| Application deadline | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Cost | Last year's cycle (2026): $6,700–$10,050; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Catalog terms: Free attendance; check separate expenses; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Financial aid | Last year's cycle (2026): Philadelphia student Summer Academy scholarship: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Limited to qualifying Philadelphia School District public/charter students; not offered to other domestic or international students.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Expenses and aid conditions | Last year's cycle (2026): 2026 nonrefundable application fee: $100. Waived for eligible Philadelphia public/charter applicants.; 2026 nonrefundable enrollment deposit: $1,500. Part of, not additional to, total tuition.; Philadelphia student Summer Academy scholarship: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Limited to qualifying Philadelphia School District public/charter students; not offered to other domestic or international students.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Catalog terms: Transportation to and from MIT: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Participant responsibility; available travel assistance, if any, is not stated on the current page.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Stipend or pay | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Eligibility | Grades 9–11 when applying; summer rising grade is one higher | Grade 11; Grade timing: Unconfirmed — check official site | Up to grade 12; Grade timing: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Additional eligibility | Requirement: Current grade 9–11 during the application year; Requirement: Competitive applicants generally have at least a 3.5 high-school GPA; Requirement: Some academies require specific prior coursework and a syllabus; Requirement: International applicants meet English-proficiency requirements or qualify for a waiver; Exclusion: The academies are non-credit; do not confuse them with Penn's credit-bearing Pre-College programs; Exclusion: Scholarships are limited to eligible Philadelphia public/charter students; Exclusion: Admission to a summer academy is not admission to Penn | Citizenship: U.S. citizen or current U.S. permanent resident with green card; visas do not substitute; Residency: National U.S. applicant pool; attend on MIT's Cambridge campus if selected; Requirement: Be in 11th grade or equivalent when applying; Requirement: Attend public, private or home school; Requirement: Demonstrate strong academics and enthusiasm for STEM; Requirement: Submit a complete shared MITES Summer/Semester application; Requirement: Arrange transportation to and from MIT if selected; Requirement: Commit to the full intensive residential schedule; Exclusion: Non-U.S. citizens without permanent residence are ineligible; Exclusion: Students outside 11th grade at application are ineligible under current rules; Exclusion: Applying to both national programmes yields at most one offer and participants cannot switch after offer; Exclusion: The programme is rigorous and includes substantial weekday/weekend homework | Ages 13–17; Requirement: Be age 13-17 for the ZooTeen program; Requirement: Be able to support summer Zoo Camp participants in person; Requirement: Have interest in animals, environment, conservation and working with people; Requirement: Complete any application and training requirements published for the active cycle; Exclusion: Applicants age 18 or older, who use the separate Zoo Ambassador pathway; Exclusion: Animal handling, animal-care, zookeeping or direct behind-the-scenes animal-contact expectations; Exclusion: Applicants unable to attend required training or assigned camp-support shifts |
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| Session dates or duration | Last year's cycle (2026): Starts July 11, 2026; Ends August 1, 2026; 2–3 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Catalog terms: 6 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Format | In person | In person | In person |
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| Housing and supervision | Residential. Supervision and housing details: Unconfirmed — check official site | Residential. Supervision and housing details: Unconfirmed — check official site | Non-residential. Supervision and housing details: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Location | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, University of Pennsylvania campus | Cambridge, Massachusetts; national applicant pool | Apple Valley, Minnesota Zoo, Minnesota |
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| Selection and application | Selection: Rolling holistic admission until individual academies fill; Penn publishes no acceptance rate. Application materials: Three numbered essays, each no more than 400 words; One program-specific recommendation on organizational/institutional letterhead | Selection: MITES seeks strong, STEM-motivated students and prioritizes educational access in holistic review, but the current pages do not publish applications, cohort size or acceptance rate for 2027. Application materials: Essays and extracurricular activities | Selection: The zoo closes applications when the summer cohort is filled, but it does not publish applicant counts, cohort size, interview process or selection rate. |
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| Official sources | Source 1 · checked 2026-08-22Source 2 · checked 2026-08-22Source 3 · checked 2026-08-22 | Source 1 · checked 2026-08-22Source 2 · checked 2026-08-22Source 3 · checked 2026-08-22Source 4 · checked 2026-08-20 | Source 1 · checked 2026-08-22 |
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