Interlochen HELP!!!

[AvocadoOptemist]

Hi! I’m a current sophomore, and I got accepted to Interlochen’s summer Creative Writing program. As one does, I looked into reviews and other student’s experiences, but every review seemed to conflict the one above it. Some were making it out to be amazing and beautiful, while others were saying that it was an awful experience. I’m not sure who to believe. It’s extremely expensive too, and I don’t want to waste a lot of money that I’ve been working hard to make. Does anyone have any advice/thoughts on why the reviews could be so sporratic, and also if anyone has personal experiences that were good/bad, I’d love to hear about them. The acceptance window is closing soon, and I’d really like a clearer picture before I commit or decide not to go.

[JaimeMomof3]

Hi @AvocadoOptemist , I responded to a similar question on another thread, below. It makes sense to me that the reviews are all over the place, because students attend these camps for different reasons and with different goals. I think it’s challenging for students to fully research any summer program before attending, and then after you get there you might find it’s not the right fit.

If you have other questions about the program, I’d be happy to answer them…

@JaimeMomof3

Hi @beiurre I see you posted back in February, and your plans may have changed since then, but thought I’d answer based on my own daughter’s experience at Interlochen, last summer. She also chose the Creative Writing concentration, though she came to Interlochen with many other interests as well.

If you are primarily looking to build a writing portfolio with an eye toward college admissions, Interlochen is probably not the best fit. My daughter had additional goals – she was considering applying to the Academy for year-round admission and wanted to see what it was like, first – so in that sense we considered the experience worthwhile. She came to the summer program with some pieces she hoped to workshop and get professional input on. It wasn’t quite that type of experience, and she felt there was not very much actual “work” involved.

There are many wonderful aspects to the Interlochen program – please don’t consider this a negative review by any means – but if you are a serious creative writing student looking for real academic value, you might Google “online creative writing courses” and find a group that better fits your goals as well as your budget. Before the virus hit, my daughter was looking into our local community college, which offers open writing workshops, and is reasonably-priced; that is another cost-effective route for high school students.

Good luck!