| Application deadline | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site | March 19, 2027 (2027 cycle) |
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| Cost | Last year's cycle (2026): $5,518; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | 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 | Unconfirmed — check official site | Catalog terms: In-person breakfast and lunch: $0. Provided during the one-day Bloomington session.; 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 10–12; Grade timing: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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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 | Ages 14–18; Requirement: Be a high-school student age 14-18; Requirement: Submit the program and scholarship interest form for the applicable cycle; Requirement: Complete registration, payment, residential, health, consent, and credit-eligibility steps if offered a place; Requirement: Participate in the full residential academy; Exclusion: College credit has restrictions and is not available to every participant; Exclusion: Interest-form submission does not guarantee admission, scholarship, waitlist movement, college credit, credit transfer, prize, startup funding, company formation, sales, University admission, or admissions advantage | Requirement: Have at least a 3.5 cumulative high-school GPA on a 4.0 scale; Requirement: For virtual sessions, be a current sophomore, junior, or senior; Requirement: For summer in-person sessions, be a rising junior or senior; Requirement: Submit both required short essays and GPA information by the deadline; Requirement: Be available for the full selected one-day or two-session program; Exclusion: The program is open to all eligible students, not only students who identify as women; Exclusion: Applicants below the 3.5 GPA minimum are directed to other programs; Exclusion: Late applications receive no exceptions, including technical-delay cases; Exclusion: Participation does not guarantee Kelley or IU admission, college credit, scholarship, recommendation, internship, job, or college-admissions advantage |
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| Session dates or duration | Catalog terms: 4 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site | Catalog terms: 0.14–1.14 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Format | In person | In person | In person / Online |
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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 | Non-residential. Supervision and housing details: 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 | Salt Lake City, Utah, University of Utah, Lassonde Studios | Bloomington, Indiana, Indiana University Bloomington campus and live virtual sessions |
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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: The 2026 cohort reached capacity and accepted waitlist interest. Scholarships were limited and considered merit and need. Current cohort size, applicant count, acceptance rate, selection rubric, and waitlist movement are not published. | Selection: Kelley calls KWLI selective, limits seats, and reviews cumulative GPA and application essays after the deadline. It does not publish applicant totals, cohort sizes by session, acceptance rates, geographic quotas, or scoring weights. Application materials: 100-word statement explaining why the student hopes to participate |
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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 2026-10-12Source 2 · checked 2026-08-22 | Source 1 · checked 2026-10-09Source 2 · checked 2026-10-09 |
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