| Application deadline | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site | May 3, 2027 (2027 cycle) |
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| Cost | Last year's cycle (2026): $5,518; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Last year's cycle (2026): $2,700; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Financial aid | Last year's cycle (2026): 2026 need-based application and program assistance: Up to $5,564. Could assist with the $46 application fee and $5,518 program cost based on family income, family size and available funds; actual award not guaranteed.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Expenses and aid conditions | Last year's cycle (2026): 2026 COSMOS application fee: $46. Nonrefundable; pending fee-waiver review could change when or whether payment was required.; Credit-card transaction fee on program payments: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Approximately 2.5% when paying program costs by credit card; application fee exempt.; 2026 need-based application and program assistance: Up to $5,564. Could assist with the $46 application fee and $5,518 program cost based on family income, family size and available funds; actual award not guaranteed.; Full-financial-aid attendance deposit: $200. Required only for admitted students offered full aid and refunded to the legal guardian after successful completion.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Last year's cycle (2026): Fall 2026 required activities, health, and technology fees: $168. USD 100 activities + USD 32 health service + USD 36 technology.; Nonrefundable Pre-College application fee: $80. Returning applicants may qualify for a waiver under the published policy.; Academic Year Weekend enrollment deposit: $500. Nonrefundable but credited to program cost; due date is communicated with admission.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Last year's cycle (2026): 2027 application fee: $70. Application fee only; 2027 programme tuition and course extras remain unknown.; 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 9–12 (provider uses rising grades) | Grades 9–12; Grade timing: Unconfirmed — check official site | Grades 10–11 when applying; summer rising grade is one higher |
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| Additional eligibility | Residency: Attend high school in person in California; Requirement: Be rising into grade 9, 10, 11 or 12 for the program fall year; Requirement: Attend high school in person in California; Requirement: Demonstrate academic excellence and preparation for the selected STEM cluster; Requirement: Complete cluster-specific course prerequisites; Requirement: Live on the host UC campus for the full program; Requirement: Be a first-time COSMOS participant; Exclusion: Students not attending a California high school in person; Exclusion: Students who previously attended any COSMOS program; Exclusion: Applicants outside the rising-grade 9-12 range; Exclusion: Applicants unable to live on campus for the full program; Exclusion: Late application, supporting, payment or admission materials; Exclusion: Assuming a 3.5 GPA is an absolute statewide minimum rather than the published typical profile | Residency: Academic Year Weekend is open to students worldwide; Residency: In-person summer housing and supervision rules vary by program; Requirement: Academic background, motivation, and maturity sufficient for rigorous study; Requirement: Completion of any prerequisites on the selected course page; Requirement: English fluency adequate for fast-paced discussion and assignments without translation assistance; Requirement: Technology and schedule compatible with synchronous Eastern Time online classes for Academic Year Weekend; Exclusion: Participation does not confer an advantage in Columbia undergraduate admission; Exclusion: Academic Year Weekend and standard Pre-College courses are noncredit | Minimum age 15; Requirement: Be a current high-school sophomore or junior; current ninth graders, seniors and graduates are ineligible.; Requirement: Be at least 15 by the session start and have a minimum 3.0 GPA.; Requirement: Meet any course and international English-proficiency requirements.; Exclusion: Current ninth graders, current twelfth graders, high-school graduates, or students younger than 15 at session start; Exclusion: Treating Pre-Med Institute or Summer College dates, prices, credit, or requirements as the two-week Pre-College Program; Exclusion: Assuming 2026 dates, course list, tuition, deadline, or aid terms apply in 2027; Exclusion: Using report cards or progress notes instead of a transcript; Exclusion: International applicants without the required English evidence; Exclusion: Commuters without metro Atlanta living arrangements or reliable daily travel; Exclusion: Assuming completion grants Emory credit, a grade, degree progress, recommendation, scholarship, Emory admission, or selective-college admission |
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| Session dates or duration | Catalog terms: 4 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Catalog terms: 7 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Catalog terms: 2 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Format | In person | In person / Online | 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 | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Location | Davis, California, Irvine, California, Los Angeles, California, Merced, California, San Diego, California, Santa Cruz, California, UC Davis, UC Irvine, UCLA, UC Merced, UC San Diego, UC Santa Cruz | New York City, Academic Year Weekend is online worldwide; summer programs can be online, NYC commuter, or NYC residential | Atlanta, Georgia, Emory University campus; residential or metro-Atlanta commuter option |
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| Selection and application | Selection: Each of six campuses accommodates roughly 160-200 students, and clusters typically enroll 20-25 with a commonly reported 5:1 student-to-faculty ratio. Admissions are competitive and based on academic merit relative to the selected topic, but applicant count and statewide acceptance rate were not published. Application materials: One personal statement; One required teacher recommendation, with two recommended | Selection: Holistic admission seeks academically exceptional, curious, motivated, and mature students. Columbia publishes no current applicant or admit rate and no fixed GPA minimum. Application materials: One recommendation form from a current teacher in a field related to the applicant's curricular preferences; For NYC Residential or Commuter Summer only, an additional current school counselor/administrator recommendation | Selection: Rolling review of complete applications until classes fill. Emory reports average enrollment around 400 and average class size 14 but publishes no current applicant count or acceptance rate. Application materials: Two recommendations |
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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 2026-08-22Source 7 · checked 2026-08-20 | Source 1 · checked 2026-08-21Source 2 · checked 2026-08-21Source 3 · checked 2026-08-21Source 4 · checked 2026-08-21Source 5 · checked 2026-08-20Source 6 · checked 2026-08-20 | Source 1 · checked 2026-10-09Source 2 · checked 2026-10-09Source 3 · checked 2026-10-09Source 4 · checked 2026-08-20 |
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