My son is enrolled in his third summer with the SoNYT. He loves it.
He enjoyed the exposure to the real world of journalism. The program is rigorous enough to be a challenge but not overwhelming. The instructors provide honest and constructive feedback. It was also pretty cool to wake up in the morning and read an article written by your instructor.
The workload outside of class depended on the assignment. An example… he took sports storytelling last year. For an assignment, they reported on a NY Liberty WNBA game. The students watched the game and were able to join the pre- and post-game press conferences. Their assignment was to turn in a finished piece first thing the next morning mirroring a real-world deadline. It was a great experience (and a late night).