Program Reviews

I loved my time at Seguinland Institute. I made so many great friends and was exposed to so many new experiences. I loved the focus on building community and working together in everything we did. We did a lot of outdoor excursions such as hiking and camping which were super fun and memorable. Our classes had a good balance of readings, discussions, and experiential learning opportunities. I learned a lot about myself and how I relate to the world around me as well as what elements make up a good life. I hope to carry these new insights with me into the future.

I have never had an experience remotely like being at Seguinland Institute. The most valuable thing that this program gave me is relationships that changed my understanding of how people can interact with and love each other. The immersion in nature, lack of phone and substance use, and environment that the staff cultivates through guidance and activities allowed me to focus intensely on what is truly important to me. It also encouraged everybody to be curious about one another in a way that is really difficult to find in highschool or college. This curiosity is what I think created such profound friendships at Seguinland Institute. I also discovered a connection to nature within myself that I had not previously known existed.

The Seguinland experience is unlike anything I’ve done before. I really don’t consider myself a nature person, yet all of the programming was made so accessible and interesting to me. I’m so thankful for all the memories made and lessons learned at Seguinland’s wintering term. The size of the group was intimate enough to learn everyone’s stories and develop personal relationships with staff, yet large enough to feel like a community. I applied to the wintering term at the very last minute, and am so grateful to Philip and the team for their kindness and flexibility.

I had an amazing overall experience at Seguinland Institute in January of 2024 with the Wintering Good life program. Seguinland Institute provided a variety of experiences, both inside and outside of the classroom, such as writers workshops, engaging classes, ice fishing, and cross country skiing. The staff were very supportive, and the experiences were life-changing. The food was amazing, and the experiences were set up in a way that we could get to know new people throughout the 3 weeks we were there.

My time with the Seguinland Institute over the last few months was absolutely life changing. The program helped me to achieve a greater passion for life as well as the importance of community building. The program helped me to make friends and build skills to last a lifetime and I will be forever grateful for the fantastic staff there to help support and guide me along the way. Having the opportunity to adventure around the coast of Maine while learning about pressing issues of our time and ways we can work towards improving our own lives is an opportunity I would not pass up on.

My time at Seguinland was truly priceless and a major turning point in my life. I initially thought that approaching the concept of living a good life in a two month gap year program wouldn’t work as well as advertised, but to my surprise I came out of it with an entirely new mindset. Being immersed in nature on the coast of Maine is a much needed change of pace and the perfect place to reevaluate what you want your life to look like. Having lectures from inspiring, thought-provoking teachers and being able to talk about my takeaways with kids my age made for an engaging and insightful academic experience. To this day I still think about the experimental approaches and ideas surrounding the art making process that were shared with me towards the end of the program. Most importantly what makes Seguinland so special is the people. The kids I met there are some of the best friends I’ve ever made. The community we created was so genuine and loving, which is an intentional result of the designed environment we were in. My experience here was utter bliss and I cannot recommend it enough.

I loved my time at Seguinland. The setting is beautiful, the programming is thought-provoking and engaging, and the community is incredible. I cannot recommend it enough. Truly creative and experiential learning. I have made life-long connections and grew dramatically as a person because of Seguinland. My cohort feels like family and we still talk regularly. Be prepared to slow down and dig into big questions. Would not recommend if you cannot live without your phone. (Also as a bonus, the food is amazing.)

My gap semester at Seguinland gave me so many new experiences and perspectives, and was an incredibly worthwhile way to spend my fall. It fostered my curiosity about the world around me, broadened my exposure to art and media, and gave me opportunities to try new things that I wouldn't have otherwise (including outdoor adventures and a variety of day trips to the local area with activities ranging from touring an oyster farm to having a hawk land on my arm to making apple cider).

One of the things that sticks out to me most about my time at Seguinland is the community of people I was surrounded by and the connections I made with them. Living together, learning together, and adventuring together really did forge bonds among us and created a unique and interconnected ecosystem of people who I felt excited to be around and learn from. My peers inspired me in a number of ways, but I think the biggest thing was how joyous they made each daily experience.

Another of the most memorable parts of my fall experience was the beautiful natural landscape we were in and the many opportunities we had to explore it. Seguinland gave me more of an appreciation for the magic and necessity of nature, and also helped me feel more confident exploring the world on my own, which I think is a very valuable takeaway that will stick with me and keep improving my life long after leaving Seguinland.

My time at Seguinland is something that I treasure and find heartwarming to look back on. I recommend the program to anyone who wants to take a step back, gain some perspective, and re-center themselves and their priorities before entering the next phase of their life.

Seguinland Institute is a great gap semester program for anyone who is interested in nature and exploring big questions about life! It almost felt like a nature retreat mixed with philosophy, English, and art classes. My favorite part of the program was the mindfulness aspect - doing yoga in a treehouse surrounded by nature is truly magical! It’s a great program for anyone looking to take a break from the daily pressures of technology and life in general and take time to figure out what a “good life” looks like to you.

Describing Seguinland to someone who’s never been is comparable to describing neuroscience; incredibly difficult. The real truth is that you don’t know until you are able to come and experience this incredible program for yourself. But if I had to try, I’d describe the community you build above all else. Sure, the instructors are good, great even, but the community you cultivate with your fellow peers is one of a kind. I’m not sure how I got to lucky to meet such wonderful people, but Seguinland was truly the environment that fostered these friendships. By emphasizing the importance of intentional community and connection with your fellow humans, it allowed me to reach beyond myself and build friendships that I have no doubt will last a lifetime. And for that I am forever grateful and will always give that aspect a 10/10 rating. I’ve found my forever friends that see right to the heart of me.