| Application deadline | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Cost | Last year's cycle (2026): $1,940–$22,282; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Last year's cycle (2026): $5,518; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Financial aid | Last year's cycle (2026): Precollege financial assistance: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Limited to eligible students nominated by specified community-based partner organizations; not a general open scholarship pool.; 2027: 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 | Last year's cycle (2026): Summer 2026 application fee: $75. A limited waiver was available to students at specified Tompkins County schools and local home-school students.; Nonrefundable enrollment deposit: $1,500. Applied toward the program total rather than added to it.; Cornell Student Health Plan when required or elected: $676. Applies only under Cornell's published insurance rules.; Precollege financial assistance: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Limited to eligible students nominated by specified community-based partner organizations; not a general open scholarship pool.; 2027: 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 | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Eligibility | Grades 11–12; Grade timing: Unconfirmed — check official site | Grades 9–12 (provider uses rising grades) |
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| Additional eligibility | Ages 15–19; Residency: Online students must participate from a location and jurisdiction Cornell permits; Residency: Commuter students must arrange local housing with a parent, guardian, or responsible adult; Residency: Residential students live in Cornell housing during the session; Requirement: Have completed grade 10 before the program; Requirement: Meet the age band for the selected format: online 15-19, commuter 16-19, residential 16-18; Requirement: Meet every prerequisite and schedule requirement for the selected Cornell course; Requirement: Demonstrate readiness for college-level work; Cornell says students earning about B+ in rigorous classes are generally prepared; Requirement: Graduates must be under age 18 to participate after high-school graduation; Exclusion: Incoming Cornell undergraduates; Exclusion: Students who have not completed grade 10; Exclusion: Applicants outside the selected format's age band; Exclusion: Commuter applicants without an approved local living and adult-supervision arrangement; Exclusion: Applicants unable to meet course-specific prerequisites or attendance requirements | 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 | Last year's cycle (2026): Starts June 1, 2026; Ends August 1, 2026; 3–6 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 | Residential. Supervision and housing details: Unconfirmed — check official site | Residential. Supervision and housing details: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Location | Ithaca, New York, Cornell University Ithaca campus, Online participation locations permitted by Cornell | 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: Admission considers academic readiness, completed materials, course prerequisites, age and format eligibility, and available space; Cornell publishes no minimum GPA or interview requirement. Course admission does not guarantee another institution will accept the credits. Application materials: Essay, with 1,000-1,500 words recommended and 2,000 words maximum; One teacher or school-counselor recommendation | 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 2026-08-20Source 2 · checked 2026-08-20Source 3 · checked 2026-08-20Source 4 · checked 2026-08-20Source 5 · checked 2026-08-20Source 6 · checked 2026-08-20Source 7 · checked 2026-08-20Source 8 · checked 2026-08-20 | 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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