| Application deadline | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Cost | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site | Last year's cycle (2026): $1,500; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Financial aid | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site | Last year's cycle (2026): Need-based financial aid: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Requested in the application with the first page of the family's most recent Form 1040; the request does not affect admission.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Expenses and aid conditions | Unconfirmed — check official site | 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): Nonrefundable enrollment deposit: $200. Due within 14 days after acceptance. Confirm whether this deposit is credited toward the published $1,500 total before paying; the captured wording does not settle that relationship.; Required on-campus housing included in total fees: $0. Included in the $1,500 total, not an additional charge.; Meals included in total fees: $0. Included in the $1,500 total, not an additional charge.; Need-based financial aid: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Requested in the application with the first page of the family's most recent Form 1040; the request does not affect admission.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Stipend or pay | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Eligibility | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site | Grades 9–11 (provider uses rising grades) |
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| Additional eligibility | Residency: Applicants may apply from anywhere in the world through a regional or global selection committee; Requirement: Previously published eligibility, requiring confirmation for a future cycle: Be at least 15 when the session starts and not yet 17 when it ends; Requirement: Previously published eligibility, requiring confirmation for a future cycle: Attend the entire four-week residential session; Requirement: Previously published eligibility, requiring confirmation for a future cycle: Communicate in English well enough for safety instructions and full participation; Requirement: Previously published eligibility, requiring confirmation for a future cycle: For international campers, obtain a valid passport and visa when required; Requirement: Previously published eligibility, requiring confirmation for a future cycle: If accepted, complete physical and mental-health evaluation and vaccination documentation; request available exemptions as needed; Requirement: Previously published eligibility, requiring confirmation for a future cycle: Children/grandchildren of alumni use the separate legacy-camper application route; Requirement: Accepted 2026 age rules were at least 15 at session start and not yet 17 at its end; future cycle rules are unconfirmed.; Exclusion: LAJF states no age exceptions for first-year CRS applicants; Exclusion: 2026 applications are closed; Exclusion: A complete application does not guarantee an interview or admission; Exclusion: The separate TELE program is not Camp Rising Sun; Exclusion: Second-year campers and legacy campers use different application rules | 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 | Ages 15–18; Requirement: Be a rising high-school sophomore, junior, or senior for the 2027 program; Requirement: Be age 15-18 when the camp begins; Requirement: Apply to music, dance, theatre, or musical theatre with the required discipline-specific material; Requirement: Be able to participate in the required residential program for the full session; Exclusion: Students who do not meet both the published rising-grade and age rules; Exclusion: Admission to more than one discipline in the same session; Exclusion: Assuming Summer TUTTI offers broad liberal-arts sampler courses or Denison college credit |
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| Session dates or duration | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site | Starts June 19, 2027; Ends June 27, 2027; 1–2 weeks (2027 cycle) |
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| Format | Unconfirmed — check official site | In person / Online | In person |
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| Housing and supervision | Unconfirmed — check official site | Non-residential. Supervision and housing details: Unconfirmed — check official site | Residential. Supervision and housing details: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Location | Unconfirmed — check official site | Cincinnati, Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, Cincinnati, Ohio | Granville, Ohio, Denison University residential campus |
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| Selection and application | Selection: Regional/global selection committees review applications for cohort fit and invite some applicants to interview. LAJF seeks diverse strengths, backgrounds, interests, and commitment to change, but does not publish current applicant totals, cohort size, or acceptance rate. Application materials: If selected: regional/global committee interview | 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: Track-specific audition or supplemental review on a rolling basis until capacity is reached; no current acceptance rate or track capacity is published. Application materials: One online recommendation from a teacher or school counselor; Track-specific audition videos, performance materials, portfolio, or responses |
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| Official sources | Source 1 · checked 2026-10-12Source 2 · checked 2026-08-20Source 3 · checked 2026-08-20Source 4 · checked 2026-08-20 | Source 1 · checked 2026-08-21 | Source 1 · checked 2026-10-09Source 2 · checked 2026-10-09Source 3 · checked 2026-10-09Source 4 · checked 2026-08-20 |
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