• University Preparation Home
• The Program
  • General Spanish Language Course
  • Specialized Spanish Language Course
  • Personalized Guidance & Tutelage
  • General University Preparation
  • Course Schedule
  • Course Requirements
• Parent’s Guide
• Prices
• Contact Us
• Enrol

Information for Parents

• Make sure you have a passport that will be valid for the duration of your trip abroad.
• Determine whether you need a study visa and if so, make sure you allow sufficient time to obtain one.
• Be sure to make a copy of all of your travel documents and leave the copy at home.
• Bring a couple copies of your passport with you and store them in a different place than your passport.
• Bring enough money with you to cover both expected expenditures and emergency costs during your travel to Madrid.
• Organize international health insurance and travel insurance.
• See your doctor before you go.
• Be sure to bring a sufficient supply of any prescriptions you require.
• Think about what countries you may want to visit while you are here and be sure to obtain any recommended vaccinations/medications.
• Be sure to familiarize yourself with local laws and customs – especially with regard to alcohol.
• Bring a good guide book (with maps) and a Spanish phrase book. Most Madrid guidebooks will have a metro map but if yours does not, download and print one from http://www.metromadrid.es (Click Plano de Metro on the right side of the page). Once you arrive in Madrid you can pick up a pocket version at our school or any metro station.

Will the student need a visa to enter Spain?

Study visas are required for all non-EU nationals entering Spain for a period of greater than 3 months and for residents of certain countries no matter the duration of the stay. Please see our Study Visa page for more information about obtaining visas to Spain.


What travel and medical insurance will the student need?

Typically, a student’s home health insurance does not cover the student while they are studying or traveling in another country. Please be sure to check with the insurance company to verify whether it covers the student while they are abroad or not. In cases where it does not, the student will need to obtain international insurance. AIL Madrid offers travel and medical insurance to its students so that they may travel safely. We are happy to answer any questions regarding the terms and conditions of our student travel and medical insurance.


What is included in the course price?

Tuition

Our tuition covers all courses offered in the Spanish University Preparation Program for the enrolled terms: General Spanish Language Course, Specialty Spanish Language Course, General University Preparation Course, and our Cultural and Social Activities Program.


Guidance and Tutelage

The course price also includes the availability to the student of a personal advisor to help with university admission issues, preparation for admission exams, and any other student questions or concerns. In addition, the tuition includes academic progress tests and regular one-on-one meetings with the student’s professor in order to assess the student’s progress in the program.


Accommodation

All AIL Madrid accommodation (i.e. host families, shared flats and university residences) are screened by our accommodation advisor. For us it is important to maintain a trustful and honest relationship with our landlords so as to secure a convenient and comfortable living and study atmosphere for our students. In addition, our advisor is always available if you have any questions or problems of any kind.


Airport Pick-up Service

When a student first arrives in a foreign country with all their suitcases, it can be a bit frightening. To make the first day a little easier, AIL Madrid has arranged a complementary pick-up service for our Spanish University Preparation Program students. We provide for student collection from Madrid’s Barajas airport and transfer the students to their accommodation or to our school.


24-hour emergency phone number

Things happen and AIL Madrid wants its university preparation students to feel comforted that if they need help they have someone to call at any time, day or night. In the case of any problem that should occur we ask our students to call our 24-hour emergency contact number: 607 959 887.


Orientation week

The first week in a foreign country is always difficult. It’s a new culture with new rules, a new language, and oftentimes, different ways of doing some of the most basic things. In order to make your transition easier, AIL Madrid has an Orientation Week Program for its university preparation students.

The Orientation Week Program includes a student welcome lunch, which will give you the opportunity to meet and get to know your fellow classmates. In addition, AIL Madrid will show the university preparation students around Madrid in a guided city tour. We will also hold a school mixer at a local establishment where all of the students and teachers are invited to introduce themselves. Finally, we will hold a special ‘short course’ called Madrid Basics which will address city transportation, siestas, neighborhoods, safety, etc.


Local information

If you decide to go abroad - be it just for a couple of weeks or a longer period of time – it is fundamentally important to have adequate knowledge about the destination and being well-informed about the cultural differences, local laws, and local customs. AIL Madrid provides its students with information about Madrid e.g. the neighborhoods (barrios), services (shops, restaurants, etc.) things to do (sightseeing, museums, etc.), cultural differences, things to be careful about, and many other tips and useful local information.


Learning Materials

The grammar books that are used in our Spanish classes are included in the standard tuition as well as several additional learning materials.


Should you have any further questions please contact us!