1

I may want to stay 8 to 12 weeks, but I don't want to commit to that up front. If I pay for 4 weeks, can I then decide at the end of the last week that I would like to pay for another two weeks or another four weeks and just extend my stay in the school and the hotel?

2

The ***hotel with single rooms has a private bathroom and air-conditioning, correct? Do they have a telephone?

3

Is the ***hotel properly exterminated? Have students had problems with bugs in the hotel rooms?

4

Do the hotels give guests any problem with bringing additional guests to the room? Does the hotel have security in case of a problem?

5

After class is over, are group excursions considered mandatory or can we do whatever we want with our free time?

6

I might hire a personal guide for an evening or two to show me which bars and clubs (and which parts of the city) are safe and which aren't. How much should this cost?

7

Are taxi cabs readily available and is there a problem with cab drivers kidnapping, robbing and/or beating tourists?

8

Are the residents of Santo Domingo friendly and inclusive, or wary of people they do not know, as in New York City (where I live)?

9

How dangerous is Santo Domingo at night?

10

 What is the average age of the students who attend? Do you get more ladies or gentlemen?

11

 When should I make my reservation to be assured a spot in the hotel and in the class?

12

How big is the Hispaniola School (total # of students)? How old is it? How many teachers are there? Is it in a house or an office building?

13

Will I receive a certificate/diploma from the school documenting the number of hours studied and my level of proficiency at the end of the course?

14

How many lessons does it typically take to progress from beginner to intermediate and intermediate to advance?

15

What is the average number of students in the standard group session?

16

What is the average number of students in the intensive group session?

17

What will happen if I enroll in the Plus 10 Supplement and as a result I progress quicker than the group I am assigned to?

18

Do you offer discounts to students studying more than 4 weeks?

19

Do you offer discounts to students who prepay for the course?

Answers

I may want to stay 8 to 12 weeks, but I don't want to commit to that up front. If I pay for 4 weeks, can I then decide at the end of the.last week that I would like to pay for another two weeks or another four weeks and just extend my stay in the school and the hotel?
You can enroll for a period and then decide to extend your stay as long as you want. Just note that the longer the period you enroll for, the less you pay, because after the 5th week there is a special price. If you extend week by week, you end up paying the normal price, which is more expensive than enrolling for a 5-week period or longer. Another thing is that your room may not be available at the end of your first period, requiring a move.

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The ***hotel with single rooms has a private bathroom and air-conditioning, correct? Do they have a telephone?
Yes, the 3-star hotel has all of these facilities included in the price. Breakfast is included too.

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 Is the ***hotel properly exterminated? Have students had problems with bugs in the hotel rooms?

The 3 star-hotel has a good cleaning service and good extermination practices, too. This is the tropics, however; if it happens that you see some bugs in your room, just call the reception desk and management will resolve the problem immediately

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Do the hotels give guests any problem with bringing additional guests to the room? Does the hotel have security in case of a problem?
 

The hotel has 24-hour security. To bring additional guests to your room, you have to pay an extra fee and deposit the guest’s identification at the reception desk. The guest is not able to leave the hotel without your permission.

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After class is over, are group excursions considered mandatory or can we do whatever we want with our free time?
 

Of course you can do what you want with your free time. We only suggest activities.

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I might hire a personal guide for an evening or two to show me which bars and clubs (and which parts of the city) are safe and which aren't. How much should this cost?
 

You do not need to hire a guide because the secretariat of the school will give you all the orientation materials you need—besides, there are not too many areas of the city that are unsafe. We, and the hotel team, will help answer any questions or problems you may have during the period you stay at the school. Also, Dominicans are very friendly. Most visitors easily find Dominican friends who will show you around their city for free.

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Are taxi cabs readily available and is there a problem with cab drivers kidnapping, robbing and/or beating tourists?
 

Taxis are very readily available and, while some problems have arisen in the past, most Dominican taxi drivers are professionals. We suggest you use radio-taxis, which are a little cheaper than others and which are identified by a number.

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Are the residents of Santo Domingo friendly and inclusive, or wary of people they do not know, as in New York City (where I live)?
 

Dominican people enjoy their life very much and they really love to meet new people. You only need to be smiling, open minded and friendly to be immediately accepted by Dominicans.

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How dangerous is Santo Domingo at night?
 

Santo Domingo is far less dangerous than New York or Milan or Berlin. You only have to know there are few parts where it may be unsafe to go at night. Then just use a few general common-sense rules (do not walk alone in the dark, don’t wear a lot of gold jewelry, use taxis...) like all over the world, and you won't have any problems.

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What is the average age of the students who attend? Do you get more
ladies or gentlemen?
 

Our school is like a little family. We have an average of 8-10 students, usually about 50/50 males and females. Their average age is between 25 and 35, but students over 40 are very common.

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When should I make my reservation to be assured a spot in the hotel and in the class?
As soon as possible. We ask a 20% deposit to confirm your enrollment, but first we have to check the availability of the accommodation you choose and send you the exact fee. If you make last-minute reservations, you may not get your first choice of lodging.

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How big is the Hispaniola School (total # of students)? How old is it? How many teachers are there? Is it in a house or an office building?

Our school is a little family. We have an average of 8-10 students at any given time. Last year we had a total of 147 students for an average stay of 4-6 weeks. The school was founded in 1995. We have up to 12 teachers available, but only 4-5 are actually working at most times. Our classrooms are in a colonial mansion that has been converted into a modern office building.

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Will I receive a certificate/diploma from the school documenting the number of hours studied and my level of proficiency at the end of the course?

Yes, upon request at no cost

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How many lessons does it typically take to progress from beginner to intermediate and intermediate to advance?

We have a total of 8 levels and each level is designed to lasts 2 weeks. At the end of any level an exam take place and then any student is suggested to repeat or advance to next level. if you start from absolute beginners and never repeat any level you may need 6 weeks (3 levels) to progress to intermediate and 6 weeks (3 levels) to progress to advanced. Levels 7 and 8 are for refining.

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What is the average number of students in the standard group session?

Groups are composed for a max of 8 students and an average of 1 to 4.

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What is the average number of students in the intensive group session?

Up to the moment, the intensive lessons are always one-to-one. It happens that most of our student that wish to have extra lessons normally chose P5 or P10 extension. In case you chose GroupIntensive extension (max 8 persons in a group) and we do not have any othe student to share the group with you will be shifted to P5 extension at no extra cost.

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What will happen if I enroll in the Plus 10 Supplement and as a result I progress quicker than the group I am assigned to?

Actually the Intensive extension shouldn't be considered a way to progress faster in quantity but in quality. Students that apply for intensive normally, in the extra lessons, do not study new items.

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Do you offer discounts to students studying more than 4 weeks?

Yes if you apply for course+accommodation. If you apply for course w/out accommodation we offer discount over 10 weeks course.

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Do you offer discounts to students who prepay for the course?

No we don't. To prepay the course is required. We normally ask the 100% of the course at least 30 days before the course commencement but, in same case we can also accept a 20% deposit immediately and the remaining 80% at the beginning of the course, the first monday. We do not accept enrollment with payment at later date.

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