<p>My daughter has just been accepted as a theatre major at IAA for her junior year of high school. We don't have the FA packet yet, so have no idea yet of whether or not she will be attending. Still, I thought it would be worth touching base with you folks about the value of this venture, given you are in the next "stage." Any and all input, both pro and con, is welcome.
Thanks!</p>
<p>Interlochen will give her invaluable training and guidance. If she attends make sure she takes in her junior year: voice&diction and oral interpretation, and senior year: stage movement and acting shakespeare (along with the required acting technique and theatre company both years) those are the classes which will give her the most training for her 2 years there.
At the end of her junior year they will instruct her to have 10-12 monologues prepared for the fall of her senior year. They will expect most of these monologues to be memorized and ready to be worked in the private audition technique sessions to best prepare her for college auditions.
They will help her choose which colleges to apply to and in the entire college application process. They are very friendly with the heads of the departments at most of the conservatories and colleges, so if they have any questions about certain students they are always sure to ask.
The senior theatre majors take a charter bus to Chicago , to attend the Chicago Unified College Auditions (where most of the acting programs across the country/ world are in attendance). The teachers go with them to Chicago to help calm their nerves, be a guiding hand, and say hello to all the representatives from each college.
Most if not all of the seniors are accepted into great programs for college!</p>
<p>Do you know if your daughter will be auditioning for acting or musical theatre programs for college? If you know that, I can better assess the pros and cons of Interlochen for both.</p>
<p>Hope this helps:)</p>
<p>Thanks !
She would, I expect, be auditioning for acting programs in college - not musical theatre.
Any thoughts regarding pros and cons of leaving home two years early? Is it “too much too soon”?</p>
<p>My D has a friend who transferred to IAA in Music. She saw him at spring break and says he seems more at ease, more confident, more independent than when he lived at home. Obviously, it depends on the individual but I guess some students thrive there.</p>
<p>[Theatre</a> Student is Academy’s 40th Presidential Scholar | Interlochen Arts Academy High School](<a href=“http://academy.interlochen.org/news/theatre-student-academys-40th-presidential-scholar]Theatre”>http://academy.interlochen.org/news/theatre-student-academys-40th-presidential-scholar)</p>
<p>If you think she can handle being away from home at this age, then she will be fine. The hall counselors and “moms” are really great. And all of the teachers know how to be there for kids being away from home.
They have sponsor groups: which is when a teacher from his/her major has 5-6 students and takes them to their house for dinner and movies, takes them to the mall, on different activities, or if they need a ride somewhere or just to be there for them.
Interlochen does a really great job of helping the students feel at home. If I hadn’t gone to Interlochen I’m sure going to college would’ve been a much harder transition!
So, ultimately, if you think she’s ready then Interlochen will do all they can to guide her.</p>
<p>My D has been at Interlochen for her junior and senior years of high school as a theatre major and it has been an incredible experience for her! The pros far outweigh the cons. She was so prepared for her college auditions and was accepted into over a dozen straight acting, musical theatre and classical voice programs. The academics are very strong, too. She was admitted into the Honors College at all the schools to which she applied and received talent and academic scholarships. Interlochen does a tremendous job in preparing their students. My D has developed life long bonds with her teachers and peers. Yes, it is very pricey! But for us, my D’s college scholarships far exceed what we paid for her two years at Interlochen and we feel she is so ready for the next part of her life due to the training and guidance she received there. Hope this helps!</p>
<p>If you aren’t convinced yet…</p>
<p>It seems Interlochen students have an excellent acceptance rate for their college auditions. The conservatories LOVE them. One of my d’s friends at her performing arts hs transferred to Interlochen for her junior year and senior year. She has had a 100% acceptance rate this audition season and is going to Carnegie Mellon with wonderful scholarships. </p>
<p>Knowing what I know now, if it were possible to turn back the clock and if we could afford it, I would have sent my d there, in a heartbeat.</p>
<p>Good luck with your decision!</p>
<p>Thanks, everyone. Thanks also for the private messages. We are going for a visit this week (she had auditioned via DVD as we live far away). I’m sure it will help both of us gain perspective. Any advice regarding asking for more financial aid? Mt other daughter is heading off to college this fall (hence much of my heartache over this decision!). We had not calculated those costs initially.
Thanks again; keep your thoughts coming.</p>
<p>Re: the finances, they likely expect some negotiation especially in these tough financial times.</p>
<p>My friend’s daughter went there and she had the exact same issues. She told them how much her D loves the school ( for all the reasons people have already mentioned above ) and that she would love to attend but it would be a hardship for the family to pull it off financially. Interlochen came through with scholarships. LetsSing also has a great point. The future scholarships will outweigh the cost in the end. :)</p>
<p>Our son attends the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama (RSAMD) and three out of the four kids from the USA in his Freshman class of (22) total are from Interlochen. There are other Interlochen kids at the school. RSAMD recruits at Interlochen as they know that the students are prepared and mature enough to go to school overseas. Myt son says that they get good acting training.</p>
<p>does interlochen accept students for the senior year?
i applied for the summer camp [and was accepted :)] but wasnt able to go…</p>
<p>so can you apply senior year or do you have to start junior year?</p>
<p>Usually half of the senior class is made up of new students, meaning students who come just for their senior year.
So, yes, you can attend just for senior year!</p>
<p>hello! I will be attending interlochen academy starting this year for my junior year. Although not theater, I will be a visual arts major. I have been attending interlochen summer camp every summer, and this will be my 8th. It is such a great place, if you have any questions, let me know! :]</p>
<p>I know this thread is from 2009, but we are quickly debating whether our daught should attend Interlochen starting her Junior year. She would be in the new Singer/Songwriter program. Any thoughts?</p>
<p>My S attended IAA for 3 years for theatre. He just graduated in 2012. Students from Interlochen get into excellent college programs. Although expensive, it was definitely worth it. I doubt he would have gotten into the BFA acting programs if he had stayed at our local HS.</p>
<p>Hi, I attended Interlochen as a theatre student for three years and just graduated in 2011. If you have any questions, feel free to PM me. </p>
<p>Obviously, I have not been around for the Singer/Songwriter program, but I was present for the first year of the Comparative Arts program and can tell you that, while it was a little bit shaky to start (the purpose of the major confused many students - it wasn’t made too clear at first exactly what it was), I can tell you that every CA student was happy with their year. Interlochen has a pretty untarnished record of excellence in all of their areas, so I can’t see them risking that with a new major unless they were sure they had the manpower to make it a successful endeavor. </p>
<p>Also, we have a number of famous singer/songwriter alumni: Norah Jones, Jewel, Sufjan Stevens to name a few… So Inty already has a pretty good standing in that artistic community </p>
<p>Much luck! Hope you take the plunge - the experience can’t be put to words adequately at all, but I’ll do my best if you have any questions :)</p>