Interlochen Arts Academy - Review #1

The arts education I received at Interlochen was truly incredible, I was a Creative Writing student, and the skills I learned through the workshop and one on one teaching changed my life. The community they foster with weekly meetings and advisory as well as within the dorms also created a supportive environment for me to grow.

At Interlochen, I grew as both an artist and as a person. While I was there, I won several local and national competitions, including 2 YoungArts Awards. Going to Interlochen was the best decision I ever made, I became more resilient and independent and began to learn writing not just for myself but as a craft.

I really wouldn’t do anything differently, maybe if I could have I would have gone sooner. If you’re considering going to boarding school, it’s okay to be scared but a lot of the changes you’re scared of now are some of the things you’ll be most appreciative of when you leave.

I liked the friends I made and the arts education I received, in particular my teacher Joe Sacksteder, who’s no longer there, but who without I wouldn’t be the person I am today.

If you can, definitely check out Duck Lake. Also cheese fries from the Melody Freeze are great.

The academics at Interlochen are to a degree less of a priority for many students, but I still felt challenged and like my needs were being met as someone who wanted to go into an academic field and not an arts one. The variety of classes is far beyond what you would find at an ordinary school, and the small class sizes ensure you build a close relationship with many of your teachers.

The Denison activity center is great, and there is a good variety of sports available. It’s not really competitive though and it’s not mandatory.

This is really where Interlochen shines. Whatever major you choose, there are so many opportunities to engage with the arts. I took a wide variety of classes from Writing about Music, to Writing for Video Games, Stories in Verse, and Novel writing. I also got the opportunity my senior year to work one on one with a faculty member to produce a chapbook. The Writing House is a beautiful facility, and all of the other arts buildings are as well.

I really liked the community service aspect of Interlochen, especially when I had more of a chance to engage with it, working in the archives was really influential on my college experiences.

Both of the dorms I stayed in were very nice, and the IRLs were very supportive and good at mediation. My favorite part was the relationships I built with my room and suite mates.

There is a good selection for different dietary requirements. One of the years I was there was during the pandemic so there was less self service, but I remember the stir fry being a good option. The food wasn’t the greatest but it was better than what I had for lunch at public school.

The town surrounding Interlochen is small, but there were a handful of stores and shops we were allowed to go to. The real highlight was on Saturdays when we could take the bus to Traverse City. The area is really beautiful and has some good hiking.

The social life is pretty good. There’s always lots of activities on the weekends, and I made most of my best friends while I was there. The community aspect of the campus is really strong.