Summer Camp FAQ: Ultimate Camp Counselor Guide

Congratulations! If you are reading this you are considering taking the first step to the best summer of your life. To get started you need to be sure you meet all the eligibility criteria that are mentioned below. The next step is choosing a VISA sponsor company to help you get to America.

You need to be 18 by June 1st, love working with children and have a positive attitude.

You need to be 18 by June 1st to apply.

Most companies will stop taking new applications for the upcoming season around March/April and concentrate on getting those who have already applied placed at a camp.

If you know you are 100% wanting to go to camp you should apply as soon as possible. If you are still in the research phase and still undecided you should gather as much information as you can to help you make an educated decision of whether going to camp is a viable option for you.

Yes, absolutely, you will be circulating longer and more camps will get the chance to browse through your application. The more camps that see your application the better chance you have of being placed. There are also more positions earlier on in the recruiting season, as the season goes on more and more of those places are filled.

Yes, you need to be able to communicate effectively with the children in your care. Many of the people at camp whose first language isn’t English occupy the Support Staff roles.

It is not a 100% deal breaker but it is looked upon extremely favourably. If you have experience working with children the chance of getting placed will increase dramatically.

Most companies won’t accept joint applications. The most popular method of getting placed at the same camp as a friend is to attend the recruitment job fairs and target the same camps. Although camp is about new experiences and stepping out of your comfort zones. The camps that do have existing friends at camp they are often continually associated together for everything. It definitely has an effect on your experience.

You don’t need a passport to start your application but you will need to a passport in most cases before you application starts circulating out to camps.

No-one can 100% guarantee a placement. The ones that do are extremely selective in whom they take on as applicants and even then nothing is 100% certain. Many companies will offer a full refund if you are not placed at a Summer Camp.

You have the option to request a camp that you would like your application sent to but it does not guarantee you a placement. You can also choose the type of camp you get placed at but generally speaking no you cannot choose which camp you go to. It is luck of the draw.

If this is a big concern of yours you should aim to attend one of the recruiting job fairs where you get to meet the camps face to face before making your decision.

All reputable VISA sponsor companies will give you a full refund if you are not placed.

Applying as a support staff member has different criteria for eligibility and you would need to check you were eligible before applying. If eligible you will need to make the decision of whether you want to work with the children or behind the scenes.

No, you do not need to be a student to be hired as a Camp counselor.

Yes, the positions are not all based on the activities you can teach. Camps are looking for general counselors who work well with children.

Yes, you will need to supply a criminal record check as part of your application as you are working with children.

This is assessed on a case by case basis. You can ring the company you plan on going through, explain your situation and they will give you a quick answer on whether or not you would be eligible for their program.

There are some medical conditions which will make you ineligible for the program. These are often assessed on a case by case basis. You will need to ring your chosen VISA sponsor agency and they will be able to give you a quick answer on whether or not you would be eligible.

We have several online communities of camp counselors who are always willing to share their experiences. Most of the VISA sponsor companies will have information sessions you can attend to find out more about camp

Yes, drop into our online communities and ask away. If you have questions aimed at a particular VISA sponsor company you should ring them directly.

Camps are looking for a huge variety of skills and attributes. The biggest one is you work well with kids. The second is good experience in the skill or position you are highlighting on your application and the third is a positive attitude.

The list goes on and on for skills, if you have a unique talent or skill then camp wants to know about it!

No you do not need qualifications to apply however it does help by strengthening your application in the skill you want to highlight.

The program is generally between 8-10 weeks, some camps may be slightly shorter or slightly longer.

No, you need to be able to commit to the Summer program so if you don’t have the availability then it is not worth applying.

The absolutely latest most companies will consider your availability for is June 20. If you aren’t available before then you won’t be considered eligible.

There are thousands of camps across the country and a camp in every State of America. Going to a Summer Camp is highly ingrained in the American culture.

A lot of the single sex camps have brother sister camps close by. You can request not willing to accept a placement at a single sex camp through some VISA sponsor agencies.

Yes! Special needs camps have a high ratio of staff to campers so they are always searching for people who are really passionate about working with special needs campers. They provide you with all the training you need and while past experience is always preferred it is not mandatory.

Yes, if you would prefer to go to a faith based camp you can definitely put this as a preference in your application. There are differing degrees of faith based camps with some strict faith based camps, Jewish Camps, and the YMCA camps which have a Christian foundation.

Every VISA sponsor company has different prices and they all incorporate different things. We will be doing a review on all agencies very soon.

This will be different for everyone and typically girls spend a lot more than the guys. You should have at least 300USD accessible to you whilst in America. If you plan on traveling after camp in the 30 days you should take around $3,000-$5,000. This is a general estimation and you can definitely travel for a lot cheaper if you are just planning on staying with friends.

Yes, going to camp is not a volunteer position it is a paid position. Your pocket money depends on a lot of factors such as your age, experience, what agency you applied through and whether or not your flights were included.

Your program fees cover all the admin work, the application fee, the VISA sponsorship, the processing of documents and the medical insurance.

The interview process is a chance for your interviewer to get to know you, measure your suitability for the program, ask you questions about your skill set and experience and why you want to participate in the Summer Camp experience.

You will be interviewed by a representative of the company you have chosen to sponsor your VISA application. Your interviewer will typically have been to camp at least twice, have a very good knowledge of all things camp related and will be able to answer all the questions you have about camp based on their own experiences.

Yes you will need to make your first payment before an interview can take place. The interviewers put a lot of time into organising interviews; reviewing your applications and helping you make the changes needed to have the best chance of getting placed. The interviewers also get paid for the interviews so most companies require that you make your initial payment before you are able to have an interview.

No these are not formal interviews, they are more meet and greets to help you with your application, ask you some relevant questions and ensure the company who is going to sponsor your VISA is sending someone over who is suitable for the program. Even though it isn’t a formal interview you should still dress smart casual for your interview.

Yes, everyone needs to attend an interview to ensure they are suitable for the program. All VISA sponsor companies value their reputations and want to maintain a reputation for sending over high quality applicants. Some companies will allow Skype interviews.

Your local interviewer will usually organise an interview at a public venue such as a café. Some companies also offer interview days where they will have a group of interviewers attend an event and advertise it to potential applicants. Some companies will allow Skype interviews.

The interview is like catching up with a friend that has heaps of questions. I hope you like talking about yourself because you are going to be doing a lot of it!

If you haven’t heard from your interviewer you need to contact them directly via email or phone. If you get no response you need to ring the company that you are applying through and let them know you haven’t heard anything and would like a new interviewer assigned to you.

An interview day is where a group of interviewers will all gather at a single event and they get through as many interviewers as they can. I would recommend avoiding these and setting up an interview the traditional way. Interviewers have to write up a report on you post interview and if they are interviewing up to 10 other people on the same day it could impact the quality of their report if they have not taken high quality notes.

You will need to be back in the country at some point to get your paperwork sorted out. If you won’t be back in the country you will need to apply through a company in the country you are currently residing in.

This varies a lot depending on your interviewer. It can take anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours in extreme cases. They are typically 45 minutes to an hour.

You need to download the relevant forms from the company you are applying through and go to your doctor to get the medical form filled out.

Yes, you will need to fill out a medical for to support your initial application and also once you are placed at a camp that camp will want their own medical forms filled out as part of your employment. On some occasions you can used the medical form you have filled out for you application and send that through to your camp.

No, just make sure it is done well and truly before your departure date. It is best to get it done as early as possible.

Yes, a medical form is mandatory to participate in the program.

Camp directors will contact you via their preferred method based on the contact details on your application. The methods of communication include email, phone call or Skype call.

Absolutely, some people will tell you no, just be yourself everything will be fine. If it is a camp you want to be placed at you will do the extra work and learn about that camp, their beliefs, mottos and who they cater for. Going into your phone interview unprepared is a huge opportunity wasted.

Yes most camps will contact you. On the rare occasion a camp will hire you directly off your application without contacting you. If you have contacted a camp directly asking if they have any places available, don’t expect to hear back.

Yes! Not only do the Camp Directors look at your social media profiles for inappropriate content, comments, photos or offensive behaviour, your interviewers will also check these social media presences before your interview. Applicants do lose their places for inappropriate social media content. Change your privacy settings or remove anything that will cause a camp to question your ability to look after children in your care.

Every company that you ask will ask you not to contact camps directly. As an independent resource at The Camp Zone we recommend contact a camp by every means possible, email, Facebook, Twitter. Get your name out there and let them know which organisation you are applying through. Keep in mind if your emails are not short and to the point they will not be read.

Camp Job fairs are where Camp Directors and representatives fly over from America and hire you are the job fair events. Not every company runs these events but the large events can have hundreds of camps attend. It is a great opportunity to meet directors in person and get placed.

Depending on the situation you will lose you initial deposit. If it is a server medical condition that is preventing you from attending camp you may be entitled to a refund depending on the terms and conditions you agreed to when choosing the company you are applying through.

Camp may send out to the same packages to all staff regardless whether they are international or not. You will not have to fill out the immigration forms as you will have a VISA. In some cases you may have to fill out the US Tax forms.

By far the biggest hold up is an incomplete application and missing references. After your interview you should follow up with your interview regularly, you may thing you are annoying them but it is best to be on their back as some interviewers are known to take weeks to complete their reports.

Inside TIP at the end of your interview say to your interviewer “I know you have to write a report on my post interview, can you message me when you have finished it so I can follow up with the office anything else I need to complete.” It shows initiative and the interview will generally put in the extra effort.

There are some horrible photos circulating. No hats, no sunglasses and make sure you are smiling. They should be able to see your face clearly.

Perfect question, the fact you jumped to this question shows you are out to impress. We have an amazing guide coming soon to show you exactly how to make your application stand out. But start with an amazing video and detailed history of your working with children history

Your video should have a quick introduction to yourself, highlight your main skills and explain why you want to go to a Summer Camp.

2-3 minutes. Be quick and summarize you key qualities. Some applicants have been known to produce videos up to 10 minutes. It is way too long and if a director feels like you have wasted their time more often than not you won’t get a second look in.

This question is asked so many times and we are producing a full guide that even the non-techy applicants can follow.

There is no set time period to be placed. You could be placed in 1 week it could take several months. It is very dependent on the skills you have, your experience and at time it comes down to being in the right place at the right time.

No you are not forced to accept you place, however if you are offered a place and you reject it most companies will not give you a refund if you are unable to find another placement.

Yes, you must always go through this application as the company sponsoring your VISA must screen all their applicants thoroughly. It is a child protection measure.

The only exception is if the camp hiring you is sponsoring your VISA as well.​

You can call your VISA sponsor company to discuss this. Many applicants will base whether they are going to like a camp or not from the exterior images. Camp is all about the people you are spending the Summer with and pushing yourself outside your comfort zone. Don’t forget that.

Firstly, congratulations on your placement! Jewish Camps are just like any other camps, the kids are the same as any other kid and they do the same activities. The differences you may notice as the way they prepare food and they will not eat pork or bacon. If a Jewish Camp hires you they know you are not Jewish before they hire you so it is nothing to be concerned about.

The Camp that has contacted you directly will inform you or you will be notified through the portal of the company you are applying through.

Congratulations! Next you have a lot of paperwork to work through, you can expected your VISA paperwork to arrive from the company you are applying through soon and you need to arrange your US Embassy appointment and complete any other paperwork required of you. If you are getting your own flights now is the perfect time to start looking for cheap flights.

If after every effort you aren’t placed assuming you went through a reputable VISA sponsor company you will get a full refund on your program fees.

No, the pocket money at camp is based on age, experience and whether or not your flights were included in your program fees. Everyone will be paid different amounts. Returners can negotiate their own pocket money with Camps when returning for another year.

References should be from employers, teachers, tutors, coaches, and figures of authority or someone who can provide a reference in your experience with working with children. Your reference should have known you for at least 6 months and all references must be in English.

This differs slightly through the different companies it is generally 2-3 references.

At most camps the general age of the campers is between 5-17 years old. You will get some camps where the children are younger and special needs camps can have campers of all ages.

If you are having this problem you need to talk to the company that is sponsoring your VISA to gather all your options. It is very rare that anyone swaps camps but in exceptional circumstances it may be able to be arranged.

You get hired usually for a specific task or role at your camp which makes it extremely hard to swap department as you will leave a void in the staffing roster. You need to prevent this from happening by getting a proper job description from the camp before accepting your placement and to understand what your role will be before you commit to a whole summer at the camp.

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

By far one of the most asked questions. We have a huge post coming with everything you need for camp so stay tuned!

​

​

​

​

​

​

Yes, but keep in mind the policy must meet the requirements of the US government for participants on the J-1 Cultural Exchange program. You can read more on the requirements here

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​