| Application deadline | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
|---|
| Cost | Last year's cycle (2026): $899; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Last year's cycle (2026): $5,518; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Last year's cycle (2026): $1,875–$1,975; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
|---|
| Financial aid | Unconfirmed — check official site | Last year's cycle (2026): 2026 need-based application and program assistance: Up to $5,564. Could assist with the $46 application fee and $5,518 program cost based on family income, family size and available funds; actual award not guaranteed.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Last year's cycle (2026): Need-based tuition assistance: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Generally about 40%-90% of tuition; some awards included reduced deposit and a uniform bundle. Merit and Fritz Stansell terms differed.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
|---|
| Expenses and aid conditions | Unconfirmed — check official site | Last year's cycle (2026): 2026 COSMOS application fee: $46. Nonrefundable; pending fee-waiver review could change when or whether payment was required.; Credit-card transaction fee on program payments: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Approximately 2.5% when paying program costs by credit card; application fee exempt.; 2026 need-based application and program assistance: Up to $5,564. Could assist with the $46 application fee and $5,518 program cost based on family income, family size and available funds; actual award not guaranteed.; Full-financial-aid attendance deposit: $200. Required only for admitted students offered full aid and refunded to the legal guardian after successful completion.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Last year's cycle (2026): 2026 nonrefundable deposit applied to tuition: $295. Payment authorization was required with application and charged only after space and arrangements were confirmed.; 2026 optional Central Camp minor: $99. Central Camp only.; 2026 required uniform: $90–$116. Two or three $26 polos plus one $38 sweater; confirm whether returning campers may reuse eligible items.; Need-based tuition assistance: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Generally about 40%-90% of tuition; some awards included reduced deposit and a uniform bundle. Merit and Fritz Stansell terms differed.; 2026 early arrival when approved: $110. Strongly discouraged and allowed only when necessary under published arrival limits.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
|---|
| Stipend or pay | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
|---|
| Eligibility | Grades 10–12 (provider uses rising grades) | Grades 9–12 (provider uses rising grades) | Grades 5–12; Grade timing: Unconfirmed — check official site |
|---|
| Additional eligibility | Ages 15–17; Requirement: For 2026, be a rising high-school sophomore, junior, or senior age 15-17; Requirement: Demonstrate academic performance, authentic media interest, and potential to benefit from and contribute to camp; Requirement: Be able to live in supervised shared university housing and remain on campus; Requirement: Submit original application responses without generative AI; Exclusion: Rising freshmen and current middle-school students were ineligible in 2026; Exclusion: Single rooms and alternative lodging were not permitted; Exclusion: Selection is competitive and the school cannot provide individual application feedback; Exclusion: The 2027 eligibility rules are not yet confirmed | Residency: Attend high school in person in California; Requirement: Be rising into grade 9, 10, 11 or 12 for the program fall year; Requirement: Attend high school in person in California; Requirement: Demonstrate academic excellence and preparation for the selected STEM cluster; Requirement: Complete cluster-specific course prerequisites; Requirement: Live on the host UC campus for the full program; Requirement: Be a first-time COSMOS participant; Exclusion: Students not attending a California high school in person; Exclusion: Students who previously attended any COSMOS program; Exclusion: Applicants outside the rising-grade 9-12 range; Exclusion: Applicants unable to live on campus for the full program; Exclusion: Late application, supporting, payment or admission materials; Exclusion: Assuming a 3.5 GPA is an absolute statewide minimum rather than the published typical profile | Residency: Blue Lake does not state a universal Michigan-residency restriction on the camp overview; international and travel requirements must be confirmed; Requirement: Be in an eligible grade for the selected session and camp division; Requirement: Choose an offered major, minor where required, and session with space; Requirement: Submit the family account application with deposit authorization; Requirement: Be able to participate in residential cabin life, daily instruction/rehearsal, and camp citizenship expectations; Requirement: Complete health, accommodation, payment, uniform, transportation, and family forms after enrollment; Exclusion: A general admission audition is not required; Exclusion: A scholarship or advanced-program award does not reserve a camp place; Exclusion: Grade eligibility differs by session and Camp Bernstein versus Central Camp |
|---|
| Session dates or duration | Catalog terms: 1 week; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Catalog terms: 4 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Catalog terms: 2 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
|---|
| Format | In person | In person | In person |
|---|
| Housing and supervision | Residential. Supervision and housing details: Unconfirmed — check official site | Residential. Supervision and housing details: Unconfirmed — check official site | Residential. Supervision and housing details: Unconfirmed — check official site |
|---|
| Location | Phoenix, Arizona, ASU Downtown Phoenix campus and Gordon Commons residence hall | Davis, California, Irvine, California, Los Angeles, California, Merced, California, San Diego, California, Santa Cruz, California, UC Davis, UC Irvine, UCLA, UC Merced, UC San Diego, UC Santa Cruz | Twin Lake, Michigan, Blue Lake Central Camp, Camp Bernstein |
|---|
| Selection and application | Selection: Applications are reviewed for academic performance and media interest, with current juniors sometimes prioritized because of demand. The 2026 acceptance rate and 2027 capacity are not published on the current page. | Selection: Each of six campuses accommodates roughly 160-200 students, and clusters typically enroll 20-25 with a commonly reported 5:1 student-to-faculty ratio. Admissions are competitive and based on academic merit relative to the selected topic, but applicant count and statewide acceptance rate were not published. Application materials: One personal statement; One required teacher recommendation, with two recommended | Selection: General camp enrollment is first-come based on grade/session fit and space. Scholarships and advanced programs add audition/portfolio, recommendation, achievement, and sometimes financial-need review. Application materials: No audition for ordinary admission; For scholarship/advanced programs only: audition video, portfolio or solo rating, arts-instructor details/recommendation, and financial documentation when applicable |
|---|
| Official sources | Source 1 · checked 2026-08-21Source 2 · checked 2026-08-21 | Source 1 · checked 2026-08-22Source 2 · checked 2026-08-22Source 3 · checked 2026-08-22Source 4 · checked 2026-08-22Source 5 · checked 2026-08-22Source 6 · checked 2026-08-22Source 7 · checked 2026-08-20 | Source 1 · checked 2026-08-20Source 2 · checked 2026-08-20Source 3 · checked 2026-08-20Source 4 · checked 2026-08-20Source 5 · checked 2026-08-20Source 6 · checked 2026-08-20 |
|---|