| Application deadline | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Cost | Last year's cycle (2026): $4,350; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Last year's cycle (2026): $9,900; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Financial aid | Last year's cycle (2026): Jeffery and Paula Gural Merit Scholarship: $4,350. Limited competitive full-tuition award for New York City public-school students; the 2026 deadline passed.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Last year's cycle (2026): Need-based financial aid: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. About 40% received aid in the published cycle; average award was 70% of tuition, and aid included discounted or free gear rental, with top packages potentially covering flights.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Expenses and aid conditions | Last year's cycle (2026): Nonrefundable registration fee included in tuition: $270. Already included within the $4,350 total, not additional.; Required art materials, software, printing, and field-trip travel and admission: $0. Included in tuition; optional personal materials may still cost extra.; Jeffery and Paula Gural Merit Scholarship: $4,350. Limited competitive full-tuition award for New York City public-school students; the 2026 deadline passed.; Daily lunch: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Participants usually bring or purchase lunch; one communal lunch per week may be provided weather permitting.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Last year's cycle (2026): 2026 student-account deposit: $500. Returned to the family if unused; separate enrollment deposit details were not quantified on the official pages.; Travel to and from Colorado: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Flights were not included in tuition, although the largest need-based aid packages could cover them.; Need-based financial aid: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. About 40% received aid in the published cycle; average award was 70% of tuition, and aid included discounted or free gear rental, with top packages potentially covering flights.; Clarity financial-aid application fee: $65. Applies to the aid application; automatic or inquiry-based fee waivers are available for eligible families.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Stipend or pay | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Eligibility | Grades 10–12 (provider uses rising grades) | Grades 10–12; Grade timing: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Additional eligibility | Ages 15–18; Residency: Open to local, out-of-area, and international students who can arrange lawful travel, local residence, and commuting; Residency: Gural Scholarship restricted to New York City public-school students; Requirement: Be age 15-18 and a rising high-school sophomore, junior, or senior or equivalent; Requirement: Commit to the full Monday-Thursday commuter schedule; Requirement: Arrange housing, daily transportation, and most lunches; Requirement: Studio Practice applicants should be experienced, self-motivated rising seniors; Requirement: International students must arrange travel status without Cooper Union student-visa sponsorship; Exclusion: Students outside the age or rising-grade band; Exclusion: Students requiring program-provided housing or a student visa; Exclusion: Applicants unable to attend one full-day concentration for all four weeks; Exclusion: Non-NYC-public-school students seeking the Gural Scholarship | Ages 14–18; Requirement: Be a rising 10th, 11th, or 12th grader and age 14-18 for the applicable cycle; Requirement: Be prepared for a residential program at 10,000 feet and extended backpacking expeditions; Requirement: Complete the required application, recommendations, transcript, and interview; Requirement: If accepted, complete health, physical, risk, release, enrollment, and payment requirements; Exclusion: Prior outdoor experience is not required; Exclusion: The official pages do not state a citizenship or Colorado-residency restriction; Exclusion: Program mental-health services are limited, and backcountry groups may lack timely outside support; families must evaluate fit with HMI |
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| Session dates or duration | Last year's cycle (2026): Starts July 13, 2026; Ends August 6, 2026; 4 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Last year's cycle (2026): Starts June 28, 2026; Ends July 25, 2026; 4 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Format | In person | In person |
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| Housing and supervision | Non-residential. Supervision and housing details: Unconfirmed — check official site | Residential. Supervision and housing details: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Location | New York, New York, The Cooper Union East Village campus in Manhattan | Leadville, High Mountain Institute campus and Colorado/Utah backcountry |
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| Selection and application | Selection: Paid enrollment was open and capacity-based without portfolio review; sections were limited to 16. Scholarship selection was competitive because awards were limited. Application materials: Gural Scholarship: scholarship application, at least five recent artwork images, and brief essay | Selection: HMI describes a typical cohort of 12-20 students; it does not publish a current applicant count or acceptance rate. Application materials: Two approximately 250-word essays; Two teacher recommendations, including at least one from a core academic teacher, under the current central admissions page; Required 15-30 minute admissions interview |
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| Official sources | Source 1 · checked 2026-08-20Source 2 · checked 2026-08-20Source 3 · checked 2026-08-20 | 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 2026-08-22 |
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