Does anyone have any experience with SIG? My dd will be 11 this summer, and there is three week SIG summer program close enough that she could commute. I recall hearing mixed reviews, but can't remember specifics. Any advice much appreciated. Are the programs any good?

I have looked at the SIG program as we are quite close to the campus you are (likely) considering. I thought that the courses did not look very rigorous - and my kids are MG/HG types. Of course, it would be best to hear from someone who attended. Also, SIG costs quite a bit.

There are other programs in the area, though I haven't researched all of them. My kids never seemed too keen on going to school in the summer and a lot of summer programs conflict with travel softball. My middle kid (had just completed 8th grade) went to a creative writing course last summer through Pennsylvania Writing and Literature Project. Her teacher was the gifted coordinator in a highly regarded local middle school. My kiddo enjoyed it and it wasn't expensive. Go to http://www.pawlp.org/ and go to Youth Programs and look at the 2013 brochure. Might look at some summer sessions at local private schools too - some courses are academic, but others look fun.

NSG-- yup, I think we are thinking of the same campus! I'm wondering what about the course descriptions made you think they didn't look rigorous? The selection for 11 and 12's looked pretty interesting, although in terms of rigor, it would probably be all about how it was done.

Since dd has never been to school, the whole format might present a bit of a challenge to her. If the classes are dumbed down, though, she will definitely hate that.

Thanks for the link to pawlp. I will check that out. She loves to write.

The humanities courses might be fine, but the math didn't seem very advanced (and my kids are not math types). I would try to find someone who has attended to learn more. I would also look into http://www.curiousjanecamp.com/ and check into the Curious Jane or Blue Tree programs (held at the same location as SIG).

We've never done SIG either, but there was a thread about it a few years back here: http://giftedissues.davidsongifted.org/BB/ubbthreads.php/topics/70563/1.html

Really, I think that only one person whose kid had been posted, but it was something. She seemed to agree that the math courses weren't as academically challenging as would be desirable.

I found a few other reviews online as well:

http://www.campratingz.com/ratings/1284/Summer+Camp+Summer+Institute+for+the+Gifted+(SIG).html

http://talk.collegeconfidential.com...g-summer-institute-gifted-princeton.html

Thanks so much, Cricket2!

do you know of any other camps in the area for younger kids?
I've been looking and only JUST came across the SIG camps. This curious jane looks right up my daughter's alley!

Googling 'gifted camps on the main line or philadelphia' gets me no where though. I don't know where to look.

gabalyn - I sent you a PM a few days ago about a post you had written in another thread about a good person to do testing.