| Application deadline | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Cost | Last year's cycle (2026): $2,400–$5,200; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Last year's cycle (2026): $9,900; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Financial aid | Catalog terms: Need-based financial aid: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Available through the application for accepted, qualified students; award and amount are not guaranteed.; 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 | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Expenses and aid conditions | Catalog terms: Enrollment deposit after acceptance: $1,000. Ordinarily secures the seat after acceptance unless BlueStamp approves alternate payment or financial-aid arrangements; confirm refund and balance terms for the new cycle.; Need-based financial aid: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Available through the application for accepted, qualified students; award and amount are not guaranteed.; Meals during the in-person program: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Lunch is generally not provided except a published Friday pizza lunch.; 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 | 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 9–12; Grade timing: Unconfirmed — check official site | Grades 10–12; Grade timing: Unconfirmed — check official site | Grades 9–12; Grade timing: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Additional eligibility | Requirement: Be entering grade 9, 10, 11, or 12 in the applicable summer; Requirement: Choose a published in-person, remote, or approved custom schedule and be available for its required live blocks; Requirement: Show motivation, self-direction, and willingness to solve open-ended engineering problems independently; Requirement: Submit an accurate application with requested short responses and references; Requirement: Attend the admissions interview; a parent or guardian participates in part of it; Requirement: Select an approved project with BlueStamp before the program and follow its budget, parts, tool, safety, and documentation rules; Requirement: For remote participation, have a feasible delivery address, workspace, internet connection, live-session availability, adult support where required, and lawful/safe tool access; Requirement: For in-person participation, arrange daily transportation and meals and comply with site pickup, conduct, safety, and minor-protection rules; Exclusion: Using the middle-school tuition, dates, priority rules, or hours for a high-school application; Exclusion: Assuming a live application form means 2027 dates, tuition, seats, or aid are announced; Exclusion: Expecting BlueStamp-provided in-person housing or daily lunch; Exclusion: Treating the project as a guaranteed invention, patent, publication, recommendation, internship, academic credit, award, or admission advantage; Exclusion: Missing required live time or attempting unsafe, unapproved, unlawful, or infeasible projects; Exclusion: Assuming a custom schedule, financial-aid award, fee reduction, project choice, replacement parts, international shipping, or refund is automatic | 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 | Ages 14–18; Requirement: Be a high-school student age 14-18; Requirement: Submit the program and scholarship interest form for the applicable cycle; Requirement: Complete registration, payment, residential, health, consent, and credit-eligibility steps if offered a place; Requirement: Participate in the full residential academy; Exclusion: College credit has restrictions and is not available to every participant; Exclusion: Interest-form submission does not guarantee admission, scholarship, waitlist movement, college credit, credit transfer, prize, startup funding, company formation, sales, University admission, or admissions advantage |
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| Session dates or duration | Unconfirmed — check official site | Last year's cycle (2026): Starts June 28, 2026; Ends July 25, 2026; 4 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Format | In person / Online | 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 | Residential. Supervision and housing details: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Location | San Jose, California, In-person at 3800 Blackford Avenue in San Jose; live remote option may accept students elsewhere subject to time-zone and parts-shipping feasibility | Leadville, High Mountain Institute campus and Colorado/Utah backcountry | Salt Lake City, Utah, University of Utah, Lassonde Studios |
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| Selection and application | Selection: Application and interview review occur in receipt order while seats remain. BlueStamp does not publish applicant counts, acceptance rates, aid rates, cohort size for the next cycle, or a guaranteed decision. Application materials: Admissions interview, including parent or guardian participation for the designated portion | 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 | Selection: The 2026 cohort reached capacity and accepted waitlist interest. Scholarships were limited and considered merit and need. Current cohort size, applicant count, acceptance rate, selection rubric, and waitlist movement are not published. |
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| Official sources | Source 1 · checked 2026-08-20Source 2 · checked 2026-08-20Source 3 · checked 2026-08-20Source 4 · 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 | Source 1 · checked 2026-10-12Source 2 · checked 2026-08-22 |
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