| Application deadline | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
|---|
| Cost | Last year's cycle (2026): $3,900; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Last year's cycle (2026): $5,518; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Last year's cycle (2026): $699–$2,500; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
|---|
| Financial aid | Last year's cycle (2026): Need-based scholarship assistance: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Requires a financial-need application and supporting documents; amount and availability are not guaranteed.; 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 | Last year's cycle (2026): Limited need-based scholarships: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Very limited; did not cover residential fees or international students. The separate GI Partners path listed eight Boston-area rising-senior awards below a household-income threshold.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
|---|
| Expenses and aid conditions | Last year's cycle (2026): Nonrefundable application fee: $60. A fee waiver can be requested.; Need-based scholarship assistance: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Requires a financial-need application and supporting documents; amount and availability are not guaranteed.; 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 | Last year's cycle (2026): Residential housing and meals: $699–$2,097. USD 699 per week; included dormitory, three meals daily, supervision, and residential activities. Snacks excluded.; Seat deposit: $200–$500. USD 200 for one-week programs and USD 500 for three-week or remote programs; credited toward tuition.; Optional airport transportation: $50–$99. USD 50 departure one-way, USD 75 arrival one-way, or USD 99 round trip for 2026.; Optional linen rental: $50. Included sheets, pillowcase, and towel.; Limited need-based scholarships: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Very limited; did not cover residential fees or international students. The separate GI Partners path listed eight Boston-area rising-senior awards below a household-income threshold.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
|---|
| Stipend or pay | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
|---|
| Eligibility | Grades 9–12; Grade timing: Unconfirmed — check official site | Grades 9–12 (provider uses rising grades) | Grades 6–12; Grade timing: Unconfirmed — check official site |
|---|
| Additional eligibility | Requirement: Be a current high-school student or recent graduate before beginning college; Requirement: Earn As and Bs in high-school math and science; Requirement: Complete Algebra II; Requirement: Complete trigonometric functions and right-triangle problem solving; Requirement: Complete one full year of high-school chemistry and/or physics including lab, or meet the published AP substitution; Requirement: Attend daily live Eastern Time classes and complete about 28 hours of weekly coursework; Requirement: Meet English-proficiency documentation rules if a foreign national; Exclusion: The course is not an introductory low-commitment camp; Exclusion: Older students receive priority when space is limited; Exclusion: Students without required math/science preparation may not be ready or admitted; Exclusion: Lab-kit delivery deadlines and customs constraints can narrow international participation | 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 | Requirement: Select a course matching the student's entering grade and readiness; Requirement: Three-week programs: normally enter grade 8 through college and complete competitive admission; Requirement: One-week programs: perform at grade level or above and register while space remains; Requirement: Pre-high-school programs: meet the specific middle-school grade band; Requirement: Remote students need a suitable device and synchronous availability; Requirement: International students must arrange travel status and pay in full before BLI issues an invitation letter; Exclusion: Not every course accepts every grade in the umbrella range; Exclusion: Three-week and remote acceptance is not guaranteed; Exclusion: Housing, single-room requests, scholarships, preferred campus, airport transport, and course capacity are not guaranteed; Exclusion: International students were ineligible for the general need-based aid described in the 2026 FAQ |
|---|
| Session dates or duration | Catalog terms: 5 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Catalog terms: 4 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Catalog terms: 1–3 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
|---|
| Format | Online | In person | In person / Online |
|---|
| Housing and supervision | Non-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 |
|---|
| Location | Worldwide synchronous participation, subject to Eastern Time attendance and lab-kit shipping/customs feasibility | 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 | Boston, Massachusetts, Waltham, Massachusetts, Wellesley, Massachusetts, Weston, Massachusetts, Greater Boston |
|---|
| Selection and application | Selection: Completed applications are academically reviewed. Rising juniors and seniors are typical, talented rising sophomores may be considered, and older students receive priority when space is limited. Programs can fill before final deadlines; no acceptance rate is published. Application materials: Required 175-225-word motivation essay; Optional 100-125-word context essay; One math/science/engineering/robotics/computer-science teacher recommendation in English | 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: Three-week and remote programs used competitive rolling review based on academic record, curiosity, subject commitment, perspective, and experience. One-week and pre-high-school programs were capacity-based registration. Application materials: Student-written application essay |
|---|
| 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 2026-08-21Source 6 · checked 2026-08-21Source 7 · checked 2026-08-21 | 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 2026-08-21Source 2 · checked 2026-08-21Source 3 · checked 2026-08-21Source 4 · checked 2026-08-21Source 5 · checked 2026-08-20 |
|---|