Registration & Enrollment Policies
Countdown to 2025 Registration!
Registration for returning and new campers begins the last Wednesday of August (08/28/2024 at 9:00am EST).
If you are new to Falling Creek and would like more information or to schedule a tour of camp, please call the camp office at 828-692-0262.
With long waiting lists certain, we encourage interested families to review our session options and submit an application as soon as possible.
Registration Policy
Priority Enrollment Period (August 28 – September 15)
Guaranteed Priority: 2024 returning June, Main, 2-Week, and Junior Camp campers are guaranteed a spot in the same session if age/grade requirements are met, is in good standing, and the application and deposit are received by September 15th.
All other applications received before September 15th will be held in the order received to await processing beginning on September 16th based on the priorities listed below. You will be notified of your enrollment status the week after the priority deadline.
First Priority: 2024 returning June, Main, 2-Week, and Junior Camp campers who wish to change sessions will receive first priority and will be enrolled on a first come – first served basis as space allows beginning on September 16th.
Second Priority: Applications from brothers of current campers, former campers, sons and nephews of alumni, and campers previously on the wait list, received by September 15th, will have second priority for enrollment. (Priority is not given to families who have attended a Father/Son Weekend or Family Camp).
Other Applicants: New camper applications received before September 15th will be processed in the order received and enrolled as space allows beginning September 16th.
Applications received after the priority enrollment period will be processed in the order received. Applicants will be enrolled as space allows or placed on a wait list according to our wait list policy.
Campers are grouped in cabins based on current grade in school.
To ensure geographic diversity, in rare situations, enrollment may be limited from certain cities.
No more than two campers from the same area will be placed in a cabin.
No priority is given in regard to Father/Son Weekend applications. Father/Son Weekend applications are accepted on a first-come-first-served basis until the session reaches capacity. Then applications are placed on a wait list.
Priority for Family Camp is given to returning families for one week after the application is made available. After that, applications are accepted on a first-come-first-served basis until the session reaches capacity. Then applications are placed on a wait list.
The STEEL (CIT) session application begins a competitive selection process. Not all applicants will be offered spaces. A deposit will not be charged until the camper completes the process and is offered a space in STEEL. If he is not selected, a deposit will not be charged. Please see Camper Leadership Programs for information about STEEL.
Waiting List Policy
If we receive your application after we have reached capacity, you will be notified that your camper has been placed on our waiting list and the deposit may not be processed until your camper is enrolled in a session. The date the application is received, any applicable enrollment priority, and the camper’s grade will determine wait list position.
For up to date session availability, please contact our camp office.
We anticipate cancellations each year, so we will be able to enroll some boys from our waiting lists. Since waiting list boys receive second priority enrollment the following year, we advise you to submit an application and remain on our waiting list even if chances seem slim.
Deposit and Tuition Payments
The $1,000 deposit and full Father/Son tuition is accepted via eCheck, Debit Card, or Credit Card during the application process for each applied session. Checks also may be sent to camp. (If mailing a Check, or if your electronic payment fails, your application may not be considered complete until we receive your deposit.)
If your camper is eligible to be enrolled, the camp session deposit, Family Camp deposit, and Father/Son tuition will be processed upon enrollment.
If your application is being held until September 15th, the deposit will not be processed until your camper is enrolled in a session.
All deposits and any tuition paid is fully refundable until January 1.
The remaining tuition is split into two installments, half due by December 1 and half by April 1. Payments must be timely in order to maintain your son’s enrollment. You may pay in full at any earlier time.
If applying between December 1 and April 1, the $1,000 deposit and half of the remaining tuition is due with the application. For applications after April 1, the full tuition is due with the application.
If applying for a Father/Son Weekend, the tuition (plus any additional son tuition) is due with the application.
Cancellation Policy
The $1,000 deposit and any tuition paid is fully refundable until January 1. The deposit becomes non-refundable after January 1. If written notice of cancellation is received between January 1 and April 1, tuition less the $1,000 deposit is refunded. There is no refund after April 1.
Applications are accepted for a full term only. No refund will be made for late entrance, early withdrawal, being sent home, or time missed from a camp session for any reason. As described in the High Expectations of Campers section of the application terms and conditions, no refund will be made in case of dismissal. Additionally, no refund will be made due to illness or injury.
For Father/Son Weekend and Family Camp cancellations, tuition is fully refundable until January 1. After January 1, cancellations more than 30-days before your weekend will be assessed a 20% cancellation fee. Father/Son Weekend and Family Camp cancellations less than 30-days before your weekend are non-refundable.
Activity Coverage Trip Insurance
If you wish to protect your investment in the camp tuition, we suggest looking into trip insurance. One option is coverage through Travmark’s Activity Coverage plan. This is a third-party provider, and the travel protection benefits can include trip cancellation, trip interruption, travel medical expense, emergency dental, and more. If interested in Cancel For Any Reason coverage, it must be purchased before your final tuition payment. To learn more or to get a quote, follow this link to Travmark’s Activity Coverage plan. Be sure to review the coverage details and answers to commonly asked questions before you make a purchase.
If this insurance plan is not available in your state (CA, CT, NY, WA residents), or if you want more options, these are two other resources: American Camp Association or Everything Summer Camp.
We all don’t know how you all do it! Every session, whether it is Main Camp or Father/Son Weekend, we go into it saying, how can the last visit be topped? And each year, you do it!
Marianne R. // Naples, FL (Parent)