| Application deadline | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
|---|
| Cost | Last year's cycle (2026): $5,518; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
|---|
| 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 |
|---|
| 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 |
|---|
| Stipend or pay | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
|---|
| Eligibility | Grades 9–12 (provider uses rising grades) | Grades 11–12 (provider uses rising grades) |
|---|
| 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 16–18; Residency: Designed for students from local high schools who can commute to the Mount Sinai campus throughout the summer and school-year continuation; Requirement: Be a rising high-school junior or senior when the program starts; Requirement: Be age 16-18; Requirement: Complete at least one high-school science course; Requirement: Have at least an 80% average in science subjects; Requirement: Obtain guardian permission; Requirement: Obtain a science-teacher recommendation; Requirement: Commit to four preparation meetings, the full six-week summer placement and school-year continuation; Requirement: Demonstrate motivation and interest in biomedical research; Exclusion: Prior research experience is not required; Exclusion: More than two consecutive summer absence days cannot be accommodated; Exclusion: The program is not a six-week-only option; Exclusion: It is not residential and does not advertise housing; Exclusion: Participation does not guarantee college admission, publication or a future Mount Sinai position |
|---|
| Session dates or duration | Catalog terms: 4 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
|---|
| Format | In person | In person / Online / Hybrid |
|---|
| Housing and supervision | Residential. Supervision and housing details: Unconfirmed — check official site | Non-residential. Supervision and housing details: Unconfirmed — check official site |
|---|
| 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, Manhattan Upper East Side, Mount Sinai Tisch Cancer Center |
|---|
| 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 Tisch Cancer Center reports eight students per summer. Complete applications are screened and qualified candidates complete a 30-minute virtual interview. Application materials: Personal statement explaining program interest and educational/career goals; One recommendation, preferably from a current or former science teacher; Thirty-minute virtual interview for qualified candidates |
|---|
| 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 2026-08-22Source 2 · checked 2026-08-22 |
|---|
