| Application deadline | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Cost | Last year's cycle (2026): $6,600; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | $5,793 (2027 cycle) | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Financial aid | Last year's cycle (2026): Need-based financial aid: Up to $6,600. Scaled to reported family income; considered after admission and does not affect the admissions decision.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | 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 |
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| Expenses and aid conditions | Last year's cycle (2026): Application fee: $0. Applying to MathPath is free.; Minimum registration deposit: $500; Need-based financial aid: Up to $6,600. Scaled to reported family income; considered after admission and does not affect the admissions decision.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | 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) | 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 | Unconfirmed — check official site | Grades 9–12 (provider uses rising grades) | Grades 11–12 when applying; check the provider's rules for graduating seniors |
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| Additional eligibility | Ages 11–14; Requirement: Turn 11 before the program starts and turn 15 only after the last day of the program | 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) | Citizenship: US citizen; Residency: Permanent residence within 50 miles of the host campus (NIST Gaithersburg, MD or NIST Boulder, CO); Requirement: Open to grades 11–12; Requirement: Be a high school junior or senior at the time of application; Requirement: Minimum unweighted GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale; Requirement: Able to commit to the full seven-week program |
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| Session dates or duration | Last year's cycle (2026): Starts June 28, 2026; Ends July 26, 2026; 4 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Catalog terms: 4 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Last year's cycle (2026): Starts June 22, 2026; Ends August 7, 2026; 7 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Format | In person | In person | 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 | Non-residential. Supervision and housing details: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Location | Unconfirmed — check official site | Davis, Irvine, Los Angeles, Merced, San Diego, Santa Cruz, CA | Gaithersburg, Boulder, MD, CO |
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| Selection and application | Selection: Merit-based selection centered on the Qualifying Test and application context | 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: NIST describes SHIP as competitive, and laboratory mentors review complete applications and may interview candidates. The official pages do not publish the current applicant count, placement count, acceptance rate, lab quotas, or scoring rubric. Application materials: Two letters of recommendation (one from a STEM teacher); Personal statement (up to one page) |
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| Official sources | Source 1 · checked 2026-10-24Source 2 · checked 2026-10-24Source 3 · checked 2026-10-24Source 4 · checked 2026-10-24Source 5 · checked 2026-10-24Source 6 · checked 2026-08-20Source 7 · checked 2026-08-20 | 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 2026-10-24Source 3 · checked 2026-10-09Source 4 · checked 2026-10-09Source 5 · checked 2026-08-22 |
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