment located in an upper-middle class residential area away from the Centro thank god because that is where there are packs and packs of tourists, but it was only 30min metro ride from home so very convenient location. Adelante also did a good job of staying in touch with me via email and answering any questions I had through out the whole trip beginning to end. Angel (the in country staff and director of Eureka) was very helpful with any questions I had, and warning me about places in Madrid I should avoid, places that I should visit, how to protect myself from Ladrones (stealers) which are more popular in the tourist areas, and he was the guide for the 2 excursions I went on: El Prado Museo, and a bike ride around a large part of Madrid in which he knew his information and had a great attitude. I became friends with a girl in class and then friends with her friends and we all had a great time going out, experiencing Madrid's night life which is incredible! I truly enjoyed my time here and would love to even move here! The Spanish food (which is completely different from food I eat in California) is delicious, the discotecas (clubs) are a blast and safe, it is easy to get around via Metro, the Palacio Real is incredible and Parque Retiro, Templo Debod, Plaza Mayor, Puerta Del Sol, there is so much to do here! I absolutely loved my time here in Madrid and am sad to be leaving. This is definitely an experience in which you need to be very independent. No one is going to hold your hand.

This was probably one of the best experiences of my life. The people at Eureka are amazingly kind and welcoming, and the people that you meet are all very interesting. Also, we all had one thing in common-we wanted to improve our Spanish! My practicas/practical was in a geriatric residence and I was able to interact with the patients there by helping them with their daily physical exercise routine, mental games, and mealtime. Although it was only 4 hours a day, I enjoyed being around the nurses and residents, using the Spanish that I was learning. Adelante does a good job of following up with you to make sure that you are okay, and the directors at Eureka really take care of you. The location of the apartments are also very convenient, and with all the friends that I made, it was easy to not be alone.

Overall I had an amazing experience with this program. The two week Spanish language lessons were a huge help with integrating into the country. Also the company I worked with was the same one that I was starting with full time in the US so I had a chance to gain specific and real world experience while working there. I met some great people both in and outside of the program as well. I love how independent the program is and allows you to explore and travel as you please. I wish the directors of the school who run the campus housing were more friendly and understanding. They just come into your apartment whenever they feel like it and treat you like children in regards to cleaning the apartment and when you are allowed to have friends over. It is in a great location, but it is very hot and noisy especially in the summer because there is no air condition in the apartment and Madrid gets very hot. The internship director that works with the school in Madrid does not speak any English so that poses a problem sometimes with communication. Also, he tried to encourage us to work 40 hours a week even though we were told we would only be working 20 hours a week. Eventually we got everything taken care of but it was surprising that he would tell us to do that.

I am finishing my Bachelors in Nursing, with a Spanish minor, so I was looking for a unique internship in a hospital setting. I applied to Adelante with this in mind, and they found a great choice for me! I was placed in a hospital with an orthopedic surgeon. I assisted him in the operating room and in consultations before and after surgery. It was definitely hard to adjust to the language difference, especially since surgical and medical words are sometimes quite complex. However, the doctors were very patient and I quickly became comfortable working and speaking in tense situations in hospital. The surgical team of nurses and doctors took me under their wing and taught me so much. Each and every nurse and doctor I worked with was truly exceptional. A little trouble with the living situation. I was in a 6 bedroom apartment, where I was under the impression that everyone would be an English- speaker. However, I was the only American (which was fine) but only 2 of my roommates spoke English. 2 did not speak English or Spanish. Even with the language barrier, we all got along.

My memorable experience sharing a dinner with the staff of one of my internships. We had become so close that they all took me out to a wonderful restaurant during my last week to say goodbye. I chose Adelante because I didn't want to fill my time abroad with fluff classes. I loved the authentic experience I had with actually spending time in an office and a clinic in Spain, gaining knowledge about how NGO's and a psychiatrist's office work while practicing Spanish the entire time. I had a single in a five person apartment.

For people looking for an atypical, rewarding experience abroad, look no further than Adelante. I feel like most people love their time abroad, but wish they had been able to do away with classes that really didn't contribute too much to their academic growth. With Adelante's internship placement, I had the wonderful chance to immerse yourself in the day-to-day of Madrid interning under a renowned psychiatrist as well as helping out with an LGBT/human rights organization. Both the these internships gave me real world experience in sectors that I am thinking about for post-grad, but, at the same time, forced my Spanish to improve immensely. Then, while most people would be tied up with doing classwork, I had time to explore Madrid and other places as much as I wanted to. I ended up having time to read (which is never possible during semesters for me) and finished four books in Spanish, also contributing hugely to my learning. The school that Adelante bases out of in Madrid was also wonderful about having activities and always being welcoming when I stopped in to say hi and see what was going on. One major disclaimer for this program: I've seen this posted before and I was told by the Adelante staff as well (they were very upfront about this), but I want to reiterate that, in order for this program to work for you, you need to be quite independent and ready to take initiative in your time abroad. Since there is no structured abroad group or program, you need to fill your own time. Now, this freedom can be absolutely fantastic. Case and point: I became friends with my co-workers and made life-long friends from Spain. However, none of that would have happened if I hadn't gone out of my comfort zone a lot (and I'm already a pretty outgoing guy) and motivated myself every day to take advantage of my time. So, if you pick this program (which you should), just remind yourself to give it all you've got and to not waste time being lazy or nervous about trying new things. No one will be nudging you along, so you need to take advantage of the many opportunities while abroad on your own terms. Internship Placement: The two-week refresher course was great at the beginning of the program. It really eta you in the flow of the language and introduces you to people currently in the school. Living Situation: While living might vary, my situation was basically a dorm in a nice apartment complex. Roommates are always a grab-bag (had some good and some bad), so I was thankful to have my own space in my single. Depending on who is there, you might befriend people! Ex. I went on a weekend trip and spent time with two of my roommates until they finished their time in Madrid (one from Singapore and one from Peru) Cultural Immersion: Working and experiencing the social life with Spaniards... not sure it gets more immersive than that

I held out on writing this review for a while because my overall Adelante experience was great and I really appreciated the staff's support. However, I felt extremely targeted by the director of our Spanish language school, who also happened to be our landlord. From the beginning of the summer I was extremely respectful to him and tried to maintain a formal relationship with him. I always used usted, called him Sr., used his last name instead of addressing him by his first name, and never spoke to him in a tone that I would not use with a professor or any other respected adult. Despite all of this, I felt that I was treated differently than the other roommates. I won't mention my race because I don't actually think it is important, but I do feel that I was treated differently because of it. Whenever there was an issue in the apartment (like alchocol bottles being left out, loud conversations at night, guests sleeping over,) he would automatically show up at my door with the assumption that I must be the root of the problem. Although I was nothing but respectful to this person, I felt that I was always treated as suspect despite my obedient demeanor. One time there was a complaint about "The Americans" being too loud at night. Instead of having a conversation with all of the Americans in the house at the same time, he decided to talk to us seperately. None of the other Americans were ever accused of causing the problem but to me he said "You cannot act as you would in your own country, you have to respect the other cultures of the people living this apartment." It was only when I spoke with my roommates that I realized that the tone of my conversation with him was much different than theirs. Another time, other program participants and mutual friends of all of the roommates decided to stay the night and sleep on the couch. This was against the rules and we were all very clear on this. In the morning, when the director came and saw the two of them sleeping on the couch he immediately marched to my locked door and banged on it until I woke up. He told me that "that was it, [I] would not be getting my deposit back." My other roommate, who was just as close to the two visitors as I was, slept peacefully on the other side of the apartment and was never woken up, talked to, or threatened. Although I do not think the director was a conscious bigot or trying to be malicious in his interactions with me, I do think he made assumptions about which type of Americans are "trouble makers" and which types aren't based on what he's seen on TV or heard from others. It created an uneasy relationship between us and made me afraid to ask him for help for things that I needed, like a fan, or someone to fix the internet. I would do Adelante all over again in a heartbeat but I would never live in an apartment owned by him again. Cultural Immersion: I wish I had chosen to live with a Spanish roommate and done an internship based in Spain as oposed to an American company that does work in Spain but overall I learned a lot. Program Administration: Adelante staff is great and maintains a strong line of communication with the interns throughout the program. They were really attentive and provided great support.

Quick Summary: I just finished an amazing two-month "shadow a surgeon" internship program with Adelante Abroad in Madrid (September-October 2013). For this particular program, the first two weeks are spent taking intensive Spanish classes in a language school called Eureka. The following six weeks are spent doing an internship with a local hospital or clinic, where the student shadows an assigned surgeon. Honestly, it was an experience of a lifetime & I would definitely recommend this program!! Program Administration: In the few months prior to my trip, the California-based office of Adelante Abroad communicated with me via phone and email, explaining the program and answering any questions I had. They were all very nice and encouraging. The part that got a little messy was when I was actually leaving for Madrid. The program is run by both the California-based office and their Madrid-based contacts. The California office talks to the students that would like to go abroad, performs the screening process, etc., while the Madrid contacts figure out the internship details (they have major connections in Madrid). I was expecting to know who I would be shadowing at least 1 month prior to my trip. I found out 2 weeks prior to my trip that my internship assignment wasn't confirmed yet, although they told me who I might possibly be shadowing (not too great for reassuring panicky parents). In their defense, my internship was a unique one--I am a bioengineer searching a medical shadowing position. PLUS, Spain is on vacation for August and many of the businesses/offices are closed, making it really difficult to make the arrangements for my internship. But still, I would have liked to be reassured that there was something concrete for me to come to before leaving. Living, Spanish Classes & Getting Situated: I arrived in Madrid, where I was welcomed and taken to my centrally-located apartment by Angel, the main Adelante Abroad contact in Spain. I absolutely loved my apartment--close to everything, safe, and cool apartment mates from Adelante and Eureka. During the first two weeks I took Spanish classes at Eureka, and my experience there was perfect! The staff and instructors were incredibly nice and welcoming, and I really felt encouraged to speak Spanish. The internship coordinator, Antonio, met with me throughout the first two weeks to talk to me about my internship assignment. My assignment changed twice before I actually started. Yes, it was a bit frustrating and confusing at first, BUT once I started my internship with Clinica CEMTRO, I felt much more relieved. Internship: At Clinica CEMTRO, I shadowed a surgical team in the orthopedics, sports medicine, and trauma department. It was a bit difficult to adapt because my lacking Spanish skills (this will happen with ANY internship abroad program), but it was an absolutely amazing experience. I felt like I was immersed in real Spanish life--culture, food, work. I came into the clinic and literally sat in the operating rooms while I watched back-to-back surgeries. I saw total knee replacements, rotator cuff repair surgeries, ACL reconstructions, meniscectomies, and much more. Whenever I had questions, the surgeon was willing and ready to answer. The surgeons really made me feel welcome, even including me for a team dinner during my first week! Overall, I would definitely recommend this program.. I mean, how often are you able to do it all in one program--learn Spanish, live in central Madrid, AND watch cool surgeries!

Interning and living in Madrid was an experience I will never forget. I have absolutely fallen in love with the city and the people. Choosing Adelante was a great choice because they have great contacts in Spain. Eureka was a great academy in where to review Spanish. The classes were not too big or too small and I was able to meet so many international students there (from Germany, Japan, S. Korea, Italy, Africa). Housing was also great; you are located right in the center of the city. So many things to do and see and a lot of it is within walking distance. As for my internship it was amazing. I will really miss the people I have come to meet there. IFEMA is such a great company to work for and I really feel I have learned a lot. I could not have been in better hands with this program. I would do it again in a heartbeat!

I had an amazing time in Madrid. My internship was teaching English in a community organization. I loved working with the kids and had a great time. My Spanish improved immensely by having Spanish co-workers. I lived in housing with two friends that was just south of the Palacio Real. It was nice accommodations (aside from trying to figure out the washing machine!). I also appreciated having my own place, rather than in the language school's housing, which had to worry about noise complaints and unfriendly housekeeping.

Do this. Absolutely go do this. I was an intern at an immigration law firm in Madrid which is exactly the type of placement that I wanted as well as living with 3 native Spanish university students. Madrid is so fun and in a prime location to visit everything you could dream of in the city itself, surrounding cities within Spain, and neighboring countries in the EU. You will cheat yourself on life if you do not live abroad.

TONS OF POSITIVE COMMENTS! I did my research before choosing this program, as I concluded this was the most personalized experience I could have. Adelante was extremely helpful in-country and abroad in accommodating my interests. I decided to do this after graduating from college, as I wanted to have an experience abroad, more specifically in Spain, and get some experience prior to entering grad school in the fall. I was looking for a psychology internship that would guide my interests in graduate school, and I got it. I worked with a non-profit organization that provides services for immigrants in Spain. Given that I am a native speaker, I was able to take on more responsibilities and co-coordinate a summer camp for children with the program director. I was placed in the same organization with a friend with a beginners level of spanish and her responsibilities were based on the service she provided teaching english. Together we volunteered to teach english to the summer camp children as a part of the program, and it worked very well given our respective language levels. I was also looking for a place that would allow me to work hands-on with children, since I am considering working with them in the future. To design the camp, I worked with the social psychologist on site and was given a lot of freedom to design a curriculum to teach english and work on their developmental needs. It was a challenge because the group consisted of 47 kids ages 4-12, all together, but it was very rewarding and there was a lot of support from Spanish volunteers. In addition, I faced a lot of the cultural and socioeconomic issues that affected these children, which was important in understanding their needs as first or second generation immigrants. Overall, my internship experience was FENOMENAL. There was a clinical psychologist on site as well, and he welcomed observation as well. He ran emotional intelligence workshops for adults. My supervisor and my co-workers were all very friendly and they really appreciated the work. This goes for my friend as well, and in her case they really appreciated the effort to communicate in spanish. THE FUN PART General feelings on culture SPAIN IS A MUST! The culture is extremely welcoming, the nightlife is ongoing, the bars can be anything from a family friendly block bar to a dancing night club bar. The society is much more liberal than in America, which means you will either have a great experience soaking in their lifestyle and non-judgmental views, or you may find it a bit uncomfortable when you walk down the street and see couples openly displaying their affections, be it heterosexual or homosexual. That is up to you. I personally found it was a positive experience. For the most part it was very liberating to be in an environment where people really don't think twice about "awkward moments" or "outrageous clothing" or PDA. PS- I am not a "hipster"- whatever that means. Spanish people live their lives on their terms and no one else's, and that really come through in their culture. Shopping: If you go over the summer, wait until july or august to shop. Their summer sale is amazing and you will save some money Traveling: Summer traveling is a bit more expensive due to the season, but if you are in Madrid there are plenty of nearby cities you can visit on day trips that'll cost anywhere from 10-20 euros roundtrip. Food: TRY EVERYTHING even if you don't know what it is. Chances are you will get something strange every now and then, but most of it will be delicious. Final word: GO Only negative review: housing through the spanish academy is not ideal. They tend to be more strict because not all the student living in the apartment are part of Adelante, and they have to respect everyone's needs. For obvious reasons they do not encourage social gatherings (by this I mean a dinner of 6-8 people, not a party) in apartments where other roommates may be language students who also work etc. (friends lived in this housing) I lived in Aluni Housing (you get this when you request to live with spanish roommates). much more laid back and they do not meddle in how you handle your living space (which you do pay for after all). They also have better cleaning service, from what I heard from students living in academy housing.

Through Adelante Abroad I was able to spend three fantastic months in Madrid! While I had been to the city once before, I missed out on a study abroad experience in college so I wasn't exactly sure what an extended stay in a foreign country would be like. Thankfully Adelante helped immensely with the lead-up - with an involved pre-departure orientation - and with the transition once there. They had me picked up at the airport, transported to the front door of my lodgings, and immediately plugged into two weeks of language classes at Academia Eureka. My apartment was incredibly well located; practically in Puerta del Sol (the city hub of activity and transportation). The language institute director, my internship advisor, and the Adelante coordinators/directors back home in the US were friendly, helpful, and attentive throughout the entire process. I never once felt that if I needed assistance their support would not be there. After my classes at the language institute, I move on to my internship at a Spanish film company. Notably, this is not a usual area of focus that is requested of Adelante, but they worked with me to customize a more than suitable internship. My bosses (an independent director and his business partner) and my coworkers were very nice and patient with me. Through my internship I got a good look at how the business of cinema is handled in Spain, and I also gained a friend during my time in Madrid, as my most immediate coworker was around my age. Through him, my classmates, and flatmates, I stayed social and interacted with people from countries all over the world: Spain (of course), but also Germany, Korea, Italy, Japan, China, Russia, Brazil, Greece, Ireland, Netherlands, Panama, and others. I would do it all again in a heartbeat... Cultural Immersion: I lived in the housing w/ people from all over the world (many of whom could speak English), so I wasn't exactly surrounded by Spaniards/Spanish at all times. BUT! Adelante offers the option of host families and whatnot, so the slightly lower level of immersion is really my fault...

The program overall was amazing and worthwhile. I gained invaluable professional experience at a psychiatrist's office and met a lot of incredible and intelligent people. I enjoyed living in the apartment, and I would definitely recommend requesting to live WITH SPANISH roommates instead of with Adelante candidates. If you request to live with Spanish roommates you might not actually live with Spanish people but at least you won't have to deal with the horrific situation on Calle Arenal (the apartment where Adelante candidates live when they request to live with other Adelante people). They do random checks of the apartment whenever they feel like it, letting themselves in and snooping around making sure that nobody has any friends that are staying over. If you let a friend or two crash on the couch until morning after a night out, and they find out, they will take your deposit away. They claim that there is no need since Madrid is a very safe city, but both myself and my roommates (all female) have seen men masturbating on two separate occasions in broad daylight and early in the morning. It's easy to understand why a woman wouldn't feel safe walking home alone after a night out, no matter how safe Madrid is generally. It's ridiculous to me that you pay so much for accommodations in Madrid and are unable to help a friend out by letting them stay on your couch till morning (nobody is staying for days or weeks on end). The lack of understanding and empathy from Angel Luis and his mother (the people who do the random checks and who own the apartments on Calle Arenal) is embarrassing and unprofessional. DO NOT LIVE IN ADELANTE HOUSING, but definitely do the program because otherwise it is a fulfilling and incredible experience.

I came to Spain to help teach English so I did not use my Spanish speaking skills a lot. I regret this just a bit but I really enjoyed my time here.

This was a really good experience, lots of free time to do your own thing. Internship quality varied. I had an excellent time but I think a friend of mine who wasn't so specific with what she wanted didn't enjoy herself as much. But me and my flatmate both had excellent placements with a great cultural experience

I have just returned from a two month stay in Madrid. Overall, I had a very good time. The language school is one of the best I have ever attended, and the teachers and the director are always helpful and friendly. I was staying in an apartment in the same building as the school, in a very good location just five minutes from Puerta de Sol, which is the very centre of Madrid. The apartment was nice, and any problem was fixed quickly by the staff. I was also very happy that I could have friends staying with me for a couple of days. After two weeks of language classes, I started my internship with a Psychiatrist and his team. It was a very good experience, both personally and professionally. Everybody was very nice, trying to make me feel welcome, and helping me with language problems. It was of course a bit daunting at first, but in the end I was very sorry to leave. I got to sit in during therapy sessions, and also to talk to patients myself while they waited or did some tests etc. The Doctor was always happy to explain things and I learned a lot, especially on CBT and pharmacotherapy. I think it s a valuable experience for anyone wanting to go into counseling psychology, but I think a good Spanish level is important so you can communicate with the patients, and you need to be prepared to adjust to the rhythm of the 'Consulta'. Not all patients are comfortable to have others around during the sessions, so there can be quite some time spend waiting around, and the working hours are irregular. My tip would be to read some of the Doctor's books before going, it's very helpful. As to the city, I have been to Madrid many times already, and love the place, it's beautiful, people are great, and there is lots to do. I would definitively recommend this program.

This was the perfect program for what I was looking for. I was able to choose the industry I wanted to work in, and after my interview, I was even able to say what my top pick would be. I got the internship I was looking for, and it was amazing! I was able to customize the hours, length of the internship and the duties I would do to satisfy my university's requirements for credit. The employers were prepared to fill out and write my assessments and were happy to do things to help their interns, not just to receive "free labor." I could not have been happier with the program.

If I had the chance to do this program again I would not bat an eye!! Adelante hands down would be my number one choice! From start to finish was a wonderful experience and still to this day I have great memories of being able to work and live in such an amazing city like Madrid! The ability of being able to work and live in a foreign country is priceless and only wish more people would do it!! If you are even considering it... dont look back...start packing and enjoy the ride!!

I had the best time during my Internship in Madrid through Adelante. The staff here in the U.S. and at the language school in Madird were eager to make the transition into a new culture seamless. My internship with a travel agency was perfect, I met a group of amazing people who I still keep in contact with today. I wouldn't trade my experience of for anything in the world.

Overall I'm very glad I did the Adelante program in Madrid. Spending three months in Spain was fantastic! It was really convenient to have housing, classes, and an internship all arranged for me. I loved Madrid itself and I had a great time taking day or weekend trips to other European cities! I only have two negative comments about the program. First, the company where I had my internship really didn't need me. It was a long commute to get there and then I had tons of down time. I would have preferred to keep busy. Also, the apartment I was staying in had multiple appliance issues. We had repeated problems with our heater, shower, and washing machine. Despite these issues, I would certainly recommend the Madrid program.

Overall good. Would have liked a more challenging intern experience. Living location in Madrid was great, however the apartment left much to be desired.