Start Here: The College Experience Camp @ Gettysburg College

Overview

Start Here: The College Experience Camp offers high school students an exciting opportunity to explore a wide range of academic interests through interactive activities, engaging presentations, hands-on simulations, and/or group discussions.

This interdisciplinary camp introduces students to what classes are like at a small liberal arts college while allowing them to begin to explore potential career paths across different disciplines. Participants will engage with faculty and peers in dynamic learning experiences designed to spark curiosity, critical thinking, and intellectual discovery. Topics in Biochemistry, Chemistry, Economics, Finance, Physics, Psychology and Theater Arts will be offered.

In addition, campers will begin developing essential college readiness skills by learning about the admissions process and hearing firsthand about college life from current undergraduate students.

When:  June 28- July 2, 2026

Cost: $1395

Target Audience: Rising sophomores, juniors and seniors

Sample Day

TimeEventLocation
8:00 – 9:00 AM Breakfast Dining Hall
9:00 AM – 12:00 PM Module 1- Economics and Finance: How to be a data nerd (and why you should want to)! Gettysburg Lab for Experimental Economics
12:00 – 1:00 PM Lunch Dining Hall
1:00 – 4:00 PM Module 2- Economics and Finance: How to be a data nerd (and why you should want to) Bloomberg Terminal Lab
4:00 – 5:30 PM Admissions Talk; Tour of Campus
5:30 – 6:30 PM Dinner Dining Hall
6:30 – 8:30 PM Free Time (relax in dorm; play games; explore downtown)
8:30 – 10:30 PM Module 3- Physics: Celestial Messengers Observatory
11:00 PM Curfew Dorm Room

Details at a glance

Where: Gettysburg College Campus
When: June 28- July 2, 2026
How Much: $1395
Who: Rising high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors
Application Deadline: Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the camp is full. We sometimes receive applications from more applicants than we can admit to our camp especially as the camp fills. We will notify applicants as soon as possible after a decision has been made, but we note that it may take us several weeks after an application has been submitted to send a notification.

Applying to Camp Start Here: A College Experience Camp

Step 1 : Campers complete our online application. The application collects demographic information along with information about the student’s interest in attending the camp. There is a $250 application fee. The fee is part of the $1395 cost of camp.

Step 2 : If a student is accepted, we will send instructions for submitting payment, as well as a request for information about medication, allergies and/or special dietary needs.

Camp Directors

Dr. Katherine Delaney is a lecturer in the Psychology Department at Gettysburg College and also serves as the internship coordinator for the department. She had over 10 years of clinical experience working with children and adolescents with neurodevelopmental disorders and related mental health issues prior to coming to Gettysburg College. Katherine’s current research interests focus on the effects of childhood adversity on the well-being of college students and adults. Specifically, she examines how childhood trauma may influence emotion regulation and resilience across these populations.

FAQs

Registration and Logistics

  • When is the camp?
    Our summer 2026 program will be held June 28- July 2.
  • How much does it cost to attend?
    The camp fee for 2026 is $1,395. The camp fee includes lodging, meals, and activities. The number of admitted campers is limited to facilitate close interaction with camp director and additional faculty, and resident advisors (current undergraduate students),
  • Who is eligible to attend?
    Start Here: A College Experience Camp is designed for rising high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors.
  • When is the application deadline?
    Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the camp is full. We sometimes receive applications from more applicants than we can admit to our camp especially as the camp fills. We will notify applicants as soon as possible after a decision has been made, but we note that it may take us a couple of weeks after an application has been submitted to send a notification. Please note that the $250 application fee is part of the $1395 cost of camp.
  • What is the refund and cancellation policy?
    Refund requests received up to 30 days prior to the start of the camp will be given a full refund. No refunds will be issued less than 30 days from start of camp.
  • My camper will be arriving by plane/train/bus. How do they get to campus?
    Transportation between these airports and campus is the responsibility of the camper. Please note that Camp Start Here personnel do not schedule or coordinate this transportation. Also note that early arrivals or late departures cannot be accommodated. We offer two (2) travel times from BWI and BWI Amtrack and one (1) return time to BWI / BWI Amtrack.
  • June 28 at 12 noon or 2:00 pm leaving BWI for Gettysburg College
  • July 2 leaving Gettysburg College at 10:30 am only

Please check your reservation confirmation email for pick up location at BWI and Gettysburg College.

Guest personal summer camp transportation request

Summer Transportation is specific to Gettysburg College sponsored camps and conferences. Please direct questions to the camp director.

Camp Life

  • Does my camper need to do academic preparation for the camp?
    No. We welcome campers with varying levels of knowledge. The goal of the camp is to introduce students to various academic disciplines.
  • What academic disciplines will my camper be exposed to?

Module 1: Physics: Celestial Messengers Part 1

Step into Gettysburg's Hatter Planetarium and unlock the secrets of deep-space light. You’ll master the celestial motions of the Sun, Moon, and planets through immersive, hands-on demonstrations. By the end, you’ll be able to hack the sky to tell time and use the stars as a GPS to pinpoint exactly where you are on the planet.

Module 2: Physics: Celestial Messengers Part 2

Go beyond the classroom and into the night. You'll head to the Gettysburg College Observatory to hunt for the Moon, planets, and deep-space objects using high-powered telescopes. If the clouds roll in, we’ll dive indoors to explore the secrets contained in light and discover how your brain actually perceives the colors of the universe.

Modules 3 and 4 : Economics and Finance: How to be a data nerd (and why you should want to) in 6 hours or less!

The morning session will focus on some basic assumptions economists use to study markets and evaluate whether they are satisfied in the real world. Students will work in the Gettysburg Lab for Experimental Economics to see how human decision making is studied. The afternoon session will apply similar reasoning to the study of financial markets. Students will have a brief demonstration in our Bloomberg Terminal Lab, where the same tools used in investment banking, asset management and private equity are introduced.

Module 5: Theatre Arts: Emotion, Story, and the Art of Play

Students explore how our emotions and senses serve as the raw material of great storytelling. Through a fast-paced and fun playmaking challenge, you'll discover how turning vulnerability into creativity is both an ancient dramatic technique and a joyful skill that will serve you in college classrooms and beyond. 

Module 6: Psychology: The Psychology of Conformity, Influence, and Persuasion

How are we influenced by others? What drives us to conform to people around us? This module will provide an examination of classic and modern research and will focus on how conformity, influence, and persuasion can be applied to our everyday lives. Students will also act as researchers when they design and carry out their own studies on the campus of Gettysburg College. 

Modules 7 and 8: Chemistry and Biochemistry: Lights, Chemistry, Attraction! The Impact of Chemistry in Everyday Life

Students will learn how chemists use their knowledge and skills to learn about topics ranging from color to climate change. Students will experience how chemistry is important in all aspects of life, and how chemists use their skills to understand fields such as conservation, art, climate change, and food. We will show students how chemists use both computational techniques and lab instrumentation, including spectroscopy (the study of how light interacts with matter), to study the world around us. While chemists often do hands-on science in labs, they also use the power of computers to understand the world.

  • What does my camper need to bring?
    We will provide linens and towels for each camper (a pillowcase, 2 towels, 2 flat sheets, and a blanket). Each room also has a micro fridge. We recommend that campers bring washcloths, toiletries (e.g., toothpaste, hair dryer, feminine products, shower soap, etc.), any relevant and parent-approved over the counter medication (e.g., antacids, Tylenol, etc.), comfortable walking shoes, an umbrella, a refillable water bottle, and money for souvenirs. Campers may also want to bring their own blanket or comforter and drinks and snacks to keep in their room if they would like. To purchase snacks on campus, campers need to use a credit card.
  • What are the accommodations for campers?
    Campers will live in air-conditioned college residence halls. Campers will room with one or two other campers and will share bathrooms in typical dormitory style.
  • Who will be living with my students?
    Campers will live in a college residence hall with resident advisors who are current or undergraduate students at Gettysburg College. Resident advisors are selected based on their maturity and leadership experience. Resident advisors will work with students in and outside of class to support the goals of the camp and all aspects of the campers' experiences.
  • Does my camper need to bring a computer?
    Campers do not need to bring computers. However, campers are permitted to bring computers if they wish. Wireless access is provided across campus.
  • Can my camper have a cellphone?
    Yes. However, campers will be asked to turn off cellphones and other portable electronic devices during class sessions.
  • What does a typical day look like?
    Please refer to the Sample Day.
  • How much money should I send with my child?
    All camp-related meals and expenses are covered by the camp registration fee. Campers may want to bring additional money for bookstore purchases.
  • How do I know my child will be safe and secure?
    The dorm is locked at all times. Resident advisors live with the campers and will do a bed-check each night at curfew. Gettysburg College public safety officers are on duty 24 hours a day seven days a week. More information about Gettysburg College Public Safety

Health/Medical Concerns

  • What if my student has food allergies or special dietary needs?
    No problem. Gettysburg College dining services can accommodate many special dietary needs (e.g., food allergies, vegetarian, vegan), though the dining services cannot provide meals that are completely kosher or completely organic. Campers will be asked to complete a special food allergies form so please let us know about any accommodations at that time.
  • My camper is on prescription medicine. How is that handled?
    Campers may bring and self-administer prescription medicine. Camp staff do not manage medication for campers. Campers must handle medicine safely and may not share medication with other individuals.
  • What if my child gets sick?
    Parents/guardians will be contacted in case of illness to discuss how each individual situation will be handled. The nearest hospital, Gettysburg Hospital, is just 2 miles from campus (147 Gettys Street.) Gettysburg College Public Safety officers will ensure safe transport to the hospital if necessary. The camp does not have its own nurse or other medical staff.

College Preparation

  • Will my child have the opportunity to have a campus tour?
    Yes.
  • Will this camp help my child get into college?
    Camp Start Here is designed to introduce your camper to what classes are like at a liberal arts college and offer a glimpse into what college life is like. While any one experience is not a guarantee of admission to an institution, we do believe that this camp can be a great part of a comprehensive college preparatory experience.