| 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): $6,700–$10,050; 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 | Last year's cycle (2026): Scholarship for School District of Philadelphia public or charter high school students: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site; 2027: 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 application fee: $100; Non-refundable enrollment deposit (part of the total program fee): $1,500; Scholarship for School District of Philadelphia public or charter high school students: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site; 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 9–11 when applying; summer rising grade is one higher |
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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 | Requirement: Open to students currently in grades 9–11 when applying; Requirement: Successful applicants should have a minimum 3.5 high school GPA; Requirement: Some academies require specific prerequisite courses |
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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 July 11, 2026; Ends August 1, 2026; 2–3 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 | Philadelphia, PA |
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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: Rolling holistic admission until individual academies fill; Penn publishes no acceptance rate. Application materials: Application essays (each up to 400 words), plus an extra essay for non-native English speakers; One letter of recommendation on the recommender's official letterhead |
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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 2026-10-24 |
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