Step 1: Open your program
From your Participant dashboard, click your program card under My Enrollments (it shows your program, role, and season).
Step 2: Start the Program Preferences questionnaire
On your program dashboard you'll see Application Progress with a list of sections. Click Start next to Program Preferences.
Before you begin, note these rules that apply throughout the application:
All questions are required unless marked optional.
Some questions are Yes/No. Selecting Yes may display additional follow-up questions; selecting No moves you to the next question.
Name fields cannot contain special characters or numbers.
Website URLs must be a valid format (e.g. Example Domain ).
Pay values must be greater than 0.
Phone numbers must be valid.
Email addresses must be a valid format (e.g. [email protected]).
Some questions list additional requirements next to them.
Step 3: Program History
If you answer Yes to having previously participated in a BridgeUSA J-1 Camp Counselor Program, you'll be asked how many times — enter 1 or more.
Step 4: Job offer and camp details
If you answer Yes to already having a job offer from a camp, a Placement Information section appears. Fill in the camp name, camp website, position title, pay and pay frequency, contract start/end dates, camp phone number, camp director's name, email, and phone number, and the camp's address. If No Job offer select No
Step 5: Availability and camp preferences
Enter your earliest start date and latest end date (date limits are shown next to each field — be as flexible as possible to increase your chances of being hired). Under Program Preferences, select the camp types you're interested in — a minimum of 4 is required (e.g. Traditional, Specialty, Underprivileged, Day, Single Gender, Girl Scout).
Step 6: Special Needs Camps and Religious Camps
If you answer Yes to interest in special needs camps, follow-up questions ask about your experience, the populations you've worked with, and whether you're willing to provide personal care. For Religious Camps, indicate whether you practice a religion and whether you'd accept placement at a religious camp that doesn't require participating in religious activities.
Step 7: Save and submit
Click Save to keep your progress — you can return and edit later. When the section is complete, click Submit For Review, then Submit to confirm.
Important: once submitted for review, you can no longer edit that section.
Step 8: Complete the remaining Forms sections
Repeat the same fill → Save → Submit For Review process for: Program Application, Personal Health History, Work Experience, and Application Video.
Step 9: Skills
Click Skills in the sidebar. Describe your top 3 skills in order of proficiency, strongest first — how long you've used each, why you want to teach it at camp, and any qualifications. Each description needs at least 800 characters. Camps see this information and use it for hiring. Save and submit as before.
Step 10: References
Click References in the sidebar, then Add New Reference. Rules:
You need 2 confirmed references; you can provide up to 4 unrejected references.
References cannot be a friend or family member — they must know you from a professional or educational setting for at least 6 months, with contact within the last year.
Fill in the reference's name, email, phone (optional), and relationship, then click Add.
After you click Submit for Review, each reference automatically receives an email with a form to complete. You can edit a reference until it's approved.