FAQS

Admission to the Great Books Summer Program is open to bright and intellectually curious students entering grades 6-8 and 9-12 in the fall.  All registrations must be supported by a teacher, principal, or head of school.

Simply Register Online or Call Admissions to register by phone.  In addition to collecting pertinent family and student information, we will collect a deposit with your registration.  Your spot is saved as we collect an endorsement from an educator on your behalf.

See more details here.

Great Books Summer Program offers sessions for two age groups: the Middle School Program for those entering grades 6-8 in autumn and the High School Program for those entering grades 9-12 in autumn.

2026 Campuses and Dates Below for our Great Books Explorers Program.

Day program for rising grades 4-5 (current grades 3-4.)

• Stanford University:
  • July 6 – July 10 – only 5 spots left
  • July 13 – July 17 – only 6 spots left

See program daily schedule and details.

2026 Campuses and Dates Below.

Both residential and day programs for rising grades 6-8 (current grades 5-7.)

• Amherst College:
  • June 28 – July 4 (Freedom, Government, & the Law)
  • July 5 – July 11
  • July 12 – July 18  – only 4 spots left
  • July 19 – July 25 (Writer’s Workshop) – only 7 spots left
• Stanford University:
  • June 28 – July 4 (Writer’s Workshop) – only 7 spots left
  • July 5 – July 11
  • July 12 – July 18– only 7 spots left
• Haverford College:
  • July 26 – August 1
  • August 2 – August 8
• Great Books Online:
  • Eastern Time – Classes 12:30pm – 5pm New York 
  • Pacific Time – Classes 9:30am – 2pm California
    • July 5 – July 10 (Writer’s Workshop)
    • July 12 – July 17
  • China Standard Time  – Classes 9:00am – 2pm Beijing 
  • Korea/Japan Time – Classes 10:00 am – 3pm Seoul/Tokyo
    • July 19 – July 24
    • July 26 – July 31 (Writer’s Workshop)

2026 Campuses and Dates Below.

Both residential and day programs for rising grades 9-12 and gap year (current grades 8-12.)

• Amherst College:
  • June 28 – July 4 (Freedom, Government, & the Law)
  • July 5 – July 11
  • July 12 – July 18 (Writer’s Workshop & Great Books) – Writer’s Workshop is waitlist only. Great Books spots – just 5 left!
  • July 19 – July 25 (Writer’s Workshop) – just 10 spots left
• Berkshires Writer’s Program: Amherst College
  • July 5 – July 11
• Stanford University:
  • June 28 – July 4 (Writer’s Workshop)
  • July 5 – July 11
  • July 12 – July 18
• Entrepreneurship & Innovation: Stanford University
  • July 12 – July 18 – only 3 spots left
• Haverford College:
  • July 26 – August 1
  • August 2 – August 8
• Leadership Weeks: Haverford College
  • July 26 – August 1 – only 5 spots left
  • August 2 – August 8 – only 8 spots left
• Athens, Greece 
  • June 28 – July 4 – only 7 spots left
• Verona, Italy
  • July 5 – July 11 – only 4 spots left
• Dublin, Ireland: Trinity College 
  • July 12 – July 18 (Writer’s Program) – waitlist only
• Oxford, England: Somerville College 
  • July 19  – July 25 (Writer’s Program) – waitlist only
  • July 26 – August 1 – new – 1 spot available

• Great Books Online:
  • Eastern Time – Classes 12:30pm – 5pm New York 
  • Pacific Time – Classes 9:30am – 2pm California
    • July 5 – July 10 (Writer’s Workshop)
    • July 12 – July 17
  • China Standard Time  – Classes 9:00am – 2pm Beijing 
  • Korea/Japan Time – Classes 10:00 am – 3pm Seoul/Tokyo
    • • July 19 – July 24
      • July 26 – July 31 (Writer’s Workshop)

Information about your child’s health history, allergies (food and environmental), and medications should be carefully noted in the medical forms located in your account on the Parent Dashboard.  Health care supervisors will be on staff to administer daily medications and manage any health care situations that occur while your child is in attendance. 

With advance notice, we are happy to work with on-campus dining services to accommodate allergies and other dietary needs.  Please feel welcome to contact Admissions to chat with us. 

Great Books Summer Program follows the COVID vaccination, masking, and testing requirements as well as recommended respiratory illness protocols of our host campuses and the CDC.

• At this writing, all campuses recommend but do not require vaccination for COVID.

Last updated 9/24/2025.

Yes, we encourage purchasing a Protection Plan. We offer that at an additional cost. If shopping independently for coverage, or with a third party provider, please consider a “Cancel for Any Reason” plan and read the details carefully. International families are advised to purchase coverage within their country of residence.

Please be sure that all information about your child’s health history is carefully noted in the Parent Dashboard.

All programs have on-campus health facilities or community-based physicians who are on-call for participants of Great Books Summer Program. Prescriptions and over-the-counter treatments for pain and minor discomfort will be administered by our adult staff with a signed parental permission notice. A physical form signed by a doctor or nurse, completed camp medical form, and updated vaccinations record are required to attend. These records give families the opportunity to share all relevant information. For emergency medical care, your child will be treated at a nearby medical facility.

Our talented and fun program assistants supervise students for the entire stay and are each assigned to lead a “pod” made up of about 6-10 students. In addition, adult faculty and staff members reside in the dorms and are present at discussions, meals, and activities throughout the day. All students are required to stay within the safety of the supervised group. Employees of Great Books Summer Program go through a rigorous personal background check.

Because they are responsible for both the traditional camp counselor responsibilities as well as the academic mentorship of our students, we call our “counselor” team “Program Assistants.” Undergraduates and graduate students, our team hails from colleges and universities including Stanford, Yale, Amherst, Columbia, Cornell, Harvard, Northwestern, and more. Our summer staff has outstanding academic credentials, possess exceptional maturity, and share a passion for leading kids.

Residential tuition includes all instruction and supervision, three meals per day, and housing.  Day program tuition includes all instruction and supervision as well as lunch.

All of our meals are provided by the college dining services on our domestic college campuses. They offer a wide selection of nutritious foods and beverages for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. We can also accommodate allergies and special dietary concerns if we are notified in advance. During the sessions, we often have pizza parties, picnics, and ice cream sundae parties. Healthy snacks and drinks are provided during breaks.

Students are ordinarily assigned to single or double rooms in the college dormitories of our on-campus programs. Pods are grouped by gender, age, and grade and live together on hallways or wings. Middle School Program and High School Program students are separated by floors or by building.

Most of our students come to the program by themselves, but if there’s a request for a friend or sibling roommate we will do our best to meet it.

Residential tuition includes all instruction and supervision, three meals per day, and housing. Weekend meals, housing, and activities are included for students staying multiple weeks.

Day program tuition includes all instruction and supervision as well as lunch.

There is a $250 registration fee per student. Materials and Events fees for Great Books & Big Ideas, Leadership, Entrepreneurship, and Writer’s Workshop residential programs in the USA is $295 per week.  Day programs Materials and Events fees are $125 per week.  Materials and Events fees for programs in the Berkshires, Athens, Oxford, Italy, and Dublin are $575 per week and include all excursions. Saturday stays between program weeks are $150.

2026 On-Campus: Residential Program Tuition:

• Amherst College: $2765 per week
• Haverford College: $2765 per week
• Stanford University: $3575 per week
• Berkshires Writer’s Adventure: $3095 per week
• Leadership at Haverford: $3265 per week
• Critical Thinking for Entrepreneurship & Innovation: $3575 per week
• Athens: $3575 per week
• Oxford: $3575 per week
• Dublin: $3575 per week
• New Travel Program in Italy: $3575 per week

2026 On-Campus: Day Program Tuition:

• Haverford College One-Week: $1565
• Amherst College One-Week: $1565
• Stanford University One-Week: $2175

New Great Books Explorers Program for Rising Grades 4 & 5 Only
On-Campus: Day Program Tuition:

• Stanford University One-Week: $1295

A deposit of $625 is due with the application. To accommodate families, options for full payment, payment in monthly installments, or deferred payment are available.

Please note:

If your child’s program is waitlisted or otherwise unavailable, we will not charge your credit card and will let you know what alternatives are available.

If, upon our review of your child’s Registration Forms, the offer of a spot is withdrawn by Great Books Summer Program, a full refund of all payments to Great Books will be made.

If, at any point in the admissions process, we determine that you have provided incomplete, misleading, or false statements, we may withdraw the offer of admission.

$375 of the $625 deposit remains refundable through March 10, 2026.

If you withdraw your child after March 10th (notice of the withdrawal must be made in writing), there are no refunds for any reason whatsoever (including, but not limited to: voluntary withdrawal, illness or injury, summer school, security concerns, or any other reason).

As payments to Great Books Summer Program are non-refundable after March 10th, we recommend that all GBSP families consider purchasing a Travel Protection Plan.

If your child leaves a program after it starts, there are no refunds for any reason whatsoever, including, but not limited to: voluntary withdrawal, illness or injury, dismissal by Great Books (due to discipline, behavior, lack of fitness or motivation, etc.), security concerns, or any other reason. Any costs incurred by Great Books related to an early departure are the sole responsibility of the parents.

Summer Online tuition includes all instruction and reading materials. 2026 tuition is $895 per week and includes a non-refundable $95 registration fee.

To accommodate families, options for full payment, payment in monthly installments, or deferred payment with a non-refundable $95 deposit upon registration are all available.

Payments for tuition less the $95 registration fee are refundable through March 10, 2026. Cancellations received after March 10, 2026 forfeit all tuition and fees.

A limited amount of Financial Aid is available to applicants whose families demonstrate significant financial need. Scholarships are awarded to applicants who complete the Financial Aid application and submit additional Scholarship materials. The majority of our financial support is offered in the form of Sponsorships, which are agreements made in cooperation with a host of sponsoring organizations. Applications for assistance are due by April 4, 2025.  Please see our Financial Aid and Scholarship page for more details.

As it is key to our Shared Inquiry pedagogy and the program experience for students to dive into the literature together, no advance reading is required before the start of the program. There is reading time each evening, with students often reading together with their pods and program assistants. Students should just come ready to have an unforgettable experience!

Parents are encouraged to text their children. Students are allowed to bring cell phones, but we ask that calls and texting be kept to a minimum and during specified times only. All phones will be turned off during class and activities. Emergency contact numbers will be provided at registration. Camper families may also reach each camp location via the general Great Books phone number throughout camp. We ask that non-emergency calls be limited to 8am – 10pm local time.

Laundry facilities are in each of the dormitories. Campus laundry facilities vary and may include coin-operated or swipe card laundry. Please inquire with us about your campus. Multi-week sessions will include a break for students needing to use the laundry. Program Assistants are available to accompany or help students. We ask that students attending the one-week program pack enough clothes for the session.

We will arrange transportation to and from select airports for students traveling alone for an additional cost of $150 each way. More complete instructions will be sent to you if you would like to use this service. A staff member will meet the flight and accompany the students on an airport shuttle van to or from campus. Students needing transportation must arrive and depart within a designated time window.

Airports Served (Domestic Campuses):

Plan flight arrival between 11:00am and 2:30pm local time on the first Sunday of your program.  Plan flight departure between noon and 3:00pm local time on the final Saturday of your program.

• Amherst College – Bradley International Airport (BDL)
• Stanford University – San Francisco Airport (SFO)
• Haverford College – Philadelphia Airport (PHL)
• Northwestern University – Chicago O’Hare Airport (ORD)

Airports Served (Oxford/Dublin):

Plan flight arrival between 8:00am and 10:00am local time on the first Sunday of your program.  Plan flight departure between 1:00pm and 4:00pm local time on the final Saturday of your program.

• University of Edinburgh – Edinburgh Airport (EDI)
• University of Oxford – Heathrow Airport (LHR)
• Trinity College Dublin – Dublin Airport (DUB)

Please see the daily schedule below. Note that times may vary slightly by campus location. See all locations and dates, learn more about the program here.

On-Campus
(Day Program drop-off is at about 8:45am and pick-up is about 5:30 pm.)
8:30 am – Breakfast
9:00 am – Poetry Cup
9:15 am – Seminar: Plato’s Republic
10:00 am – Break
10:15 am – Seminar: Borges’ “The Aleph” and Magical Realism
11:15 am – Discussion Group
12:15 pm – Lunch
1:00 pm – Literature Elective: Slam Poetry
2:00 pm – Art Elective (art, music, theater, and creative writing)
4:00 pm – Free Time: Campus Tour, Field Games
5:30 pm – Dinner
6:15 pm – Reading Time
7:00 pm – Special Event: College Panel, Guest Speaker, Open Mic, Games, Dance, etc.
9:30 pm – Pod Reading and Discussion

Online Program: USA – Eastern Standard Time (New York)
12:30 pm – Seminar One: Homer’s The Odyssey
1:15 pm – Poetry Cup & Camp Meeting
1:35 pm – Snack Break
1:45 pm – Seminar Two: Poetry of William Carlos Williams
2:30 pm – Discussion Groups
3:30 pm – Break
4:00 pm – Pod Reading & Hangout
5:00 pm – Afternoon Dismissal/Family Time
– Special Events on Select Evenings

Online Program: Asia – China Standard Time (Beijing)
9:00 am – Seminar One: Homer’s The Odyssey
9:45 am – Poetry Cup & Camp Meeting
10:05 am – Snack Break
10:15 am – Seminar Two: William Carlos Williams’ poems
11:00 am – Discussion Groups
12:00 pm – Lunch Break
12:30 pm – Pod Reading & Hangout
2:00 pm – Afternoon Dismissal/Family Time
– Special Events on Select Days

Please see the daily schedule below. Note that times may vary slightly by campus location. See all locations and dates, learn more about the program here.

On-Campus
(Day Program drop-off is at about 8:45am and pick-up is about 5:30 pm.)
8:30 am – Breakfast
9:00 am – Poetry Cup
9:15 am – Craft Seminar: Vivid Description
10:00 am – Break
10:15 am – Craft Seminar: Voice
11:15 am – Free Writing
12:15 pm – Lunch
1:00 pm – Writing Workshops
3:00 pm – Break
3:15 pm – Electives: Slam Poetry
4:15 pm – Free Time: Campus Tour, Field Games
5:30 pm – Dinner
6:15 pm – Writing Time
7:30 pm – Special Event: College Panel, Guest Speaker, Open Mic, Games, Dance, etc.
9:30 pm – Pod Meeting & Hangout

Online Program: USA – Eastern Standard Time (New York)
12:30 pm – Poetry Cup & Camp Meeting
12:45 pm – Craft Seminar: Vivid Description
2:00 pm – Break
2:15 pm – Writing Workshop Track
4:15 pm – Break
4:30 pm – Pod Mentoring & Hangout
5:00 pm – Afternoon Dismissal/Family Time
– Special Events on Select Evenings

Online Program: Asia – China Standard Time (Beijing)
9:00 am – Poetry Cup & Camp Meeting
9:30 am – Craft Seminar: Vivid Description
10:45 am – Snack Break
11:00 am – Writing Workshop Track
1:00 pm – Lunch Break
1:30 pm – Pod Reading & Hangout
2:30 pm – Afternoon Dismissal/Family Time
– Special Events on Select Days

Please see the daily schedule below. Note that times may vary slightly by campus location. See all locations and dates, learn more about the program here.

On-Campus
7:30 am – Breakfast
8:15 am – Morning Meeting & Poetry Cup
9:00 am – Seminar 1: Shakespeare’s Sonnets
9:45 am – Break
10:00 am – Seminar 2: J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Fellowship of the Ring
10:55 am – Discussion Group
12:00 pm – Lunch
12:45 pm – Special Topics: Stage Fighting
1:45 pm – Break
2:00 pm – Afternoon Excursion: Punting on the Thames, Blenheim Palace, Christ Church etc.
4:30 pm – Reading Time
6:00 pm – Dinner
7:00 pm – Evening Excursion or Event: Royal Shakespeare Company, Bram Stoker/Dracula Tour
9:30 pm – Pod Reading & Hangout