I’ve been hesitating to weigh in on this one but I don’t have a very high opinion of the level of structure/supervision at BUTI based on a friend’s experience last year.
The kids seemed to have way too much free, unsupervised time on their hands and there was some underage drinking (to the point where EMTs had to be called) and then a mass expulsion. My friend’s daughter was also surprised by the level of playing (and not in a “wow everybody’s so good” kind of way.) Granted this is one data point but if the events of last summer didn’t cause the administration to do some major rethinking, I’d be cautious about sending a kid there (less because I’d assume they’d get into trouble and more because…for that amount of money and time…I think there are other programs that provide a more well-rounded learning experience).
The summer orchestra camp I’m most familiar with is Brevard and this scenario would have been way less likely to happen there given the support and accountability structure. I was a camper there decades ago but I interviewed the current director (a former classmate of mine) extensively last year about how they socially integrate high school kids and things seem rock solid there. They keep the students quite busy from morning to night with the goal of giving students a holistic college-level music student experience (e.g. theory classes in the mornings; multiple sorts of ensembles; attending most/all the performances; work study jobs for students who qualify, etc.)
I’ll also put in a good word for chamber music camps (e.g. Greenwood, Kinhaven, maybe Music at Menlo), which foster a different kind of musicianship (while drawing from equally talented students). While the experience of performing with a truly outstanding symphony is intoxicating, many kids who get into programs like BUTI and Brevard are already performing with strong youth orchestra programs. They could probably benefit from the nuanced expressive playing/ear training that tends to happen in good chamber music coaching. And it’s way harder to slip through the cracks.