Application FAQs

What are you looking for in selecting participants?
What are the Values of iCamp?
How can I get my Report Card?
How should I ask for a teacher’s recommendation?
How do I get my Transcript to submit?
What sort of work sample are you looking for?
How many spots are available for iCamp2024?

What are you looking for in participants?

We are looking to work with 12th graders (and 11th graders) who have a passion for social justice and a love of media. We want folks at iCamp to be excited about the work that they do. There’s not one type of person: we love the mad genius and the demanding perfectionist, quiet serious students and tik tok celebs. We want to meet you where you are, but we insist that you have a desire to make a difference and a vision for yourself. 

iCamp for Credit requires college-ready students; there are separate eligibility requirements for that experience.

What are the Values of iCamp?

iCamp believes in the creative power of youth and the political power of media. We value Philadelphia as a diverse urban center, with all of its wonderful beauty, its legacy of success in the face of stunning economic and racial inequities. We want to help students center their voice, their vision, and their work around issues that affect them in their community. 

We are proudly race-conscious; we recognize the weight of individual prejudice and the heritage of systemic oppression that allows too few to reach their full potential. The amazing diversity of Philadelphia is a great source of its strength and its promise for tomorrow, and we want to help Philly’s youth deliver on that promise. All members of our project, Staff and Students, commit to the values and ethos of iCamp, including its social justice mission and endeavor to be anti-racist, gender-inclusive, and student-affirming.  

How can I get my report card to submit?

We require students to upload a copy of their report card in order to document student readiness for college study, as well as to verify grade-level and residence. We strongly prefer Q3 report cards, which should be available beginning April 1. Students can download a pdf of their report card the SDP in the “Academic Redord” section of SchoolNet. If you need help, contact a teacher or your school counselor. 

How should I ask for a teacher’s recommendation?

We require applicants to seek a recommendation from a teacher to show their commitment and potential at iCamp. We suggest you write an email to describe the opportunity (and share our website) and ask if they’d be willing to recommend you. They do not need to prepare a formal letter of recommendation; we are happy to connect with teachers informally through email conversation or telephone. 

Here’s the process:

1. Decide which of the iCamp programs you want to apply to (or both)
2. Approach a teacher (email is best, with an in-person follow up) about supporting your application with a recommendation. Send them an email requesting their support, with links to our website. They should be willing to support your participation in a college course (iCamp for Credit) or an intense college-readiness academy. If they do support your readiness, you’ll need to obtain their Name and Title and official school email so we can contact them. 
3. After you apply and your eligibility is verified, we contact teachers at their official email and ask them to share a recommendation, formal or informal. We give teachers the chance to email or telephone us to discuss how the experience would benefit you.
4. We ask them to send their recommendation to us no later than April 30.  

How do I get my Transcript to submit in my application for iCamp for Credit?

We require an unofficial transcript to document student readiness for college study, as well as to verify grade-level and residence. Students need to ask a teacher or counselor, who can download a pdf of their unofficial transcript from Infinite Campus. Ask a teacher (probably the same teacher who serves as a reference) to help you by downloading an unofficial transcript and sending it to you. The application can work with a document in your google drive, a file you upload, or a picture.  Please note– we ask for an unofficial transcript (from you the student), not an official transcript (from the office of records management).

What sort of work sample are you looking for in my application for iCamp for Credit?

We require a sample of student work to show what you’re capable of and how you conduct yourself in graded work for class. Just about any work document is acceptable– a creative project, an essay, a project you submitted for an class. You can submit any google document, a pdf, or a picture to demonstrate your work. You also will get the chance to talk about the work in the application, if that’s helpful. 

How many spots are available for iCamp 2024?

We anticipate funding for approximately 36 students in 2024, with 24 reserved for iCamp for Credit students and 12 reserved for iCamp students. 

Ready to apply? Click here to get started. 

Questions? Consult our FAQs and/or shoot an email to our Interim Directors, Drs. McCool and Cream.