Success Stories
Dissertation Writer’s Retreats get great reviews from participants.
"Before the retreat, I felt like I was shooting in the dark and hoping that I’d hit something. But when I got there and talked to them, they said, ‘You’re really not as bad off as you think.’ They showed me what I needed to do with my literature review, how to use different techniques to see what I was missing. …If anyone is thinking about going to a writer’s retreat, my recommendation is wherever you’ve got to find the money, dig it up and go. It was miraculous for me."
Cherise Hall
Currently pursuing a PhD in Education
Wheeling, IL
"When you have work and a family and a life to manage, this lets you drop out of that and go into hibernation. Believe it or not, the 5 days feels like taking 6 months off to work on your dissertation."
Diane Skene
Currently pursuing a PhD in Education
Calgary, AB
"The one-on-ones were so beneficial to me. The staff were readily available to us all day long. Some people write better in a group and some like myself were able to get more work done in our room. And then you’d come back down and the staff would be there to look at what you’d done and help out. I came back home and made a lot of progress."
Allison Hopkins
Currently pursuing a PhD in Human Services
Dallas, TX
"When I came to the Dissertation Writer’s Retreat, I thought I was the only one on earth who wasn’t getting anywhere. I found our that the majority of people there were in the same situation. That changed everything, because I had built-in support not only from the writing staff but from my peers. Nine of us hung out together all the time—we became our own family."
Mary D. Richardson
Currently pursuing a PhD in Organization and Management
Columbus, OH
"Before the retreat, I had bumped into a wall. I had to regroup. The retreat refreshed me so I could look at my dissertation differently. Now I’m writing with a new approach—I’m really seeing what’s needed. It left me feeling a lot more confident and with a clear sense of direction."
Patricia Harris-Prater
Currently pursuing a PhD in Education
Atlanta, GA
"I can’t say enough good about it. It’s all taking place in the same room. Everyone works together. The focus is there and you have the resources there. Capella provides so much information that it can be hard to absorb it all, but this was a great way to get the information you needed for your work."
Ann Kaplan
Currently pursuing a PhD in Organization and Management
Toronto, ON
"As Stone Shiflet says, you have to see this dissertation as your coming out as a PhD person. The retreat gives you a chance to step back from your work and evaluate how other people will see what you’re bringing to the table."
Wylette Tillman-Provo
Currently pursuing a PhD in Organization and Management
Elizabeth, KY
