Is Tsinghua IUP too intensive?

I just got into the Tsinghua IUP program for one semester of language study, and I've been given only a few days to make the decision of whether or not to attend. I'm trying to decide if it's right for me. I know the program has a reputation for being rigorous and intensive, and that's what I want; I'm going to China for 4 months with the goal of improving my language proficiency as much as possible. However, a professor I know told me that the program is so intensive and time-consuming that he wouldn't recommend it. He said students in the program are so swamped with work for their lessons that they have absolutely no free time. I even read one review of the program in which a student said he spent upwards of 85 hours per week on his studies. In addition to studying Chinese, I do also want to have some free time for exploring the city, experiencing food/culture, seeing museums, meeting Chinese friends, etc. Was wondering if anyone who has done the Tsinghua IUP program in person might have thoughts on this and would be willing to share their experience? Were you able to find any time for cultural enrichment and leisure activities in addition to your classes? Or did you find the workload unreasonably excessive? I'm looking to study pretty intensively, but I also don't want to completely shut out time for exploration and enjoyment of my time in China.

I haven't attended IUP before but am enrolled for their upcoming academic year program. I researched extensively before landing on IUP to study Chinese, and based on my findings it promises the largest language gains for the time commitment. Nothing but glowing remarks from in-person participants. 85 hours per week sounds more demanding then what their curriculum communicates (4 hours class - 5 hours study per day), but I guess we'll see how the workload lands this September. I hope the curriculum is as flexible as advertised, as I plan on being upfront with my teachers that learning to write Chinese characters is not a major priority for me, and I want to reinvest all of the time I would be memorizing character strokes into speaking and listening.

Let me know what you end up deciding as I'd love to meet other IUPers. One con that I've read online is that the limited class sizes and sole focus on learning doesn't create a lot of opportunities for IUPers to get to know each other.

The Tsinghua program is certainly excellent, but if you want to improve your Chinese, I personally wouldn't recommend Beijing or Shanghai. These two cities have a large number of foreigners, and young Chinese locals there also have relatively good English proficiency. If you aim to enhance your Chinese, I would suggest considering other northern cities instead. Compared to southern accents, northern Mandarin pronunciation tends to be clearer and more standard. Good options include Tianjin, Qingdao, Jinan, Dalian, or Harbin.

@chinese_learner_123  and   @Ichampto, do you guys happen to know anyone attending Tsinghua University this summer?