@sharptail I am so very sorry to hear this. My now-17 year old did the five-week last year. It was great for him, but I definitely see the validity of your criticisms. It was far less structured, with more free time and fewer group events (most of which my son chose not to attend). With nearly 1,000 kids, the jam sessions were, well, jammed, and he did most of his playing in student lounges with other kids he’d met. Also, I’d say that less than a third of the kids were what I would call serious musicians. My son connected with many who were, and had a positive experience, but he is also a kid who loves down time and wandering the city on his own.
By contrast, he attended the Eastman two-week program this year. Every moment from 8:30am to 9 pm was scheduled, including weekends, which was a little too much for my son but might work great for another kid. There were only 45 players, of uniformly high quality. Instruction was exceptional. His playing improved a lot.
Overall he loved this program and I would say it was much better organized overall. Your son might want to give it a look next year. (One caveat: no a/c in the dorms, which given the long heat wave this summer was pretty miserable.)
Best of luck to you and your percussionist!