| Application deadline | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Cost | Last year's cycle (2026): $9,900; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Financial aid | 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 | Last year's cycle (2026): Historical 2026 need-based grant aid after admission: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. The published 2026 financial-aid guidance promised to meet demonstrated need for admitted students, including possible travel aid and international participants. Confirm operative 2027 terms.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Expenses and aid conditions | 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 | Last year's cycle (2026): Application fee: $0. SSP states that applying is completely free.; Historical 2026 need-based grant aid after admission: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. The published 2026 financial-aid guidance promised to meet demonstrated need for admitted students, including possible travel aid and international participants. Confirm operative 2027 terms.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Stipend or pay | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site | Last year's cycle (2026): Historical 2026 limited lost-wages stipend: $3,000; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Eligibility | Grades 10–12; Grade timing: Unconfirmed — check official site | Grades 7–11 when applying; summer rising grade is one higher | Grade 11 when applying; summer rising grade is one higher |
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| Additional eligibility | 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 | Residency: Participants from around the world are welcomed; Requirement: Students currently in grades 7–11 who will enter grades 8–12 in 2027; Requirement: No GPA requirement stated by the programme | Ages 15–18; Requirement: Be a current high-school junior graduating in 2028 for the Summer 2027 cycle; Requirement: Be at least 15 but not yet 19 while the program operates; Requirement: Complete the credited coursework required by the chosen project by June; Requirement: Astrophysics: high-school physics plus precalculus, or calculus when physics is unavailable; Requirement: Bacterial Genomics or Cell Biology: biology plus Algebra II; Requirement: Biochemistry: biology, chemistry and strong algebra skills; Requirement: Be able to live and work intensively on an assigned campus for five weeks; Exclusion: Current freshmen, sophomores and seniors are not eligible; Exclusion: Self-study does not substitute for credited prerequisite courses; Exclusion: A project or campus preference is not a guaranteed assignment; Exclusion: The program is not a drop-in camp or individually arranged lab placement |
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| Session dates or duration | Last year's cycle (2026): Starts June 28, 2026; Ends July 25, 2026; 4 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Starts July 11, 2027; Ends July 24, 2027; 2 weeks (2027 cycle) | Catalog terms: 5 weeks; 2027: 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 | Residential. Supervision and housing details: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Location | Leadville, High Mountain Institute campus and Colorado/Utah backcountry | Spartanburg, South Carolina | Assigned university campus; 2027 sites not announced |
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| Selection and application | 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 | Unconfirmed — check official site | Selection: SSP describes a holistic, contextual and need-blind admission process with limited capacity. It does not promise admission based on grades, prestige, test scores or ability to pay. Application materials: Student essays and contextual information requested by the portal |
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| 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 2026-08-22 | Source 1 · checked 2026-10-10Source 2 · checked 2026-10-10Source 3 · checked 2026-10-10Source 4 · 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 2026-08-20 |
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