Summerscape & Drury Leadership Academy

1. Student attends a school gifted program.
2. Student attended our camp as a 2^nd grader or higher.
3. Student has a qualifying IQ of 115 or higher.
4. Teacher recommendation

Check with your school district about getting an IQ test.  Drury does not offer IQ testing, but we do have names of professionals that can help.

Applications are processed in daily batches so that all applications completed throughout a single day are given equal consideration. Applications are date-stamped, not time-stamped, so all applications received that day have an equal chance for placement regardless of the time they were submitted.

Once applications are posted to the website, you can apply.  Be sure to send in all requested and required information or your application can’t be entered. You will be notified of acceptance decisions by email within two weeks of submitting your application. If applicable, financial aid decisions will be made in May and you will be notified by mail.

Yes. Because courses fill quickly, submitting an application does not guarantee placement. If all of your ranked choices are full, you will be placed on a waitlist and notified by email.

Drury Pre-College Programs maintains a waitlist to fill course spaces that are vacated by students who decline their placement. If another student is unable to attend and his/her space can be offered to you, Drury Pre-College Programs will contact you to offer placement. Once students are placed in a course, they are removed from any other waitlists.

We cannot provide a specific date because we must wait for students who were offered placement to respond. Staff are constantly monitoring enrollment and if we are able to offer placement, we will contact you by email.

Applicants are not assigned a wait list number because there are separate wait lists for each course. Students are placed on each wait list by the date that the complete application is received.

We cannot predict the odds of a wait-listed student being offered placement, as it is based on cancellations. 

Drury Pre-College Programs will attempt to place wait-listed students as soon as possible; however, we understand that you may need to make plans for the summer. Please do what is in the best interest of your child as we are unable to guarantee a placement offer for students on the wait list.

Tuition & Fees

The cost for each Summerscape/DLA class is $115. Classes with additional fees for materials or field trips are noted on the course selection form. This additional fee will be collected when the student is notified of placement in the class. Total class cost (or scholarship application) must accompany application. 

The residential fee is $400. This includes room, food, and activities. You must participate in both the AM and PM classes as part of the residential group. The total fee (residential + AM/PM classes) is $630.

There is a withdrawal fee of $30. Refunds must be requested in writing. No refunds within two weeks of start of camp. 

Please Note:

• Your application will not be considered for enrollment until the office has received your tuition check, money order, or scholarship application. APPLY EARLY! Many courses beds fill quickly.
• Checks or money orders will not be cashed until the student has been accepted.
• If your child has a specific physical or medical need or condition, please attach a separate letter to the director so that needed accommodations can be made.
• If a student is operating with an IEP, a copy of the IEP should be attached.
• Please note that many courses fill quickly and room in the dorms is limited, so apply early!

Scholarships

A limited number of financial need scholarships are available. If you would like to be considered for a scholarship, you must enclose the following:

1. Photocopies of the first two pages of the parents’ or guardians’ most recent federal income tax return AND any attachments of schedules if applicable;
2. A letter explaining any extenuating circumstances pertinent to existing financial status, including what efforts have been made to obtain money locally;
3. A $30 registration fee (refundable if no scholarship is awarded) is required to insure that registration for classes can be completed; AND
4. A letter from the student outlining why he/she wants to attend the program.

Scholarships are awarded solely on the basis of financial need. We encourage parents to contact local businesses, employers, schools, and civic organizations to help fund scholarships. All information is required. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed.

NOTE: If parents are not in the same household, please send copies of both income tax returns. 

Financial aid applications are reviewed by a committee in May. Written notification will be mailed to you in early May.  Contact Employment at TIP. Due to the large number of applicants and limited amount of financial aid funds, neither applying nor qualifying for aid guarantees that it will be awarded. Drury is not responsible for mail that is delayed in transit. To ensure that your complete application arrives in a timely manner, consider an express delivery option.

Scholarships

A limited number of financial need scholarships are available. If you would like to be considered for a scholarship, you must enclose the following:

1. Photocopies of the first two pages of the parents’ or guardians’ 2021 federal income tax return AND any attachments of schedules if applicable;
2. A letter explaining any extenuating circumstances pertinent to existing financial status, including what efforts have been made to obtain money locally;
3. A letter from the student outlining why he/she wants to attend the program.

Scholarships are awarded solely on the basis of financial need. We encourage parents to contact local businesses, employers, schools, and civic organizations to help fund scholarships. All information is required. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed.

NOTE: If parents are not in the same household, please send copies of both income tax returns. 

It varies based on number of applicants.

Incomplete applications will not be processed. Students must submit a program application with a $30 nonrefundable application fee and all the supporting documentation in order for the entire application to be considered.

No. Students must reapply for financial aid with current family financial information.

Yes.

Yes.  Please send a note explaining taxes are not yet complete and the other documents requested.  Tax information still must be received by April 15 for the deadline to be considered, but it is best to mail in the other information early so the student can be placed in their requested classes before they fill up.

If a family is not required to file a tax return because their income level falls below the IRS filing threshold, they must complete the financial aid application, note on the application that they are not required to file a federal tax return, and submit copies of whatever documentation they have for any income that they do receive, such as an annual Social Security award amount letter, SSN-1099, unemployment or disability income award letters, or public assistance qualification notification letters.

You may send a copy of your pervious years income tax forms with your current years W-2 form. If you do not have your current years W-2 form yet, you may send a copy of your last pay stub for the current year along with your pervious years income tax forms.

We will accept an estimated profit/loss statement for your business.

This is highly discouraged.  Time at camp allows students to establish friendships and become fully involved in residential life.  If a student needs to leave campus for an “outside of camp” activity, they can be picked up from the dorm between 4:30 – 5 pm AND returned the next morning to the cafeteria at 8:30 am.  NO EXCEPTIONS.

A staff of residential counselors is chosen from a large group of outstanding undergraduate and graduate students through a competitive application and interview process. The residential counselors live in the residence halls with students, organize social and recreational activities, serve as role models, and support students in understanding and abiding by Drury Pre-College Programs’s rules and regulations. Each residential counselor supervises a group of approximately ten to fifteen students. Residential Staff Members assist with supervision and programming on each campus. A background check is performed on each staff member prior to the start of the program. 

Students who have completed 12th grade will be in the Senior Leadership class.  This is a special class designed for those entering college.  Special privileges come with this class so do high expectations.

Please view the packing list. 

Bring a $75 check made out to Drury University.  Your check will be returned when your key and swipe card are turned in and your room is damage free.

All meals are provided by Drury University catering services.  The dining services on campus offer a wide selection of food at every meal, and their menus are varied enough to accommodate vegetarian and other diets.  If your child requires other special dietary needs or has food allergies, please contact us at least two weeks before you arrive so that we can try to accommodate and plan.

Specific Food allergies:  Please provide details on the application.  Most students with food allergies manage by selecting from the variety of items available on the regular menu and salad bar.  If a student’s food allergies include reactions to airborne allergens (such as hypersensitivity to peanuts) please note this on the application but also contact us two weeks prior so that we may provide this information to food services.

Washers and dryers are available in the residence hall at no cost to the students.  You must bring your own detergent.

Students are responsible at all times for the safe-keeping of their personal belongings.  We urge students to label all of their belongings, including clothing, with their first and last names.  We are not responsible for students’ personal belongings.  In general, we recommend that students leave valuables at home.  We will maintain a lost and found box.  We are not responsible for items left behind at the end of camp.

Telephone numbers will be provided at check in for emergency contacts.

To Contact Your Student

By letter or package:

Student name
Summerscape or Drury Leadership Academy (select one)
900 N. Benton Ave
Lay Hall 103
Springfield, MO 65802

See Rules & Regulations for cell phone policy. 

Students are strongly discouraged from bringing personal laptops or computers.  Students will have access to Drury’s library and computer labs.

Drury provides campus security and security guards.  The campus is patrolled at all times, including overnight.  Please call Security directly if you have an emergency, 417 873-7400.  To ensure the safety of all campers, it is imperative you read and understand all rules, including check-out/check-in procedures.

Camper transportation during camp is overseen by Springfield R-12 Transportation System.  Campers are transported in school buses operated by approved and tested drivers.

Drop off packages to Lay Hall 103 and clearly label with the student name. 

Included in the program cost is access to The Panther Health Clinic on campus. The fee does not cover medications, X-rays or visits to the hospital or emergency room. When the student health center is closed, students requiring medical attention will be taken to an emergency room. Personal health insurance is required to cover after-hours, emergency room, or other medical care not covered.

Students are not allowed to keep medications in their rooms. All medications, including over-the-counter products, must be stored in the Drury Pre-College Programs on-site office. The only exception to this policy will be for acne creams and urgent-need medications such as insulin, rescue asthma inhalers, and epinephrine devices, which students may keep with them. Students will be given their medicine by our Camp Nurse, as well as any over-the-counter medicine they might need. It is the student’s responsibility to remember to take his/her medications. Our staff may give reminders regarding medication administration, but it is important that each student be responsible for remembering to take his/her own medications.  Drury Pre-College Programs residential staff members will not administer any medications, except for epinephrine devices in emergencies. Please note that medications can be refrigerated in the Drury Pre-College Programs on-site office if necessary.  Parents are strongly encouraged to note any allergies or potential drug interactions with prescribed medications on their child’s application.  In addition, parents are urged to have a conversation with their children, before they attend camp, about any over the counter medication they feel comfortable/uncomfortable with their child selecting. Students with long-standing medical conditions should request their physician to forward relevant information to the Drury Pre-College Programs office.

Occasionally, students deal with emotionally challenging issues. Drury Pre-College Programs staff are trained to assist students in adjusting to a new environment, a rigorous class schedule, and the challenge of being away from home. We do not have the facilities or staff to assist students experiencing serious emotional distress, and any student who exhibits behavior that is disruptive or problematic may be required to leave the program. 

Films and film clips are shown in many classes and residential activities to illustrate ideas and stimulate discussion.  Please be aware that this may occur in Drury Leadership Academy only.  Summerscape evening programs will not show any movie rated higher than PG. DLA evening programs will not show any movie rated higher than PG-13.

Students will have access to library computers for class-related research and word processing purposes. Access to email may be available on a limited basis, but students should not expect to check email daily. Students are expected to maintain good manners and good judgment when using campus computers and the web.

Drury Pre-College Programs provides some opportunities for students to engage in athletics or practice music during evening and weekend activities, but these instances are not likely to be adequate for students involved in serious training. Drury Pre-College Programs is unable to accommodate specific training needs. We are not able to accommodate students who have specific music practice needs outside of free time. Students may bring small instruments that can be stored in a residence hall room, but may not bring large instruments due to lack of storage space. We are not responsible for loss or damage to any personal property—including musical instruments.