Interlochen is an amazing place, but make sure your child knows how to make good decisions about illicit substances. Interlochen has long had something of a quiet drug culture -- i.e. much as it exists among many professionals in the arts. Casual, modest use can be normalized in a way that you might not necessarily be comfortable with your child adopting as a way of life.

My daughter is starting this fall—so no first hand experience yet—but all the parents we talked to when we were considering raves about it as a magical place that their kids adored.

I'm from Michigan and had a couple of friends go to Interlochen. They are both musicians. Attending Interlochen is a fantastic life-changing opportunity. I would say that if you can afford it and he can get in, send him.

Thanks all! We are making a trip back this week to meet with admissions and some teachers, take a tour, etc. it’s difficult to leave for senior year of HS, but in many ways he’s outgrown his current school, unfortunately.
Also difficult to think about him leaving a year “early” but he just lights up talking about his time at camp, surrounded by people who want to talk about music, collaborate, etc.

I have a student at my summer intensive who just graduated; he's incredibly talented, but also hard working, kind, just an absolute delight to have in our program. Obviously a lot of that is just him, but he speaks so highly and fondly of his time there, it sounds like it's a great place and that a lot of kids are like this student I have. Definitely worth looking into, IMO!

So glad to hear your kid liked the camp. Mine leaves for camp there in a week. If he likes it, we are considering the boarding school when he is older (still in middle school).

DD attended and loved it. Fabulous instruction and welcoming community. Leadership at school is top notch. Highly recommend.

Anonymous wrote:Is where you live near the upper Mid-West? If not, I'd really make sure that your kid can handle a long, cold and dark winter in a place that is pretty isolated. If by next year you mean 2025-26, maybe visit the place in the winter to get a sense of what it's like then. Our kid has loved attending summer camps there but would find it far too isolated to attend full time. TC is a good 20-25 minutes away, and there's only so much to do there.

Plenty to do on campus. Trips to TC are fun but not necessary.

Thanks all. We are going up in a few weeks to meet college counselor,academic advisor, etc. not at all what we had planned for sr year of high school but DS is SO excited by this.

I know someone who attended years ago and loved it. Definitely an interesting prospect for an arts/music student. Sounds at least worth exploring.

Good idea! (I should have thought of that!)

Anonymous wrote:Thx. Yes we’ve been there though not in winter DS is only looking at colleges in north - Rochester, Wisconsin, Michigan, etc. loves cold weather.
Really just trying to get a sense of what it’s like during school year.

Maybe ask them to put you in touch with some current students and their parents?

Thx. Yes we’ve been there though not in winter DS is only looking at colleges in north - Rochester, Wisconsin, Michigan, etc. loves cold weather.
Really just trying to get a sense of what it’s like during school year.

Is where you live near the upper Mid-West? If not, I'd really make sure that your kid can handle a long, cold and dark winter in a place that is pretty isolated. If by next year you mean 2025-26, maybe visit the place in the winter to get a sense of what it's like then. Our kid has loved attending summer camps there but would find it far too isolated to attend full time. TC is a good 20-25 minutes away, and there's only so much to do there.

Does anyone have a kid who’s attended Interlochen Academy? DS just finished up a camo there and loved it. He is now talking about wanting to attend next year. He studied music composition, so there aren’t many options to get the level of instruction where we live. And he isn’t loving his high school curriculum - next year he’ll have to take math and science online as his school does not offer AP sciences or AP BC calc. But he has friends, and the school is $$. But seems like a great opportunity.
Would appreciate any thoughts.