New York University

I thought that living abroad would help me significantly when it came to improving my Spanish but I quickly came to realize that no matter where I am, I have to put for an extra effort to learn. I had some great teachers and I had some teachers that were clearly there to collect a check. I do believe the program could benefit from having Spanish teachers understand how explicit the American culture is when it comes to education...that is just the way it is. As far as living conditions, I couldn't have had a better experience. I lived with Americans but they were there to teach in Spain, not to earn a degree. I was able to connect to other locals because of them and have a totally different experience than those living with friends in the program. The overall experience was good but it does take away the beauty of enjoying that country when you are knee deep in assignments.

NYU Madrid was one of the best decisions I've made. Apart from the academics, I gained an in-depth insight to life as a Spaniard, and really as a Spanish speaker. Living in a unique culture, help me to improve my language proficiency and much more. I wish I could relive my experiences because it was that great!

While I had a great overall experience in Spain, I would attribute very little of that to NYU itself. The school administration provided little to no support for our visa applications, housing search or financial aid, and I generally found the staff to be distant and uninterested in advising on those and other issues, including an interpersonal conflict between several classmates lasting the entire year, which influenced group cohesion and the general academic environment. The main campus in New York was of little help either, and it seems that the two campuses don't communicate all that well with each other. For example, many of the students in my class were offered $3000 in work study, but it turns out that work study is unavailable on the Madrid campus for more than one or two students, and even the ones who were able to participate only made a few hundred dollars over the course of the year. The academic standards are also very low--it is permissible to submit one's thesis in English, for example, and many students made it through the year without speaking regularly in Spanish. That being said, the professors themselves are truly amazing, so the academic experience is great in that way, but I would recommend saving your money and applying directly to the local universities where they regularly teach.