| Application deadline | Unconfirmed — check official site | February 1, 2027 (2027 cycle) | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Cost | $5,793 (2027 cycle) | Free attendance; check separate expenses (2027 cycle) | Last year's cycle (2026): $4,350–$4,950; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Financial aid | Need-based financial assistance for application and program costs: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Based on family income, family size and available COSMOS resources. (2027 cycle) | Unconfirmed — check official site | Last year's cycle (2026): Caminos al Futuro (fully funded): Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Selective residential program for rising seniors in U.S. high schools.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Expenses and aid conditions | Application fee: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Non-refundable; fee waivers can be requested.; Need-based financial assistance for application and program costs: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Based on family income, family size and available COSMOS resources. (2027 cycle) | On-campus boarding: $0. Covered by program funders.; Food: $0. Covered by program funders. (2027 cycle) | Last year's cycle (2026): Caminos al Futuro (fully funded): Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Selective residential program for rising seniors in U.S. high schools.; 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 10–11 when applying; summer rising grade is one higher | Grades 10–12 (provider uses rising grades) |
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| Additional eligibility | Residency: California high school students only; Requirement: Open to rising grades 9–12; Requirement: Demonstrated academic excellence (a typical COSMOS student has a GPA of 3.5 or above) | Residency: Texas high school students; Requirement: Open to students currently in grades 10–11 when applying; Requirement: Students enrolled in summer school during the program dates cannot participate (full-time attendance required) | Requirement: Open to rising grades 10–12; Requirement: Summer Immersion: rising sophomores, juniors and seniors; Requirement: College Intensive (online, credit-bearing): rising juniors and seniors who meet the course prerequisites; Requirement: Caminos al Futuro: rising seniors in U.S. high schools |
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| Session dates or duration | Catalog terms: 4 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Starts June 20, 2027; Ends June 25, 2027 (2027 cycle) | Catalog terms: 2–6 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Format | In person | In person | In person / Online |
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| Housing and supervision | Residential. Supervision and housing details: Unconfirmed — check official site | Residential. Supervision and housing details: Unconfirmed — check official site | Residential. Supervision and housing details: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Location | Davis, Irvine, Los Angeles, Merced, San Diego, Santa Cruz, CA | Austin, TX | Washington, DC |
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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: Online application with one personal statement; One teacher recommendation (two recommended) | Selection: McCombs describes desired qualities but publishes no current applicant count, cohort size, acceptance rate, fixed GPA cutoff, identity quota, geographic quota, scoring rubric, interview process, or waitlist policy. Historical cohort figures must not be treated as a future guarantee. Application materials: Essay(s); One letter of recommendation | Selection: GW reviews academic preparation, maturity and fit. Caminos is explicitly selective. The university does not publish a unified application count or acceptance rate across all Pre-College tracks. Application materials: Personal statement |
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| Official sources | Source 1 · checked 2026-10-24Source 2 · checked 2026-10-24Source 3 · checked 2026-10-24Source 4 · checked 2026-08-22Source 5 · checked 2026-08-22Source 6 · checked 2026-08-22Source 7 · checked 2026-08-20 | Source 1 · checked 2026-10-24Source 2 · checked 2026-08-20Source 3 · checked 2026-08-20 | Source 1 · checked 2026-10-24Source 2 · checked 2026-10-24Source 3 · checked 2026-10-24Source 4 · checked 2026-10-10Source 5 · checked 2026-08-22Source 6 · checked 2026-08-22Source 7 · checked 2026-08-22 |
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