High School Study Abroad & Spanish Immersion Programs

Sol Abroad is an invaluable program for advancing education and personal growth in teenagers. Below are some highlights of why Sol Abroad is an important consideration for high school student as they advance towards their college careers. The personal and academic growth students experience while abroad on our programs is incomparable!

Sol Abroad adds to high school curriculums:

Sol Abroad programs complement classroom learning. We fill in the gaps over the summer by providing real-life experiences using Spanish. Everything the student learns in the classroom during the school year they will apply to everyday situations while abroad. The amount of Spanish they learn in the immersion setting is exponential.

Students return to the classroom with a much greater and deeper understanding of Spanish and Spanish-speaking cultures. Sol Abroad alums are often placed into higher-level Spanish classes when they return. They also typically perform higher on exams. These students help boost the success of any high school Spanish language program. Some students return to their high school and upon meeting with the Spanish department are able to automatically advance to a higher class level.

Sol Abroad programs build maturity:

Students say one of the greatest benefits of the program is the amount of personal growth they experienced. By having to rise to the challenge of maneuvering through a new culture, a foreign language, and new friends students become more mature. This is a very important step on the path to independence for college and becoming a young adult. Students build maturity through interactions with different types of participants, through the experience of the homestay and through the planned activities. Being away from parents and their normal community and group of friends is a huge growth opportunity.

Advanced Placement (AP) preparation:

The Spanish immersion experience abroad with Sol Abroad fills in the educational gap students need to perform well on the Advanced Placement exam for Spanish. Many parents call us to tell us that their son or daughter received a “5” on the Spanish AP exam and attribute it to our program. By not having such a large break in Spanish-learning from the spring semester to the fall semester students retain their Spanish knowledge from the school year and further it during the summer.

International Baccalaureate (IB) preparation:

Our program allows students to live the internationalism they are studying in IB programmes. While on their Sol Abroad program, students gain new global perspectives and insights into the language and culture of study. These are all aspects that directly contribute to success in their IB education. Also, for students in IB programmes, CAS hours are required for graduation. Students can complete CAS hours on any Sol Abroad program. We encourage our students to coordinate with their school’s CAS advisor prior to starting the program so we can help them accomplish their CAS goals and complete any required paperwork.

College Counselors

Sol Abroad programs provide students with academic enrichment that can assist them in getting into their preferred college or university. A few of the benefits they will gain for college acceptance:

  • International experience (study abroad, most importantly) sets Sol Abroad students above other applicants.
  • Study abroad provides the perfect fuel to writing engaging college application essays.
  • Universities are looking for students to be “global citizens”. Study abroad contributes heavily to fulfilling this profile requirement.
  • Students earn college credit on many of our programs.
  • A Sol Abroad experience helps guide students in deciding what major or minor to pursue in college.