| Application deadline | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Cost | Last year's cycle (2026): $699–$2,500; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Last year's cycle (2026): $5,518; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Last year's cycle (2026): $3,500; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Financial aid | Last year's cycle (2026): Limited need-based scholarships: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Very limited; did not cover residential fees or international students. The separate GI Partners path listed eight Boston-area rising-senior awards below a household-income threshold.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | 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 |
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| Expenses and aid conditions | Last year's cycle (2026): Residential housing and meals: $699–$2,097. USD 699 per week; included dormitory, three meals daily, supervision, and residential activities. Snacks excluded.; Seat deposit: $200–$500. USD 200 for one-week programs and USD 500 for three-week or remote programs; credited toward tuition.; Optional airport transportation: $50–$99. USD 50 departure one-way, USD 75 arrival one-way, or USD 99 round trip for 2026.; Optional linen rental: $50. Included sheets, pillowcase, and towel.; Limited need-based scholarships: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Very limited; did not cover residential fees or international students. The separate GI Partners path listed eight Boston-area rising-senior awards below a household-income threshold.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | 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 |
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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 6–12; Grade timing: Unconfirmed — check official site | Grades 9–12 (provider uses rising grades) | Grades 9–12; Grade timing: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Additional eligibility | Requirement: Select a course matching the student's entering grade and readiness; Requirement: Three-week programs: normally enter grade 8 through college and complete competitive admission; Requirement: One-week programs: perform at grade level or above and register while space remains; Requirement: Pre-high-school programs: meet the specific middle-school grade band; Requirement: Remote students need a suitable device and synchronous availability; Requirement: International students must arrange travel status and pay in full before BLI issues an invitation letter; Exclusion: Not every course accepts every grade in the umbrella range; Exclusion: Three-week and remote acceptance is not guaranteed; Exclusion: Housing, single-room requests, scholarships, preferred campus, airport transport, and course capacity are not guaranteed; Exclusion: International students were ineligible for the general need-based aid described in the 2026 FAQ | 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 age 14-18 under the published 2026 youth-camp rule; Requirement: Be available for both weeks and the daily 10:00 a.m.-3:30 p.m. schedule; Requirement: Complete the youth-camp application and registration requirements; Requirement: Follow shop-safety, enrollment, attendance, and no-weapons policies; Exclusion: The 2026 session is over and out of stock; Exclusion: Weapons, including knives, daggers, swords, and axes, may not be fabricated in class; Exclusion: The grade range is inferred from the youth age band; age 14-18 is the controlling published rule; Exclusion: 2027 eligibility is not yet confirmed |
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| Session dates or duration | Catalog terms: 1–3 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Catalog terms: 4 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Catalog terms: 2 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Format | In person / Online | 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 | Non-residential. Supervision and housing details: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Location | Boston, Massachusetts, Waltham, Massachusetts, Wellesley, Massachusetts, Weston, Massachusetts, Greater Boston | 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 | Providence, Rhode Island, The Steel Yard industrial-arts campus |
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| Selection and application | Selection: Three-week and remote programs used competitive rolling review based on academic record, curiosity, subject commitment, perspective, and experience. One-week and pre-high-school programs were capacity-based registration. Application materials: Student-written application essay | 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 course has limited shop capacity and the 2026 listing sold out. The application asks about motivation and making experience, but no acceptance rate or formal scoring rubric is published. Application materials: Short personal statements about motivation, desired outcomes, and a recent making challenge |
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| Official sources | Source 1 · checked 2026-08-21Source 2 · checked 2026-08-21Source 3 · checked 2026-08-21Source 4 · checked 2026-08-21Source 5 · checked 2026-08-20 | 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 2026-08-21 |
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