Stanford National Forensic Institute

In-Person options: All of our in-person camps are designed as Residential academic programs, meaning that the academic schedule is designed to fill the majority of the day.  Most days this means that students will have scheduled activities from 9AM to 8PM, with meal breaks at appropriate times.  There may be optional academic options on some evenings after 8PM.  On the last 2 days of a camp the schedule may run as late as 10PM to accommodate the final intra-camp debate tournament.  For a general overview of what a schedule at camp looks like, see our sample schedule page.

We offer a commuter option for local families who would prefer their students to live at home during the program, and a day camp with shorter hours for our middle school programs.  The academics remain unchanged for commuting students as in essence we are offering you the same program without a dorm room, but for day camp students there is no after dinner academic session.

Resident option: grades 7-8 & 9-12

• Housing in Stanford University undergraduate student dorms

  • These are the same dorms that Stanford students live in during the academic year.  During the summer no college students live in our dorm facilites as they are converted to "summer camp" housing for programs at Stanford.

  • Dorm/room configuration varies by building, and may include single, double, triple or quad occupancy.  Some are traditional rooms and some are suites with separate sleeping and living spaces.

  • Starting in May you will be able to express a roommate preference, and if that request is mutual we can generally accommodate your request.

• Breakfast, lunch and dinner

  • By popular demand/feedback from students in prior summers, approximately two meals per week are "dine out" meals.   This is to provide some variety and ability to try different eating venues on campus outside of the normally mandatory dining hall meal packages. These meals are dinners on Wednesday evenings and a lunch and/or dinner on the weekends (only applicable to students staying over to the next week).  Middle School camp students do not have "dine out" days.

• Full academic schedule

  • 9AM to 8PM or later for High School camps

  • 9AM to 8PM for Middle School camps (with increased duration meal breaks plus rec break)

• 24/7 schedule from arrival until departure

  • Parents/guardians and other adults authorized by a student's parents/guardians in writing may check a student in or out of camp at any time.

  • Camps continue to have academic activities scheduled through the weekend.  Saturdays are treated the same as a weekday, and Sundays are scheduled with the morning off followed by a full day starting after lunch.

• Arrival day: check in on campus between 2PM and 4PM, followed by a campus tour, dinner, an opening camp administrative (camp life) meeting, and then opening academic meetings with division staff and individual lab group leaders

• Departure day: check out from camp on the morning of the last day between 9AM and 10:30AM

Commuter option: grades 7-8 & 9-12

• Lunch and dinner (plan to eat breakfast before arrival each morning)

  • By popular demand/feedback from students in prior summers, approximately two meals per week are "dine out" meals.   This is to provide some variety and ability to try different eating venues on campus outside of the normally mandatory dining hall meal packages. These meals are dinners on Wednesday evenings and a lunch and/or dinner on the weekends (only applicable to students staying over to the next week).  Middle School camp students do not have "dine out" days.

• Full academic schedule with no difference from the "Residential" option

  • 9AM to 8PM or later for High School camps

  • 9AM to 8PM for Middle School camps (with increased duration meal breaks plus rec break)

  • Camps continue to have academic activities scheduled through the weekend.  Saturdays are treated the same as a weekday, and Sundays are scheduled with the morning off followed by a full day starting after lunch.

• Commuter hours:

  • Students are welcome to arrive as early as 8AM and to stay as late as 10:30PM

  • Students must sign in and out each day with our camp office

  • Students may be checked out early if desired

  • Arrival day: check in between 3PM and 4PM, followed by a campus tour, dinner, an opening camp administrative (camp life) meeting, and then opening academic meetings with division staff and individual lab group leaders

  • Final day: this is "departures only" for Resident campers; no need for Commuter students to return on the final (Saturday) morning of the camp

Day Camp option: grades 7-8 only

• Lunch only (plan to eat breakfast before arrival each morning and dinner after departure each evening)

  • By popular demand/feedback from students in prior summers, approximately two meals per week are "dine out" meals.   This is to provide some variety and ability to try different eating venues on campus outside of the normally mandatory dining hall meal packages. These meals are dinners on Wednesday evenings and a lunch and/or dinner on the weekends (only applicable to students staying over to the next week).  Middle School camp students do not have "dine out" days.

• Day camp hours:

  • Students are welcome to arrive as early as 8:30 AM and to stay as late as 5:30PM

  • Students must sign in and out each day with our camp office

  • Students may be checked out early if desired

  • Optional Sunday afternoon orientation and getiting to meet other attendees (strongly recommended): check in between 3PM and 4PM, followed by a campus tour, dinner, an opening camp administrative (camp life) meeting, and then opening academic meetings with division staff and individual lab group leaders

  • Final day (Saturday): this is "departures only" for Resident campers; no need for Commuter/Day Camp students to return on the final (Saturday) morning of the camp