John Locke Institute Reviews 118

I'm not sure if I could recommend the John Locke Institute enough; I spent two weeks at Georgetown and it was one of the most unique experiences of my life. The speakers were credible and interesting, we had access to amazing facilities, and the staff were incredible. If you're nervous about making friends, don't be; I met some of the kindest people at the JLI, and you're probably going to make some life long friends if you have the opportunity to go to a John Locke Institute program!

The Oxford summer course costed £5,500 for two weeks. While the summer school did have some quality tutors, there was a huge issue with safeguarding and management at the course. There was no safeguarding lead which caused huge problems with various safeguarding issues. There was also a teacher who made sexist comments and was forced to resign during the course. I felt sorry for the interns who worked at the camp as they were hardworking and were treated unfairly; they were also remunerated below minimum wage. The whole experience was extremely underwhelming did not worth the £5,500 paid to the camp. I would strongly advise against participating and especially working at this course.

The marketing team did really well to manipulate us into thinking that the Nanjing summer school would be worth the 5000 dollars. There three main reasons why this is a 2 star from me: 1. We learned minimal, and i mean minimal amounts of economics as the only thing I learned was the cobb-douglas function and its implications on utility in the whole 7 days here. 2. We only had 2 teachers, a billionaire who came to advertise his startup on EVERY SINGLE LECTURE, and the director general which was alright I guess. final reason: content. we were promised actual professors and the only actual one dipped to spain, so we were left with middle school teachers who taught us middle school english skills such as ‘what is and introduction?’. If I had to title this course for them, it should be called ‘Beginner course on writing an introduction for an essay’. But now let’s talk about why gave this 2 stars, not 1 star. Tom, the intern was a great supporter, he made sure we were on time for everything, making sure we knew where to be whilst also being an absolute vibe to be around so I think overall my experience is a 2 star experience.

I attended the John Locke Essay Competition event in September 2024 and was deeply disappointed with the overall experience. Despite being aware of the number of attendees in advance, the organisers consistently offered excuses for poor planning. There was no prior notice regarding key details, and delays were frequent, leaving attendees without accurate or timely information.

The event was far from smooth, with long queues, inadequate organisation, and unprepared certificates. Many students did not receive their certificates, and when I enquired, I was told they would be sent by email or post. However, no tracking was offered, and it was made clear that any loss in transit would not be their responsibility.

When I attempted to raise a formal complaint, a staff member laughed at me and mockingly suggested that my only recourse was to leave a review on TripAdvisor. I found this response highly unprofessional and offensive. It appeared to stem from prejudice based on my appearance, leaving me feeling insulted and angry. It was evident that they did not care whether I am British or not, as they judged me solely on my looks.

Given the high fees charged for this event and the fact that many families travel internationally to attend, it is clear the organisers prioritise profit over the experience and satisfaction of participants. This was my first time attending the event, and due to the immense disappointment, it will certainly be my last.

I would appreciate clarification on the correct procedure for filing a formal complaint regarding this matter.

The John Locke Institute Course was equal in its richness and insight as it was in its entertainment. The course selects top professors, doctorates, and experts in their field willing to discuss and debate key areas of life, providing unique insights beyond what education systems can teach you, on Philosophy, Economics, and Politics equally. With a community of diverse, intellectually flexible, sociable, and curious students, each lecture does not come without striking questions posed by members that challenge the claims made by professors, or even your own worldviews. In smaller discussions, claims are debated extensively and fairly, ensuring that course insights are truly internalized into each student. Personally, I had a lot of fun with the course’s ideological turing tests, which allow students to get the unique opportunity of truly understanding an opposing view on critical issues/topics, while strengthening your own in the process.
Facilities provided by the course are excellent, with interactive and unique rooms catering to big lectures and small-size precepts. Accommodation, being the Paradox Hotel Singapore, was excellent and accessible, only a walking distance to where the course lectures took place. All relevant needs are met exceptionally, with breakfast, lunch, dinner, and breaks provided every day. Finally, the course provided students with the unique opportunity to explore the country/city as a whole, travelling to hawker centers or beaches on Sentosa Island, boosting community bond, spirit, and enjoyability.

I am in Year 8 from Australia and attended the first John Locke summer school in Singapore, 2024. Despite my age I had a great experience there with other peers and faculty. With my younger age, I was worried before but many of my peers were the same age and we were split into groups of similar ages.Due to this, we were able to have thought-provoking discussions in our small precepts about the consequences of AI, what we aim for as the human race and other concepts. Not only peers, the interns and residential staff, assisted with everybody’s needs and I also formed close relationships and bonds with them. They allowed me to fit in and have intriguing discussions about PPE.The program also had amazing faculty such as Dr Tom Palmer, Dr Tomoki Fujji and Mr Martin Cox. They lectured us about philosophy such as common fallacies, politics with the principles of public policy analysis, and economic theory. The accommodation was also perfect at the paradox hotel, incredibly close to teaching centres and next to shopping centres and public transport to explore the city in our free time. As a younger student who attended this summer school, it was a perfect opportunity to learn and develop and I encourage everyone to participate in these summer schools without hesitation and to learn more about PPE.

I was fortunate enough to gain a place on the John Locke Institute’s visiting scholars programme in Washington DC in the spring of 2024 and it was truly a first-class experience. The program has an excellent blend of meeting academics, practitioners, lobbyists and think tank policy experts, all of whom have fantastic insight as to how the Capital works and what policies are currently trending. My fellow participants on the course were a varied and highly accomplished group from all over the world - Germany, Singapore, Australia, France to name but a few – with the key thing in common being a keen interest in academics, politics and current affairs. As the group is kept deliberately small, we all had excellent exposure to those we met, and it was a great opportunity to develop intellectual flexibility around ideas which were new to me. As we lived together in a lovely DC townhouse, we were able to debate new concepts and discuss the coursework in a lively and intellectual fashion, a fantastic opportunity to do so with others who shared a passion for the social sciences. We had plenty of free time to spend exploring America’s capital, including a segway tour, trips to the Georgetown campus and visiting the vast array of museums and public buildings. Furthermore, the course is held during the beautiful cherry blossom season making it the perfect time of year to explore a truly captivating place.

I have just finished my first semester at Bristol University, and I find myself comparing the vastly different approaches to education between UK university and the John Locke Institute. The immersive and full program on offer at the Institute fosters intellectual curiosity and includes meeting world leading professors from George Mason and Georgetown Universities as well as policy experts in the think tank world. Spending time with Congressmen and Senators tops off the real-world experience and being able to do all of this whilst in Washington DC, the world’s political hub, is hugely stimulating. The quality of education the John Locke Institute offers in just one month is far beyond what the Russel Group universities in the UK can provide. The difference does not just come in the high quality and interactivity core to the way you are taught on the gap year programme, but the fact that whilst you’re learning and assimilating these ideas, the Institute helps you to nurture lateral and flexible ways of approaching problems in a manner I had not experienced before. My time with the John Locke Institute has been one of the highlights of my year, and I am extremely grateful for the time I had with them.

My experience at the John Locke Institute was truly amazed and unexpected. The professors, staffs, and all the other students are truly remarkable, each bringing a deep understanding to an argument, having engaging conversations in lectures, groups discussions, trips, and even during lunch and dinner times.

As my first time attending a summer school, I honestly admit at first with the excitement I was also nervous. However, as the summer school starts the inclusive environment and friendliness amount the students quickly dispelled my fears. Everyone was so kind, friendly, and open-minded, we get to talk about controversial topics without being offended or offensive.

The whole event was well organized, with lectures and activities combined. However, the foods didn’t met my expectations, I was thinking that we can actually have a formal English tea instead of just box of cookies and tea bags. Also, it was a little disappointed that each person can only get one kind of stable food.

Overall, it was a great experience, I’ve really learned a lot and grown a lot.

As others have noted, the program was disorganized, understaffed, and not meaningfully connected to Princeton as an institution (only one Princeton professor actually gave a lecture and it was on the very first day of classes). The planned outings were fun at first but often were hindered by some embarrassing oversight on the institute’s part — our bus had nowhere to park, the venue we booked was overwhelmed by the size of our group, we hadn’t purchased tickets, etc. Lectures ranged greatly in quality -- some were great, others felt half-baked or repurposed from previous years/programs (and therefore completely unrelated to the 2024 theme). The majority of them were equal in quality to freely-available online videos on the subject.

Participants were never told upfront that a handful of students receive awards of Distinction and High Distinction at the end of the program — and that professors are constantly collecting notes on who seems fit to get them. They only found out when the institute accidentally shared their internal note-taking document with all of this year’s participants, a testament to their disorganization.

That being said, a lot of the people I met at JLI were really smart, interesting students. We bonded quickly over our experiences with the program's dysfunction. But the program was quite expensive, and I'm not sure we could confidently say we got our money's worth.

I had an absolutely phenomenal time at JLI as not only the courses were captivating and enriching but the instructors and professors were also extremely inspiring and approachable, always engaging in discussions even during lunch and dinner times, constantly fulfilling our curiosity.

I candidly admit that at first I was extremely nervous and reluctant as it was my first time attending a proper summer school. However, the inclusive environment and remarkable camaraderie amongst students definitely became a highlight during the 2 weeks, even further enhancing my experience. Everyone was friendly, open minded and group discussions were filled with diverse perspectives.

In addition, there were also numerous activities such as visits to Oxford and universities, karaoke nights, movie nights, talent shows and a boat ride on the last night. It felt bittersweet to leave behind a place that not only fuelled my motivation in learning but also a group of friends and excellent teachers.

Overall, I think this summer school was a real life changer and I’m truly looking forward to coming back next year (:

This is a very big scam and scandal.
Once results are announced they scam you by saying tickets are finishing. Then, they release multiple batches.
On that day, one of the worst organisations you can imagine.
After paying a thousand GBP, you queue for registration, entrance, certificates and everything.

No tables were allocated. The app wasn't working, wifi wasn't working. There were only 2 people to help around for everything.

The queues were almost three blocks in 2024.
Shame on poor organisations.

On top o fthis, they call Liz Truss as speaker, one of the worst Ex PM of Uk who wrecked the economy.

We want our money back.

Hello John Locke Institute,

You will be happy to know that my daughter Iona Mandal who had attended Summer School in August 2021, got entry into Oxford this 2024 to read English Language and Literature in St. Catharine's College. For her, it is a dream come true!

Although Iona decided to read English Literature , the fact that she was exposed to a taste of Religious Studies, Ethics and Philosophy and Government and Politics in the summer school of the JLI helped her decide on her choice of subjects for Year 12 and 13. We are so glad she came out with flying colours securing A*A*A* in her A -Levels and also fetching conditional offers from Durham, UCL, Warwick and Leeds (besides Oxford, her firm choice)

Warm regards,
Ilika Mandal

My experience at the John Locke Summer School was great. I attended the Junior Summer school in Radley in 2024. First of all, the Radley staff were very kind and I found myself very comfortable living on their campus. The food was good, I had lots of dorm space and didn't experience any difficulties. Next, I enjoyed all of the lessons taught at the school. I had the amazing experience of listening to world class professors speak and being able to share my ideas and thoughts in a safe space. When I came back from the summer school, I was a completely different person and the summer school changed my perspective of the world in the best way. It made me become more involved in the world and I was more interested in learning topics like Economics and Philosophy, all things I wasn't able to learn at my regular schools. Lastly, I am so grateful for the people I met on this journey. I met life long friends and made so many memories. I shared lots of intellectual and interesting conversations with people from all over the world. I am so beyond grateful for this experience and I would 100% recommend it. I hope to continue to come back to the school and stay connected with the Institute.

I love my experience at JLI princeton summer program, our daily schedule is pre-planned organized and all of the faculties are supportive.

Expectations were not met. The reality was grim.

Expectation:
1.) Program taught at Oxford
2.) Regular faculty comprised of seasoned faculty
3.) Reasonably Priced

Reality:
1.) Program not taught at Oxford
2.) A hypnotist taught at the PPE program.
3.) The Program was 5.5k, which was w a y too expensive for what they provided.

The 2 weeks I spent at the JLI Summer School in Oxford were, undoubtedly, some of the best and most transformative of my life. I was able to not only make lasting friendships with people from all over the world but also to have meaningful and eye- opening discussions that enabled me to change my viewpoints and broaden my mindset on a variety of subjects ranging from the legalization of euthanasia to whether humans are inherently selfish or altruistic. Overall, the course was extremely valuable and taught me things I will surely take with me for life.

The John Locke institute promotes healthy debates and discussions around controversial topics, lead by the best smart, caring, and entertaining professors.

It was a very memorable two weeks during which I was pushed me out of my comfort zone and all my beliefs were challenged. I have learned not just a lot of content based material, but also life advice that changed my point of view. Despite being educational, JLI was a lot of fun too. I made lots of friends and memories that I will never forget.

The John Locke Institute summer program is a great opportunity to take a deep dive into your academic interests. Even more so, it's a chance to network with equally motivated students and knowledgable experts and professors. Highly recommend.