| Application deadline | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Cost | $2,499–$16,999 (2027 cycle) | $695–$4,995 (2027 cycle) | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Financial aid | Limited scholarship assistance: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Primarily provided through mentoring organizations; individual scholarships are limited. (2027 cycle) | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Expenses and aid conditions | Summer Discovery application fee: $100. Nonrefundable and not applied to tuition; scholarship applicants denied aid may receive it back subject to listed program exceptions.; Limited scholarship assistance: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Primarily provided through mentoring organizations; individual scholarships are limited. (2027 cycle) | Catalog terms: Frontiers application: $0. No application fee; this does not mean program participation is free.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Stipend or pay | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site | Last year's cycle (2026): 2026 internship stipend: $5,600; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Eligibility | Grades 9–12; Grade timing: Unconfirmed — check official site | Grades 6–12; Grade timing: Unconfirmed — check official site | Grades 9–12; Grade timing: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Additional eligibility | Residency: Domestic and international options are offered; destination and visa/entry requirements vary; Requirement: Be in grade 9-12 for the high-school offering; Requirement: Choose a campus and course matching the published grade and prerequisite rules; Requirement: Submit a complete application and $100 fee; Requirement: Meet program-specific health, conduct, housing and travel requirements; Requirement: Pay the updated 2027 deposit and balance after acceptance; Exclusion: Campus partnerships do not confer university student status or admission; Exclusion: Courses, grade ranges, dates, residential/commuter availability and academic prerequisites differ; Exclusion: The stale 2026 payment schedule is not a confirmed 2027 deadline; Exclusion: A certificate or recognition letter is not necessarily university credit or a transcript; Exclusion: Rolling review does not guarantee a preferred campus, course or roommate | Requirement: Ignite grades 6–8, Launch 9–11, Frontiers 10–12, Summit 11–12. Detailed course/testing criteria vary; do not claim universal absence of prerequisites. | Ages 15–18; Citizenship: U.S. citizen or permanent U.S. resident; Residency: Located in DC, Maryland, or Virginia within commuting distance of the museum for the full program; Requirement: Currently enrolled in high school at the time of application; Requirement: Age 15-18 at the start of the internship; Requirement: Write and converse fluently in English; Requirement: Available for the fixed eight-week, 24-hour-per-week schedule; Exclusion: Applicants outside commuting distance; Exclusion: Applicants who cannot attend the full fixed schedule; Exclusion: Family members and friends may not serve as the required recommender |
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| Session dates or duration | Catalog terms: 2–6 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site | Last year's cycle (2026): Starts June 23, 2026; Ends August 14, 2026; 8 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Format | In person | In person | In person |
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| Housing and supervision | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site | Non-residential. Supervision and housing details: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Location | Los Angeles, New Haven, Hanover, Ann Arbor, Washington, Berkeley, Austin, Santa Barbara, Philadelphia, Vancouver, Oxford, Cambridge, Multiple university campuses; residential and commuter options vary by listing | Unconfirmed — check official site | Washington, District of Columbia, Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History |
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| Selection and application | Selection: Qualified students are admitted first come on a rolling basis until program, course and housing capacity fills. Highly specialized partner programs may have additional selection rules. | Unconfirmed — check official site | Selection: Selective; applicants rank projects, but a ranked department or project is not guaranteed. Application materials: Four statement-of-interest responses of 250 words each; One confidential recommendation from a non-family recommender |
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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 2026-08-22 | Source 1 · checked 2026-10-09Source 2 · checked 2026-10-09Source 3 · checked 2026-10-09 | Source 1 · checked 2026-08-20Source 2 · checked 2026-08-20Source 3 · checked 2026-08-20 |
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