| Application deadline | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Cost | Unconfirmed — check official site | Catalog terms: Free attendance; check separate expenses; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Financial aid | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site | Catalog terms: Current AMBITION26 tuition support code: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Advertised as 20% tuition support. Eligibility, expiration, stacking rules, and session coverage are not stated; verify before payment.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Expenses and aid conditions | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site | Catalog terms: Current AMBITION26 tuition support code: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Advertised as 20% tuition support. Eligibility, expiration, stacking rules, and session coverage are not stated; verify before payment.; 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 | Up to grade 12; Grade timing: Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site | Grades 6–12; Grade timing: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Additional eligibility | Ages 13–17; Requirement: Be age 13-17 for the ZooTeen program; Requirement: Be able to support summer Zoo Camp participants in person; Requirement: Have interest in animals, environment, conservation and working with people; Requirement: Complete any application and training requirements published for the active cycle; Exclusion: Applicants age 18 or older, who use the separate Zoo Ambassador pathway; Exclusion: Animal handling, animal-care, zookeeping or direct behind-the-scenes animal-contact expectations; Exclusion: Applicants unable to attend required training or assigned camp-support shifts | Requirement: Previously published 2026 portfolio, school-grade and credit rules require confirmation for 2027; the current homepage identifies high-school artists.; Exclusion: Published 2026 condition, requiring confirmation for 2027: Students who previously attended MFAA may not reapply; Exclusion: Published 2026 condition, requiring confirmation for 2027: Incomplete files missing essay, evaluation, or portfolio or audition materials; Exclusion: Published 2026 condition, requiring confirmation for 2027: Applicants unable to complete the residential academy | Ages 10–17; Requirement: Be entering U.S. grade 6-12 or the international equivalent for the session's school year; Requirement: Be age 10-17 and not age 18 at attendance; Requirement: Have a parent or legal guardian complete registration and required health forms; Requirement: Be able to participate safely in a structured, technology-free residential group environment; Requirement: Disclose medical, dietary, disability, and medication needs through the registration process; Exclusion: Students who have graduated high school are ineligible; Exclusion: Students age 18 at attendance are ineligible; Exclusion: Students cannot register themselves; Exclusion: Current marketing copy says ages 11-17 in one location, while the 2026 handbook and FAQ say 10-17; verify the next session's age floor |
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| Session dates or duration | Unconfirmed — check official site | Starts May 30, 2027; Ends June 12, 2027; 2 weeks (2027 cycle) | Catalog terms: 1 week; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Format | In person | In person | 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 | Residential. Supervision and housing details: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Location | Apple Valley, Minnesota Zoo, Minnesota | Springfield | Pensacola, Florida |
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| Selection and application | Selection: The zoo closes applications when the summer cohort is filled, but it does not publish applicant counts, cohort size, interview process or selection rate. | Selection: A panel of artists and arts educators adjudicates the complete application, essay, school evaluation, and discipline portfolio or audition. MFAA publishes no applicant count, cohort size, acceptance rate, or scoring weights on the official pages. Application materials: Published 2026 requirement, requiring confirmation for 2027: Approximately 500-word essay about how the arts affect the applicant and how MFAA interdisciplinary collaboration could support growth; Published 2026 requirement, requiring confirmation for 2027: Discipline-specific digital or physical portfolio for visual art or creative writing | Selection: The program is session- and capacity-based rather than presented as a judged competition. Current capacity, applicant volume, wait-list rules, and acceptance rate are not published. |
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| Official sources | Source 1 · checked 2026-08-22 | Source 1 · checked 2026-10-12Source 2 · checked 2026-08-22Source 3 · checked 2026-08-22 | Source 1 · checked 2026-08-21Source 2 · checked 2026-08-21Source 3 · checked 2026-08-21Source 4 · checked 2026-08-21Source 5 · checked 2026-08-20 |
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