| Application deadline | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Cost | Last year's cycle (2026): $5,518; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Catalog terms: $3,500–$3,650; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Last year's cycle (2026): $885–$12,135; 2027: 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 | Catalog terms: Limited case-by-case need assistance: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. TCR explicitly says it has no formal aid program and can assist only a limited number when resources allow.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Last year's cycle (2026): Need-based Arts & Sciences scholarship: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Available to domestic and international students; amount varies and excludes travel, books/supplies, personal costs, computer, and Wi-Fi.; 2027: 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 | Catalog terms: Limited case-by-case need assistance: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. TCR explicitly says it has no formal aid program and can assist only a limited number when resources allow.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Last year's cycle (2026): Selective Arts & Sciences program application fee: $50. Nonrefundable; waivable for listed financial-hardship criteria. Registration-only programs may not charge it.; Post-admission enrollment deposit: $500. Nonrefundable for Summer Launch, Institutes, and Summer Scholars and deducted from total cost.; Optional 2026 commuter lunch plan for Summer Scholars: $375. Residential Scholars pricing includes room and meals.; Need-based Arts & Sciences scholarship: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Available to domestic and international students; amount varies and excludes travel, books/supplies, personal costs, computer, and Wi-Fi.; 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 | Residency: Online students may apply internationally; in-person eligibility and travel rules vary by location; Requirement: Be a current high-school student or rising ninth grader for the standard high-school camp; Requirement: Choose a historical topic before applying; Requirement: Prepare to read at least three to five relevant books and use primary/secondary sources; Requirement: Commit substantial independent research and writing time; Requirement: Use a personal email and complete the application in one sitting; Exclusion: A finished publication-quality paper is not promised within two weeks; Exclusion: Camp participation does not guarantee publication in The Concord Review; Exclusion: Younger students are considered only when academically ready; a separate seminar serves ages 13-17; Exclusion: The current fall 2026 application deadline has passed | Citizenship: Domestic and international eligibility varies by program; Arts & Sciences accepts international applicants subject to English and immigration requirements; Residency: National/international for many academic programs; Residency: St. Louis-area residency required for several paid research and environmental programs; Residency: Rural eligibility required for Rural Scholars Academy; Requirement: Select a specific WashU program and meet its grade, academic, course, location, and schedule requirements; Requirement: Summer Scholars applicants are current juniors/rising seniors; Requirement: Summer Institute and Launch applicants generally enter grades 10-12 depending on program; Requirement: Course prerequisites apply to some credit-bearing offerings; Requirement: International applicants may need English-proficiency and visa documentation; Exclusion: No single grade, residence, price, or application rule covers the whole umbrella; Exclusion: Local internships and field programs may exclude non-St. Louis-area applicants; Exclusion: Participation does not guarantee WashU undergraduate admission or admissions advantage; Exclusion: Credit transfer and high-school-credit recognition are controlled by the receiving school |
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| Session dates or duration | Catalog terms: 4 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Catalog terms: 2–10 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Catalog terms: 1–8 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Format | In person | Online / In person | In person / Online / Hybrid |
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| Housing and supervision | Residential. Supervision and housing details: Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site | 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 | Online globally; separate in-person locations vary by session | St. Louis, Missouri, Program-specific local field sites |
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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: Current FAQ reports 18 students per session, 1:6 teacher-student ratio and more qualified applicants than places in many early cycles. No overall acceptance rate is published. TCR says it publishes roughly 5% of journal submissions, which is a separate process. Application materials: Optional recommendation letter | Selection: Selectivity ranges from registration-based online courses to holistic selective residential programs and competitive paid research. WashU does not publish one umbrella application count, acceptance rate, capacity, waitlist, or rubric; each linked unit controls its process. Application materials: For selective Arts & Sciences programs: short essays, $50 fee or qualifying waiver, transcript, and one teacher recommendation; Separate local-residency, research, portfolio, financial, rural, or employment materials for other WashU programs |
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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 2026-08-22Source 2 · checked 2026-08-22Source 3 · checked 2026-08-22Source 4 · checked 2026-08-20Source 5 · checked 2026-08-20 | Source 1 · checked 2026-08-22Source 2 · checked 2026-08-22Source 3 · checked 2026-08-22Source 4 · checked 2026-08-22 |
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