| Application deadline | February 1, 2027 (2027 cycle) | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Cost | Free attendance; check separate expenses (2027 cycle) | Catalog terms: $7,465; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Last year's cycle (2026): $4,000; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Financial aid | Unconfirmed — check official site | Catalog terms: Need-based scholarship: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Limited; only where family financial need can be reliably verified, including through partner schools and non-profit organizations.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Expenses and aid conditions | On-campus boarding: $0. Covered by program funders.; Food: $0. Covered by program funders. (2027 cycle) | Catalog terms: Need-based scholarship: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Limited; only where family financial need can be reliably verified, including through partner schools and non-profit organizations.; Full-scholarship deposit (refunded after completing the program): Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Last year's cycle (2026): Non-refundable registration fee: $50. Payable by check or wire transfer with the application.; Student Health Services fee (flat), listed with the room package: $66; Optional prepaid meal plan: $600. Refill-as-you-go is also possible.; 2027: 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 10–11 when applying; summer rising grade is one higher | Grades 9–12; Grade timing: Unconfirmed — check official site | Grades 9–12; Grade timing: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Additional eligibility | Residency: Texas high school students; Requirement: Open to students currently in grades 10–11 when applying; Requirement: Students enrolled in summer school during the program dates cannot participate (full-time attendance required) | Requirement: Open to grades 9–12; Requirement: Must demonstrate academic excellence and proficiency in English | Minimum age 16; Requirement: Open to grades 9–12; Requirement: At least 16 years old on or before July 4 of the program year, with no exceptions; Requirement: Unweighted GPA of 95/100 (3.8/4.0); Requirement: Standardized test scores (PSAT/SAT/ACT/AP/IB/Regents) at or above the 60th percentile; Requirement: At least three of English, Chemistry, Mathematics/Calculus, Physics and Biology; Requirement: International students must already hold documents to be legally present in the US for the program; no visa support |
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| Session dates or duration | Starts June 20, 2027; Ends June 25, 2027 (2027 cycle) | Catalog terms: 10 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Last year's cycle (2026): Starts June 24, 2026; Ends August 7, 2026; 7 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Format | In person | Online | In person |
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| 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 |
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| Location | Austin, TX | Online and available to high-school students worldwide | Stony Brook, NY |
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| Selection and application | Selection: McCombs describes desired qualities but publishes no current applicant count, cohort size, acceptance rate, fixed GPA cutoff, identity quota, geographic quota, scoring rubric, interview process, or waitlist policy. Historical cohort figures must not be treated as a future guarantee. Application materials: Essay(s); One letter of recommendation | Selection: Pioneer uses holistic review of academic history, essays, interests, school materials, a video interview, and proctored timed writing. Decisions generally take six to eight weeks and may be admit, conditional, waitlist, or deny. The official pages publish no acceptance rate or automatic GPA/test threshold, and placement capacity varies by discipline. Application materials: Short essays on each interest area; Long essay; Video interview and proctored timed writing test (if selected to advance) | Selection: Non-rolling review after the deadline using demanding age, GPA, test, coursework, transcript, recommendation, leadership, and application criteria. Application materials: Three letters of recommendation, one from a science teacher, submitted by the writers |
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| Official sources | Source 1 · checked 2026-10-24Source 2 · checked 2026-08-20Source 3 · checked 2026-08-20 | Source 1 · checked 2026-10-24Source 2 · checked 2026-10-24Source 3 · checked 2026-10-24Source 4 · checked 2026-08-20Source 5 · checked 2026-08-20 | Source 1 · checked 2026-10-24Source 2 · checked 2026-10-24Source 3 · checked 2026-10-24Source 4 · checked 2026-10-24Source 5 · checked 2026-10-09Source 6 · checked 2026-08-22Source 7 · checked 2026-08-22Source 8 · checked 2026-08-22 |
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