| Application deadline | Unconfirmed — check official site | March 1, 2027 (2027 cycle) | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Cost | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site | Last year's cycle (2026): $5,518; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Financial aid | Unconfirmed — check official site | 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 |
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| Expenses and aid conditions | Unconfirmed — check official site | 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 |
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| Stipend or pay | Unconfirmed — check official site | Catalog terms: Weekly salary: $500; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Eligibility | Grade 12 and first-year college; Grade timing: Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site | Grades 9–12 (provider uses rising grades) |
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| Additional eligibility | Ages 18–20; Requirement: Be an outstanding recent high-school graduate or otherwise fit the cycle-specific early-university criteria; Requirement: Demonstrate strong science achievement and substantive interest in research; Requirement: Be able to participate in an English-language international research and group environment; Requirement: Meet the final cycle's age, medical, travel, and participation rules when they are published; Exclusion: The current overview is not a live application and does not confirm that students younger than 18 may attend; Exclusion: Field availability varies by cycle, so a preferred discipline or laboratory cannot be guaranteed; Exclusion: Historical 2024 hybrid eligibility and format are not guaranteed for the next cohort | Citizenship: U.S. citizen; Residency: Enrolled at an Illinois high school; Requirement: Senior in 2027–28 or 2027 graduate; proof of insurance | 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 |
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| Session dates or duration | Catalog terms: 4 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Starts July 12, 2027; Ends August 6, 2027; 4 weeks (2027 cycle) | Catalog terms: 4 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Format | In person | Unconfirmed — check official site | In person |
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| Housing and supervision | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site | Residential. Supervision and housing details: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Location | Rehovot, Weizmann Institute campus; Judean Desert and Negev field school | Unconfirmed — check official site | 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 |
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| Selection and application | Selection: Described by Weizmann as prestigious and intended for approximately 80 highly talented students worldwide; current acceptance rate is not published. Application materials: Historical applications have requested academic and science background, research interests, essays, transcript, recommendations, photograph, English proficiency, and medical or travel forms; confirm every item against the next application | Unconfirmed — check official site | 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 |
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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 2026-10-10 | 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 |
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