SAI Study Abroad: Design at Elisava (Barcelona, Spain)

Elisava was such a unique experience and I am glad l I took this chance to grow and learn. Doing it through SAI really helped to ease me into it. SAI staff were always there for support and constantly checked in which created a sense of community and comfort. Elisava as a school is a really wonderful place where people from all over come to learn and share their design background. Compared to some other study abroad programs in Barcelona, Elisava is a heavy workload but is highly rewarding. There is such a strong sense of community and teamwork with so many differing perspectives which really broadened my horizons.

-Met a lot of new friends in the program -The SAI staff was really helpful and nice, tons of nice trips hosted by them as well including well planned day trips! -The Housing was amazing, better than what I had back home. -SAI classes are decent comparing with home school classes (Parsons), the professors are generally helpful and nice as well. -Would 100% recommend

I studied at ELISAVA in Spring of 2019 and it is definitely worth your time and money. Don't be fooled into thinking this school will be easier than your home university though. ELISAVA is a world renown design school and their teaching staff are a good example of why. You can really make some great connections a learn a lot (don't worry you can still travel on the weekends). My SAI program coordinators were there to answer any questions at all steps of the process and our excursions/trips were so fun. Barcelona is a city that has a lot going on and it can be a really fun place to be. You'll get tons of advice on what things to see and food to try and meet a lot of people from all over the world. There is so much to love about the program it cannot be put into a small review.

Elisava with SAI Programs is an unforgettable experience. Elisava challenges you with fulfilling project-based work, while SAI provides the perfect transition abroad. The coordinators at SAI are so helpful and accommodating. SAI is filled with a wide range of activities but still gives you the space to travel independently without missing out on pre-scheduled events/programs. The community at Elisava is incredibly supportive, and I learned so much from all my classes.

SAI is incredibly put together! Had an amazing experience with them from pre-departure days all the way through till the end. I would recommend them to anyone wanting to study abroad in a heart beat. Mireia, the program coordinator for Barcelona, is more than perfect for her position. She is impossible not to love, and without her, I definitely wouldn't have had the amazing time that I did. As for Elisava, I think it was a great school that helped me view design in a completely different way than I was used to. But I also feel Elisava could have done a much better job with their criteria in some classes, and the teachers they chose to teach them.

This entire semester was better than I had expected. Our program coordinator was so helpful and loved getting to know every one of us. The only thing I wish was different was the level of difficulty at Elisava. I do not think I learned as much as I would have liked. But overall, a great experience!

Studying at Elisava was a good experience but it was more time consuming than I anticipated. SAI does such of good job of communicating with the school. The learning is more project and independent based rather than a lecture.

SAI is a great program to go abroad with! The only problem I can see, that is also with most other study abroad programs is that it is hard to meet locals and feel part of the community. Although, we had opportunities , such a volunteering at a school or language groups, it seemed like there could be more emphasis on learning the language.