Well, the simple fact that we are an ARTS academy and not just an academy is what makes us unique. Interlochen has incredible academics that are very challenging and prepare you well for college. Our arts program is superb and the best in the nation. The amount of talent that comes through Interlochen in unbelievable!

The best thing about IAA was that I saw true talent when I was there. I'm sad that I did not realize just exactly how talented people were when I was there. When you are in high school studying the arts, you expect to go to college and be surrounded by talent that blows you away. But that is not the case. In fact, Interlochen talent blows away most of the talent I have witnssed at my college and at other colleges. After college I hope to enter the real world and find that talent I once saw at IAA, because being around that kind of talent motivates me to work harder and inspires me to reach for my dreams!

Nothing! Make the most of your high school experience because you want to look back with happy memories.

I liked how unique the students were, how dedicated the students were to their craft, how intelligent the teachers were, how phenominal the musicals, dramas, operas, art exhibits, dance productions were,how crazy MORP (our prom) was, and how there were tons of practice rooms in each dorm.

Definitely check out the rock huts by the lake if you go to IAA. I heard they were tearing them down, but if it is still there, it's a great place to go to think, or to be alone with a special someone, or to talk with a friend. Picasso is the best dorm for guys, and TJ is good for girls (try to get on upperlong, or lower long halls) Say hey to Sparky the Picasso RA if he is still around! Toast days ROCK!

The academics at Interlochen were awesome. Instead of the typical public school 11th grade history class titled, "History of the US," we got to choose more specific history classes to take, like History of the US: 1860-1920 or something like that... VERY college like...One class that I took like that required us to pick a 20's figure (Ma Rainy, Clara Bow, etc) and dress up like them and attend a 20's speakeasy. Another class I took, which counted as an English course, was called "Wilderness Literature." It was awesome. Every book we read had to do with nature, and we were constantly outside exploring the beautiful woods of Interlochen. We also made nature videos that went along with the Mary Oliver poems we read in class. We even planted trees that will be full grown someday, and we can go back when we are older and remember when we planted them way back in high school :-)

I don't think we had any...besides PE maybe..

I was in the Music (Voice) Program at IAA. I loved how college-like my day was. Sometimes I had a 9am class, other days I didn't have class till 11am. Also, throughout the day I had off periods, so while a typical day at IAA for some students could last from 8am-5pm, they had an hour lunch break, and at least 2 or 3 more off periods to relax, do homework, pratice, etc. I was required to take classes that really helped my craft, like Music Theory, Choir, lessons, and opera workshop. It really prepped me for college in a way that no other school could have possibly done. As for the teachers, they were all extremely qaulified and dedicated to their craft and their students. All the teachers knew each individual student very well.

Hmm... I personally did not participate in clubs, but I know that many of my friends were in their clubs of interest (the French club, etc). Clubs would sometimes meet at cute little Ma and Pa restaurants in Interlochen. I know many people enjoyed working on the yearbook and taking cool pictures of all the unique individuals at Interlochen. I did volunteer at events in Traverse City, like the Walk for Aids and the Cancer walk. Students were required to work in food service (cleaning the cafeteria, serving food, restocking the food stations, etc) and work behind the desk (desk duty) in the dorm halls (answer the phone, take messages, sign people in and out if they were leaving campus or coming back to campus). It really was not as bad as it sounds. During desk duty you could do homework. It also gave you some more extra "community service" stuff to add on your resume when applying to colleges :-)

Well, dorm life definitely made you learn fast how to adapt to living with a roommate. You got a taste of college immediately. At Interlochen I lived in TJ (Thor Johnson) hall. In TJ, you and your roomate shared a bathroom with another room, so it was one bathroom to a suite. It was a good bonding experience. All the girls, for the most part, were really close to each other on each floor.

Our cafeteria is Stone cafeteria. The food was 20 times better than most caefteria food, but at the same time, it is not gourmet either. Lots of options, esp. if you are vegan or vegetarian. There is a salad bar, a soup bar, cerals, deserts, the main meal of the day, and a sandwich line, etc. Some days they would have "wok night" where faculty/RA's/other IAA people would cook asian cuisine.

Interlochen is a tiny, tiny town. A pizza place or a tanning salon here and there, but basically all woods and nothing else. Definitely no fun offered off campus in Interlochen, but only in nearby cities. Traverse City is only about 10 minutes away, and every Monday a bus takes students into town to the mall, to the movies, etc. So you can escape the woods for a day if you wish.

Social life is interesting. Everyone at IAA is so unique and different that cliques do form. You have the "normal" kids who had natural colored hair, and wore their uniform of navy pants/shorts and light blue shirt properly. Then you had your artsy, eccentric kids who had punk colored hair and did everything they could to make their uniform look interesting and stylish within the dress code rules. You had your 4-year clique of students that had been together for years at IAA. You had your nature/recycling-crazy people, who went around and preached about the importance of saving the planet and recycling. You had your dramatic theatre clique of kids who performed scenes in the middle of the cafeteria. It was fun. Definitely an eye-opener for those who aren't used to such unique, liberal people.