| Application deadline | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Cost | Last year's cycle (2026): $3,645–$3,995; 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): PCSE full or partial merit/need grant: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Available for 2026 through a separate application due March 31; award amounts varied and the deadline has passed.; PCSE-to-CCS undergraduate scholarship: $4,000. Eligible completers receive $1,000 per year for up to four years after admission and full-time enrollment at CCS, subject to satisfactory academic progress.; 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): Minimum seat-reservation deposit: $300. The deposit was the minimum payment toward tuition, not an additional fee.; PCSE full or partial merit/need grant: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Available for 2026 through a separate application due March 31; award amounts varied and the deadline has passed.; PCSE-to-CCS undergraduate scholarship: $4,000. Eligible completers receive $1,000 per year for up to four years after admission and full-time enrollment at CCS, subject to satisfactory academic progress.; 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 9–12; Grade timing: Unconfirmed — check official site | Grades 10–12; Grade timing: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Additional eligibility | Residency: Open to high school students from the United States and internationally; Requirement: Be enrolled in high school; Requirement: Choose one available studio concentration; Requirement: Be prepared for intensive college-level studio work; Requirement: Residents must follow residence-hall rules, conduct standards, and curfew; Requirement: International students needing a visa must coordinate with CCS International Student Services; Exclusion: No public age cutoff is stated; Exclusion: Specific concentrations may fill or move to a waitlist; Exclusion: A portfolio is not stated as a universal admission requirement for standard paid registration | 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 | Catalog terms: 2.86–3 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 | Residential. Supervision and housing details: Unconfirmed — check official site | Residential. Supervision and housing details: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Location | Detroit, Michigan | Leadville, High Mountain Institute campus and Colorado/Utah backcountry |
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| Selection and application | Selection: Standard paid registration appears capacity-based by studio concentration, with seat counts and waitlists shown in the registration system. Separate merit/need and sponsored fellowship scholarships are competitively awarded; CCS does not publish a universal PCSE acceptance rate. | 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 2026-08-21Source 2 · checked 2026-08-21Source 3 · 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 2026-08-22 |
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