ARTS AC ADEMY
Where You Belong
Where You Belong
You have been charting your own course since day one. Your creative mind and untameable imagination have put you on a path that’s all your own. Get ready for a place where what makes you different becomes your greatest strength. Where your uniqueness is celebrated and your artistry blossoms. Where the friends you make inspire you to become even better at what you do best. This is Interlochen Arts Academy. This is your destination—and the next step in your journey.
At Interlochen, you’ll learn from the best.
Top arts instructors from around the world converge here in northern Michigan. As an Arts Academy student, you’ll learn from people who push you to become the best you can be.
Learn from elite artists like violist Renee Skerik, who has toured throughout the United States, Europe, and Brazil—performing at such renowned locations as the 33rd International Viola Congress in Reykjavik, Iceland and Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall. She’s collaborated with world-class musicians like Cho-Liang Lin, Margaret Batjer, and Yizhak Schotten. Renee’s not just a performer, though; she’s also a gifted educator whose students go on to top conservatories and universities.
LEARN FROM elite
And that holds true regardless of your major at Interlochen. If you’re a creative writer, you’ll learn from Brittany Cavallaro, a New York Times bestselling novelist; if you’re a dancer, you’ll work with Director of Dance Joseph Morrissey, who has performed with the Boston Ballet and the Bavarian State Ballet in Germany, and now adjudicates competitions from Paris to Tokyo.
No matter your passion, you’ll be trained by the highest-caliber instructors who will take your artistry to the next level.
The place for you to do what you love.
You’ve known it for a long time now: You love to write. Or play music. Or act. Or dance. You know what it’s like to pour everything you’ve got into the climactic chapter of your novel, the finest details of your painting, or the most challenging movement of the symphony you’re performing. You can live that feeling every day at Interlochen Arts Academy, where we offer seven different majors to fit your passions and gifts. Whatever your artistic dreams are, you’ll find space to pursue them here.
MUSIC
Be part of a rigorous, globally-renowned program. Large ensemble performances, chamber concerts, and solo recitals give music students a wide range of performance experience, while stellar guest artists provide insight into classical and contemporary technique. Upcoming touring opportunities include playing with Yo-Yo Ma to debut a new piece by Wynton Marsalis in side-by-sides with members of The Philadelphia Orchestra at the Kimmel Center and the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center.
SEVEN
different MAJORS
THEATRE
Focus on acting, musical theatre, or design and production within Interlochen’s Theatre programs. Enjoy access to state-of-the-art performance spaces from the 952-seat Corson Auditorium to Phoenix Theatre, a 200-seat black box. Work with guest artists like Anthony Rapp, who originated the lead role in Rent. As a Theatre major, you join a tradition of outstanding alumni including Michael Arden, actor and Tony Award-winning director; and Alexandra Silber, actor and Grammy Award-winning singer.
VISUAL ARTS
As a Visual Arts major, you’ll work with diverse media including painting, sculpting, printmaking, digital arts, and more. You’ll also meet guest artists like Elaine Gurian, who has worked with the Smithsonian Institution and many other top museums. Get exhibition experience with an annual juried show and multiple showcases in Interlochen’s professional gallery space. Visual Arts majors have earned multiple Scholastic Art & Writing Awards and have been finalists in the national YoungArts competition.
FILM & NEW MEDIA
Get access to state-of-the-art equipment in Interlochen’s DeRoy Center for Film Studies, and work with incredible guest artists like Summer Camp Island animator Julia Pott and Wonder Woman screenwriter Allan Heinberg. Join in on Interlochen-only projects like filming a full-length documentary on regenerative agriculture in cooperation with the Greenacres Foundation. You will work with the Interlochen Cinema Collective, a collaborative group that created “Jedo’s Dead”, winner of the Texas Shorts Jury Award at SXSW, Best U.S. Short Special Mention at the Palm Springs International Shortfest, and Best Short at the Minnesota Film Festival. Plus, take part in the Future of Cinema Film Festival on campus every fall.
DANCE
Perform in two full-length ballets every year, accompanied by a live orchestra. Practice every day in our new Dance Center, where floor-to-ceiling windows offer a stunning view of Green Lake. Take your talents on tour to locations like the New World Center in Miami and The Joyce Theater or Carnegie Hall in New York City. Alumni have gone on to enroll in programs like Princeton Ballet and perform with companies like Ballet West, Boston Ballet, Ballet National de Marseille, Dance Theatre of Harlem, and Latvian National Opera Ballet.
CREATIVE WRITING
Study in The Writing House, the only building in the United States dedicated to the craft of pre-college writing. There, you’ll learn from professional novelists, poets, playwrights, and screenwriters in Interlochen’s outstanding Visiting Writers Series, which regularly draws in lauded guests like Ross Gay, Ilya Kaminsky, and Carmen Maria Machado. Plus, get hands-on editorial experience by working on the in-house literary magazine, The Red Wheelbarrow.
INTERDISCIPLINARY ARTS
LEARN MORE ABOUT EACH MAJOR
interlochen.org/academy
Explore and combine art forms while you develop your artistic voice and master skills in everything Interlochen has to offer. Showcase your work as a performer, collaborator, writer, or producer—and build your own creative path. Work with gifted guest artists like Grammy Award-winning vocalist and Broadway actor Sydney James Harcourt. Interlochen’s Interdisciplinary Arts program sends students to top schools around the world, including the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Pratt Institute, Bard College, Skidmore College, and the Liverpool Institute for the Performing Arts.
Interlochen Arts Academy students have been recognized as PRESIDENTIAL SCHOLARS
IN
4-year students receive the national average in college scholarship awards DOUBLE
More than any other high school in the nation
THE ARTS of 4-year students 100%
got into one of their TOP 3 colleges
Our academics will open the door to your future.
The results speak for themselves: Interlochen is ranked A+ for academics by Niche.com and 51 Interlochen Arts Academy students have been recognized as Presidential Scholars in the Arts. That’s more than any other high school in the nation. And for the last two years, 100% of Interlochen’s four-year students were accepted into one of their top three college choices. That’s because Interlochen’s accelerated college-prep curriculum puts you in the best position possible to succeed in life beyond our campus. Want to take Advanced Placement classes? We offer those. Ready to get a head start on college coursework? We’ve got it covered. We’ve partnered with Indiana University to bring you college classes taught right here on Interlochen’s campus.
Our gifted instructors teach academic subjects through the lens of the arts, inviting you to see connections between the classroom and the studio or practice room. Here at Interlochen, you’ll find a beautiful balance.
• RANKED A+ for Academics by Niche.com
• ADVANCED PLACEMENT classes offered
• DUAL ENROLLMENT classes available in English, History, and Science
Find joy in community.
This is where you’ll find “your people”—the ones who know you to your core and see you for all that you are. You’ll meet dancers and painters, actors and writers. Your conversations will be enriched by their diverse backgrounds, representing 45 U.S. states and territories, as well as 27 different countries.
Whether you’re starting a new club on campus, playing your favorite sport, or attending one of Interlochen’s wildly creative student events, you’ll experience the deep joy that comes from being surrounded by people who share your greatest passions.
Discover a life-changing high school experience completely designed for artists like you. interlochen.org/
HERBERT H. & BARBARA C. DOW CENTER FOR VISUAL ARTS
DENNISON CENTER FOR RECREATION & WELLNESS
DANCE CENTER
AARON &
HARVEY THEATRE
THE MUSIC CENTER
DEROY CENTER FOR FILM STUDIES
HERBERT H. & GRACE A. DOW HOUSE
HELEN
VIRTUAL TOUR OF OUR CAMPUS
Spend four years living, learning, and thriving at Interlochen.
interlochen.org/student-support FOUR FORMATIVE YEARS
We call it the Four Formative Years for a reason—as you invest more time at Interlochen, you will grow a student and as a person. Here’s what happens:
• You benefit from long-term connections with your instructors and peers, creating a network that can be invaluable throughout your artistic journey.
• You earn a more substantial college or conservatory scholarship (scholarship averages rise with each year you spend at Interlochen, and our 4-year students receive almost double the national average in scholarship awards).
• You enjoy four years of access to resources, supplies, and equipment that will give you a competitive advantage and help you develop your skills.
• You dive deeper into your purpose and identity as an artist.
• You develop independent living skills that look great to college recruiters.
• You build a strong and diverse portfolio that sets you up for success in college and beyond.
Get the full Arts Academy experience by spending your entire high school journey here at Interlochen.
As you progress from potential to mastery, you don’t have to do it alone. Work with an academic and college counselor to prepare for a future beyond Interlochen. Get extra support for learning in our Academic Center for Enrichment. Take charge of your mental health by working with school counselors and enjoying 24/7 access to external counseling resources.
Coming into Interlochen as a freshman or sophomore?
We offer plenty of support for the youngest members of our community, so you can pursue your passions while making fun a priority. You’ll experience special orientation activities, go on field trips, and meet each week with an Advisory Group to help with everything from goal-setting to friendships. Before long, boarding school life will feel like second nature.
interlochen.org/exceptional-journey FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT SUPPORT
Other support services:
• Bonisteel Library
• Health Services
• Dennison Center for Recreation and Wellness
In 2023 of Academy graduates enrolled at a top college 175+ college recruiters visit campus each year 82% 50
Prepare for a brilliant future.
After Interlochen, you can go anywhere. The creative thinking skills and confidence you develop prepare you to take on life’s challenges with resilience. Plus, college admission offices are interested in our graduates because they know our students are receiving an elite artistic and academic experience that distinguishes them from students elsewhere.
• Arts Academy graduates have attended schools including Stanford University, Berklee College of Music, Curtis Institute of Music, Eastman School of Music, Harvard University, The Juilliard School, Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts, and School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Our alumni are pursuing every kind of career imaginable. They’re lawyers and ballerinas, painters and biologists. Whether you want a lifetime in the arts or you’re not sure yet what the future has in store for you, you’ll find that an Interlochen diploma tells the world that you are a multifaceted person who’s passionate about the arts and ready to succeed in any area of life.
Interlochen alumni
Angelin Chang (‘86)
Grammy Award-winning classical pianist; Professor of Music and Professor of Law at Cleveland State University
Anthony McGill (‘96) Principal Clarinet, New York
Philharmonic; 2020 recipient of the Avery Fisher Prize
Holly Gilbert (‘88) Director, High Altitude Observatory at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR); former Deputy Director of the Heliophysics Science Division at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
Let’s make it possible.
Wondering if you’ll be able to afford the Interlochen experience? We’re committed to creating a community that values accessibility and transcends barriers. Unlike many other arts boarding schools, Interlochen offers both merit- and need-based aid, ensuring that your talent is acknowledged with support. Both domestic and international students are eligible, and a majority of our students receive financial assistance each year.
Investing in an Interlochen diploma often yields big dividends after high school. Last year’s graduates combined earned more than $56 million in college scholarships over four years.
It all starts with a conversation. Reach out to finaid@interlochen.org, or visit the link below. FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT FINANCIAL AID interlochen.org/financial-aid
You belong at Interlochen.
This is the place where you’ll work with instructors who will impact your life forever. You’ll discover and refine your artistic voice as you write plays, compose music, and create art. Here, your unique journey will converge with hundreds of other young artists from around the world. Actors, musicians, choreographers, fashion designers, interdisciplinary artists, and more are all drawn here to shape their dreams into lives with creative purpose.
Everything that’s defined your journey so far—the art you love, the classes you’ve sought out, and the passions you’ve cultivated—has led you here, to Interlochen Arts Academy. It’s time to take your place in our creative community.
APPLY TODAY AT application.interlochen.org
SEPT. 1:
Applications open
NOV. 15:
Early Decision Deadline
Apply early to get priority consideration for your first-choice program, plus access to more scholarship opportunities.
JAN. 15:
Regular Decision Deadline
Applications accepted on a rolling basis after this deadline as space permits
