Hi all, I am doing a year abroad in Spain for my junior year next year (with a program called SYA), and my friends response has been mixed in terms of how they think colleges will react.
How do you all believe colleges will view my decision to spend a year with SYA Spain?
Thank you! 
At face value, it will have no impact in the admissions decision. However, it could make for an impactful essay, which could help your chances.
Hey I’m going to SYA Spain for my junior year next year too! From what I’ve heard (from friends, alumni of SYA, etc.) is that it gives you a lot to write about for college and it makes you stand out. I’m also interested to hear what others have to say though.
I think it’s positive for admission. I didn’t let mine go but I’ve communicated with one cc member and he said it helped him getting into either Wharton or M&T program at Penn.
It’ll probably help with admission - with so many people with great stats and ECs, something like this will help you stand out, especially with a good essay
I heard that colleges like it as well; I just am a little apprehensive as it’s coming from SYA/its admissions team so of course they are going to say colleges like it, otherwise no one would apply to SYA!
It’s nice to hear from someone else who will be going though
I’m hoping it will make my application stand out. My only fear is that they see it as the ‘easy’ decision–a decision that someone who just wants to slack off and spend the year vacationing would take.
I’m just curious whether it will actually end up being a factor in admissions at all, apart from the essay.
Yes it helps you stand out, but it’s also how well you can speak about your experience and what you do once there - do you just go to class or do you try to experience many things?
Admission officers know how hard it is to integrate into a foreign high school where everything’s done in the foreign language, where expectations are likely completely different, teaching styles, student behaviors, parent behaviors, etc, etc. The growth you achieve there is much valued… provided you take advantage of the experience (ie., no whining and no “spain = partying”).
I just went to a case studies program where we got to converse with college admissions officers from colleges all over the United States. I was participating in a group with other students from my school who will be going to SYA and programs like it, and a very nice admissions officer from Bard told us that engaging in a program like SYA is generally seen as good risk taking. She said colleges like to see good risk taking because it indicates that you will engage in the school and bring a lot to the college you are applying for. Hearing it from a college admissions officer was very reassuring.
It will definitely help you! It will make you a more interesting applicant and it will give you a lot to write about! And, from what I’ve been told (my mom and her siblings all did SYA), it’s an academically rigorous program. It definitely won’t seem like your slacking off. Hope you enjoy it!