| Application deadline | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Cost | Unconfirmed — check official site | Last year's cycle (2026): $1,500–$5,700; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Financial aid | Unconfirmed — check official site | Last year's cycle (2026): Need-based scholarship: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Limited need-based aid for domestic applicants; often did not cover all expenses. International students were ineligible.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Expenses and aid conditions | Catalog terms: ZooTeen program fee upon acceptance: $60. Nonrefundable; covers program materials, a camp T-shirt, and borrowing a Zoo uniform shirt. Contact the program if the fee creates economic hardship.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Last year's cycle (2026): 2026 application fee: $75. One fee covered applications to both program lengths; automatically waived for scholarship applicants.; 2026 enrollment deposit: $500. Post-acceptance first payment; some scholarship recipients could be exempt.; Need-based scholarship: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Limited need-based aid for domestic applicants; often did not cover all expenses. International students were ineligible.; International InitialView interview: $265. Historical 2026 additional international-applicant cost, paid to InitialView.; 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 | Unconfirmed — check official site | Grades 9–11 when applying; summer rising grade is one higher |
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| Additional eligibility | Ages 13–17; Residency: No formal boundary is published; participants must reliably reach the Cincinnati Zoo for interviews, orientation, camp, and volunteer shifts; Requirement: Be age 13-17; the correct Summer 2027 reference date must be confirmed; Requirement: Show genuine interest in nature and conservation, curiosity, willingness to learn, positivity, and reliability; Requirement: Commit to 100 hours as a first-/second-year ZooTeen or 70 hours as a third-year/returning ZooTeen; Requirement: Be available for a full 40-hour camp week and required visitor-engagement/additional shifts; Requirement: Attend a group interview and complete guardian-assisted online/virtual and all-day in-person orientations; Requirement: Use email and an online profile to receive information and log service hours; Exclusion: The 2027 page's May 1, 2026 age-reference date is stale and must not be treated as the binding 2027 cutoff; Exclusion: The program cannot accept all applicants, and returning participation is not guaranteed; Exclusion: Advanced specializations require separate applications, experience, additional hours, and available capacity | Maximum age 18; Citizenship: Domestic and international applicants were accepted in 2026; Residency: Residential program in Northfield, Minnesota; Requirement: For 2026 three-week courses: be a current high-school sophomore or junior; Requirement: For 2026 one-week courses: be a current high-school first-year, sophomore, or junior; Requirement: For 2026: not turn 19 before August 1, 2026; Requirement: International applicants complete English-proficiency, InitialView, identity, financial, visa, insurance, and emergency-contact requirements; Exclusion: Current seniors were not listed as eligible for 2026; Exclusion: International applicants were not eligible for SLAI need-based scholarships; Exclusion: The age and grade rules are historical until Carleton posts Summer 2027 criteria |
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| Session dates or duration | Unconfirmed — check official site | Catalog terms: 1–3 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Format | In person / Online | In person |
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| Housing and supervision | Non-residential. Supervision and housing details: Unconfirmed — check official site | Residential. Supervision and housing details: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Location | Cincinnati, Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, Cincinnati, Ohio | Northfield, Minnesota; Carleton College residential campus |
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| Selection and application | Selection: The Zoo says the program is very popular and cannot accept all applicants; it publishes no applicant count, cohort size, or acceptance rate. Application materials: Six written essay responses about motivation, role models, conservation learning, challenge, personal growth, and intellectual curiosity; In-person group interview | Selection: Admission committee review is required, but Carleton does not publish applicant counts, cohort size, or an acceptance rate on the current pages. Application materials: Short essay responses of no more than 500 words; For three-week applicants: one recommendation from a teacher in a related discipline; For international applicants: English-proficiency evidence unless waived, InitialView interview/writing sample, passport, certification of finances, and bank/income statement |
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| Official sources | Source 1 · checked 2026-08-21 | 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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