| Application deadline | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Cost | Last year's cycle (2026): $635–$15,987; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Last year's cycle (2026): $5,193–$8,233; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Financial aid | Last year's cycle (2026): 2026 residential media scholarship: $15,987. One Session C award covered tuition and room and board in exchange for documenting the experience; the 2026 scholarship is closed and 2027 availability is unknown.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Expenses and aid conditions | Last year's cycle (2026): 2026 commuter or virtual application fee: $25. Residential pages refer to an application fee in refund terms but do not state its amount on the official page.; 2026 commuter or virtual registration and document fees: $658. $585 registration plus $73 document-management fee.; 2026 international visitor service fee: $500. Applies to international visitors under the published fee table; track and immigration restrictions still control eligibility.; 2026 residential media scholarship: $15,987. One Session C award covered tuition and room and board in exchange for documenting the experience; the 2026 scholarship is closed and 2027 availability is unknown.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Last year's cycle (2026): 2026 application-processing fee: $82. Nonrefundable processing charge separate from tuition.; 2026 optional supervised housing and meal plan: $5,300. Limited to housing-eligible participants; included three meals daily, supervision, activities, insurance, and onsite support.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Stipend or pay | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Eligibility | Grades 10–12; Grade timing: Unconfirmed — check official site | Grades 11–12 (provider uses rising grades) |
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| Additional eligibility | Ages 16–18; Residency: Residential and virtual tracks accepted qualifying domestic and international students in 2026; Residency: Commuter applicants generally had to reside in California, commute locally, and stay with an adult relative in the Bay Area; Residency: International applicants had track-specific English-language, insurance, and visa requirements; Requirement: Have completed grade 10 or 11 by the start of summer classes under 2026 rules; Requirement: Hold at least a B average or 3.0 GPA; Requirement: Be age 16 by the applicable 2026 start date; Requirement: Meet course prerequisites and select courses available to high-school students; Requirement: Meet English-language requirements when applicable; Requirement: Meet housing, health-insurance, immigration, and track-specific location rules; Exclusion: Students under 16 by the applicable start date were not eligible in 2026; Exclusion: Students over 18 before summer classes were directed to the visiting-student application rather than Pre-College Scholars; Exclusion: Residential students could not take online courses and had to live in assigned housing; Exclusion: Commuter students could not use non-family homestays, co-ops, Airbnb, or program housing; Exclusion: Course availability and prerequisites are controlled by academic departments | Minimum age 16; Requirement: Be a rising senior or an exceptional rising junior; Requirement: Have at least a 3.0 GPA; Requirement: Be at least 16 by the published program cutoff date; Requirement: Demonstrate readiness for a fast-paced, college-level design studio; Requirement: International participants must satisfy visa, five-unit enrollment, English-language, and document requirements; Exclusion: No exception or waiver is available for the minimum-age rule; Exclusion: Prior design experience is not required; Exclusion: Participants who are 18 by the housing cutoff cannot live in program housing and must commute; Exclusion: Domestic students from outside the Bay Area may commute only while staying with a parent or extended-family member; Exclusion: Admission, housing, aid, and course completion are not guaranteed |
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| Session dates or duration | Catalog terms: 6–8 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Catalog terms: 4 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Format | In person / Online | In person |
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| Housing and supervision | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Location | Berkeley, California | Berkeley, California, UC Berkeley campus and Bay Area field-trip sites |
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| Selection and application | Selection: Complete applications were reviewed on a rolling basis, with course enrollment subject to capacity, prerequisites, and academic-department discretion. The program does not publish a current acceptance rate. | Selection: Capacity is limited and the 2026 cohort filled. Admission reviews academic preparation, essay, transcript, recommendation, readiness, and available space; no acceptance rate is published. Application materials: Application essay; One recommendation from a counselor, teacher, principal, or community leader addressing academic or work ethic, intellect, creativity, goals, and readiness |
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| Official sources | Source 1 · checked 2026-08-21Source 2 · checked 2026-08-21Source 3 · checked 2026-08-21Source 4 · checked 2026-08-20 | Source 1 · checked 2026-08-22Source 2 · checked 2026-08-22Source 3 · checked 2026-08-22Source 4 · checked 2026-08-20 |
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