This is a question I get asked all the time as a Placement Director. The Summer Camp hiring season runs from the end of August (end of the summer) until the beginning of May (the beginning of the following summer).
Although camps start hiring in August and don't finish until May (in rare cases, even June) peak hiring season for camps is typically November - February. By that time, camp's know which of their returners are back and what positions need to be filled.
So, what are the perks of applying early (before November)?
You may be able to be selective over which camp you accept interview invitations from.
Spread the cost - it can cost £1000+ GBP to get to camp (visa paperwork, medical insurance, police checks, embassy appointment, travel to embassy, flights to USA). Spreading that over lets say, 6 months doesn't sound so scary (£167 per month).
Higher chances of getting hired by the same camp as your friend if you're looking to go with someone.
You have time to gain experience and maybe a qualification at home in order to get hired by a camp you love the look of.
Any negatives to applying early?
You may have to wait around for an interview with a camp
Your dream camp might not be hiring yet
Camps are more picky about applicants as they know they have the time to shop around agencies and applicants.
Any perks of applying late (after February)?
Staff pull out of going to camp all the year round. The closer to the summer we get the more relaxed camp's get about the level of experience applicants need to have. If you lack specific skills it might not matter to a camp (don't worry they have to provide full training), if you're already skilled a camp will bite your hand off to hire you.
If you apply really late (after April 1st) you may get your application pushed to the following year so you end up applying really early.
Any negatives to applying late?
Most camps are full, so you unless you're highly skilled you will need to take what you can get in terms of interviews and job offers. Even if you're highly skilled you might have to take what you can get.
If you apply really late (after April 1st) you may get your application pushed to the following year (this could be a positive or negative depending how you want to view it).
Short time frame for applying for a visa and for paying for everything.
All that being said, everyone has a different journey to camp. One person's good time to apply may be another person's bad time to apply, some people should apply to an agency first, some people can handle applying to camps first. My advice is to get as much information as possible before deciding what to do.
Here's Why Timing Matters:
Your application is probably the biggest factor in how long it will take you to get hired. Camps will look at every aspect of your application to determine if they want to interview you. So having the skills, experience and qualifications that camp's want will really speed up the process for you. Unfortunately, if you're fresh out of high school and your only relevant experience is babysitting a younger sibling it might take a couple months to get hired. Certain skills and experience will get you hired quickly no matter what time of year it is (but that's a different blog).
As mentioned the Summer Camp hiring season typically runs until around May. However, agencies can close applications any time after March 15th so that they can ensure everyone who has already applied can get hired and that way they can start hiring for the following summer. If you are applying after March 1st with the aim of going to camp the same year you should be aware that the vast majority of roles (especially at the camps you will see on TikTok) are full - meaning you cannot be picky when it comes to which camp offers to interview you.
The trend I am seeing is that camps are increasingly trying to do the majority of their hiring before the festive period (late-December) so that they can start the new year by focusing on the harder to fill roles and any roles that become available because someone pulls out.
The short answer to the question "When should I apply to go to Camp in America" is now! If you know you want to work at camp, if you know you want to have the summer of a lifetime, if you know camp is perfect for you, then what are you waiting for? You can't interview with a camp if you don't apply.
My advice, apply to Wild Packs Summer Camps and use our discount code: UPSTATE10 to get 10% off the fees. You can speak directly to me and I'll be able to help you find the perfect camp for!
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