| Application deadline | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Cost | Unconfirmed — check official site | Last year's cycle (2026): $3,095; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Financial aid | Last year's cycle (2026): Local SAME Post sponsorship: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Posts may pay half or more, but award amounts and availability vary and are not guaranteed.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Last year's cycle (2026): Full or partial need-based tuition scholarship: Up to $3,095. Applied for after acceptance; 2027 availability is not yet announced.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Expenses and aid conditions | Last year's cycle (2026): Reservation payment after selection: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Selected campers paid half the applicable registration fee to hold a place.; Local SAME Post sponsorship: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Posts may pay half or more, but award amounts and availability vary and are not guaranteed.; Travel to the camp region: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Participant responsibility; pickup from the camp's designated closest airport was available under the published travel process.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Last year's cycle (2026): Onsite housing subsidy: $0. Tikvah stated that all onsite expenses other than tuition, including housing, were fully subsidized in 2026.; Full or partial need-based tuition scholarship: Up to $3,095. Applied for after acceptance; 2027 availability is not yet announced.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Stipend or pay | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Eligibility | Grades 10–12; Grade timing: Unconfirmed — check official site | Grades 10–12; Grade timing: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Additional eligibility | Minimum age 15; Citizenship: United States citizenship required; Requirement: Be enrolled in high school and at least 15 years old on arrival; Requirement: Have completed freshman year for most camps; have completed sophomore year for the Army camp; Requirement: Plan to pursue engineering, architecture or a related STEM degree or career; Requirement: Demonstrate leadership, teamwork, good character and physical ability to participate; Requirement: Provide proof of medical insurance and required health information; Requirement: Confirm the selected camp's GPA rule; official pages variously describe 3.2 as a minimum or highly recommended; Exclusion: The 2026 application and camps are closed; Exclusion: Non-U.S. citizens are not eligible under the published criteria; Exclusion: The Army camp does not accept students who have not completed sophomore year; Exclusion: A student may attend only one SAME camp; Exclusion: Camp placement, top-choice placement and SAME Post sponsorship are not guaranteed; Exclusion: Full-week attendance is required | Residency: Applicants have historically come from more than 30 U.S. states and multiple countries; Requirement: Be a current 10th, 11th or 12th grader for the applicable application cycle; Requirement: Be prepared for intensive reading, seminar argument and respectful debate; Requirement: Participate in the program's Jewish intellectual community and follow shared halakhic conduct standards; Exclusion: Prior Jewish-studies education is not required; Exclusion: Personal religious observance is not required, but program standards apply in shared spaces; Exclusion: Admission to Princeton University or any academic credit is not included |
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| Session dates or duration | Catalog terms: 1 week; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Catalog terms: 1.5 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Format | In person | In person |
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| Housing and supervision | Residential. Supervision and housing details: Unconfirmed — check official site | Residential. Supervision and housing details: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Location | Honolulu, Vicksburg, Jacksonville, Colorado Springs, Camp Lejeune, Port Hueneme, Hawaii, Mississippi, Florida, Colorado, North Carolina, California | Princeton, New Jersey, Residential housing near the program site; hosted in cooperation with the James Madison Program at Princeton University |
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| Selection and application | Selection: Each camp generally serves 40-80 students. SAME Posts review applicants and nominate or sponsor candidates, but SAME publishes no overall applicant count or acceptance rate. | Selection: About 65 students were planned for 2026. Applications received multi-reader committee review, and selected finalists interviewed; selection emphasized writing, character, leadership potential and communication. No acceptance rate is published. Application materials: Short video interview if selected as a finalist |
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| Official sources | Source 1 · checked 2026-08-22Source 2 · checked 2026-08-22 | Source 1 · checked 2026-08-21Source 2 · checked 2026-08-21Source 3 · checked 2026-08-21Source 4 · checked 2026-08-21 |
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