<p>shushugah, I don’t think it makes sense to compare the camps from best to worst. The camps cater towards different interests. For example, if you want to spend 8 weeks doing math almost constantly Ross is probably the best choice. But if you want to do things that aren’t math related Ross isn’t as good of a choice. From what I’ve heard HCiSSM places a large emphasis on its inside jokes and having fun. Awesome Math seems very geared towards competitions. Mathcamp seems to focus on various interesting subjects of math. Ross and PRMOYS are both entirely number theory. Another consideration is whether you prefer to work alone or in groups. At Ross working in groups is generally looked down upon. Often times at Ross you might spend hours or even days working alone on one particular problem. My understanding is that the doesn’t really happen at other camps. While spending 8 days on one problem like I did at Ross last year might simulate actual reseach it wouldn’t be very helpful in terms of math competitions.</p>
<p>In terms of instructors, I’m only familar with Ross. The instructors are good but most of the learning you do by yourself anyways so they’re not that important.</p>