| Application deadline | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
|---|
| Cost | Last year's cycle (2026): $5,518; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Last year's cycle (2026): $3,900; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Last year's cycle (2026): $2,000–$5,800; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
|---|
| Financial aid | 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 scholarship assistance: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Requires a financial-need application and supporting documents; amount and availability are not guaranteed.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
|---|
| Expenses and aid conditions | 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): Nonrefundable application fee: $60. A fee waiver can be requested.; Need-based scholarship assistance: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Requires a financial-need application and supporting documents; amount and availability are not guaranteed.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Last year's cycle (2026): Summer 2026 application fee: $70. Nonrefundable.; Honors enrollment deposit: $1,000. Nonrefundable and due within two weeks of the 2026 admission decision.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
|---|
| Stipend or pay | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
|---|
| Eligibility | Grades 9–12 (provider uses rising grades) | Grades 9–12; Grade timing: Unconfirmed — check official site | Grades 10–12 (provider uses rising grades) |
|---|
| Additional eligibility | 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 | Requirement: Be a current high-school student or recent graduate before beginning college; Requirement: Earn As and Bs in high-school math and science; Requirement: Complete Algebra II; Requirement: Complete trigonometric functions and right-triangle problem solving; Requirement: Complete one full year of high-school chemistry and/or physics including lab, or meet the published AP substitution; Requirement: Attend daily live Eastern Time classes and complete about 28 hours of weekly coursework; Requirement: Meet English-proficiency documentation rules if a foreign national; Exclusion: The course is not an introductory low-commitment camp; Exclusion: Older students receive priority when space is limited; Exclusion: Students without required math/science preparation may not be ready or admitted; Exclusion: Lab-kit delivery deadlines and customs constraints can narrow international participation | Ages 15–18; Requirement: Two-week pathway: be a rising sophomore, junior, or senior and age 15-18 under the cycle's exact boundary dates; Requirement: Honors pathway: be a rising senior graduating in the stated following year with GPA 3.5 or higher; Requirement: Meet the selected course's academic and delivery requirements; Requirement: International applicants using English as a second language must meet the pathway's test threshold or approved English-medium-school waiver; Exclusion: Students cannot apply to or attend both the Two-Week and Honors pathways in the same cycle; Exclusion: The 2026 noncredit program excluded students younger than 15 on June 28 or turning 19 by August 7; Exclusion: Honors was limited to rising seniors and online delivery; Exclusion: Program acceptance does not guarantee Boston College undergraduate admission |
|---|
| Session dates or duration | Catalog terms: 4 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Catalog terms: 5 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Catalog terms: 2–6 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
|---|
| Format | In person | Online | In person / Online |
|---|
| Housing and supervision | Residential. Supervision and housing details: Unconfirmed — check official site | Non-residential. Supervision and housing details: Unconfirmed — check official site | Residential. Supervision and housing details: Unconfirmed — check official site |
|---|
| Location | 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 | Worldwide synchronous participation, subject to Eastern Time attendance and lab-kit shipping/customs feasibility | Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, Greater Boston |
|---|
| Selection and application | 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: Completed applications are academically reviewed. Rising juniors and seniors are typical, talented rising sophomores may be considered, and older students receive priority when space is limited. Programs can fill before final deadlines; no acceptance rate is published. Application materials: Required 175-225-word motivation essay; Optional 100-125-word context essay; One math/science/engineering/robotics/computer-science teacher recommendation in English | Selection: Seats were limited and complete applications were reviewed for academic readiness. Honors required at least a 3.5 GPA; no acceptance rate is published. Application materials: Two letters of recommendation; Two-week: statement of purpose and course-specific essay; Honors: 250-500-word program and course essay and one or two course selections |
|---|
| Official sources | 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 2026-08-21Source 2 · checked 2026-08-21Source 3 · checked 2026-08-21Source 4 · checked 2026-08-21Source 5 · checked 2026-08-21Source 6 · checked 2026-08-21Source 7 · checked 2026-08-21 | Source 1 · checked 2026-08-21Source 2 · checked 2026-08-21Source 3 · checked 2026-08-21Source 4 · checked 2026-08-21Source 5 · checked 2026-08-20 |
|---|