But it is! Eligible kids are smart enough to know this and some won’t be interested in it as a result. Ours weren’t and we didn’t force them. They are older now and turned out fine.

DD attended day camp the summer after 3rd grade - it was a commute followed by homework (I saw no need for the latter) and the afternoon activities were a little bogus for such an expensive camp. In other words, not the most useful/best experience.

Waited and had her do the residential Intensive camp at JHU before Freshman year - she had a great time then - especially socially - so I never heard any complaints about the work after she came home

OP here...this is VERY helpful. Thanks for all responses. The residential program seemed interesting to me at first (and I'm confident he'd have a good time), but it just seems like a big step: the course rigor coupled with being away for the FIRST time. Since we're lucky enough to live near a day program I figured I'd intro him to it that way and consider residential next summer.

He's a Burgundy Farm summer type, but in a weird age group where he's dwarfing most campers...but a year shy of being a counselor.

Thanks for insight.

Agree with PPs. My kid did the forsensic science class at the SSSA day program and loved it. The next hear was game theory, I think. He loved them. Because he was interested in forensics science and game theory. He’s a Grade A, now TJ attending, wants to go to college in a similar field nerd. Now, the week of soccer camp— that was his idea of torture.

It’s summer! I’m all about getting my kids off electronics and out of the house. After that— Art, music, sports, writing, science— tons of great options around here. Almost all of them are less $$$$ than CTY.

The scores are good for several years. Wait until your kid wants to go.

Also, PPs have another good point. LoTs of homework, which I did not appreciate.

My kid loved the day camp in 4th grade. First, he picked a topic he loved and thought was flat our fun, not school work. Second, he was having a rough time socially at school because, what you call summer school, he calls fun. Our approach was to tell him this camp was a place where he would meet kids who think about problems and facts and learning like he does, who enjoy the same things he does, and who won't make fun of him for enjoying experiments more than ball sports. He really wanted to meet kids like this. And he did, and then asked if there was a school just like CTY camp.