| Application deadline | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Cost | Catalog terms: Free attendance; check separate expenses; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site | Catalog terms: $1,799–$1,999; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Financial aid | Unconfirmed — check official site | Last year's cycle (2026): Historical 2026 need-based grant aid after admission: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. The published 2026 financial-aid guidance promised to meet demonstrated need for admitted students, including possible travel aid and international participants. Confirm operative 2027 terms.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Expenses and aid conditions | Catalog terms: Transportation to and from MIT: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Participant responsibility; available travel assistance, if any, is not stated on the current page.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Last year's cycle (2026): Application fee: $0. SSP states that applying is completely free.; Historical 2026 need-based grant aid after admission: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. The published 2026 financial-aid guidance promised to meet demonstrated need for admitted students, including possible travel aid and international participants. Confirm operative 2027 terms.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Catalog terms: Individual reservation registration fee: $100. Published as nonrefundable; verify at checkout because policy terms can change.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Stipend or pay | Unconfirmed — check official site | Last year's cycle (2026): Historical 2026 limited lost-wages stipend: $3,000; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Eligibility | Grade 11; Grade timing: Unconfirmed — check official site | Grade 11 when applying; summer rising grade is one higher | Grades 4–12; Grade timing: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Additional eligibility | Citizenship: U.S. citizen or current U.S. permanent resident with green card; visas do not substitute; Residency: National U.S. applicant pool; attend on MIT's Cambridge campus if selected; Requirement: Be in 11th grade or equivalent when applying; Requirement: Attend public, private or home school; Requirement: Demonstrate strong academics and enthusiasm for STEM; Requirement: Submit a complete shared MITES Summer/Semester application; Requirement: Arrange transportation to and from MIT if selected; Requirement: Commit to the full intensive residential schedule; Exclusion: Non-U.S. citizens without permanent residence are ineligible; Exclusion: Students outside 11th grade at application are ineligible under current rules; Exclusion: Applying to both national programmes yields at most one offer and participants cannot switch after offer; Exclusion: The programme is rigorous and includes substantial weekday/weekend homework | Ages 15–18; Requirement: Be a current high-school junior graduating in 2028 for the Summer 2027 cycle; Requirement: Be at least 15 but not yet 19 while the program operates; Requirement: Complete the credited coursework required by the chosen project by June; Requirement: Astrophysics: high-school physics plus precalculus, or calculus when physics is unavailable; Requirement: Bacterial Genomics or Cell Biology: biology plus Algebra II; Requirement: Biochemistry: biology, chemistry and strong algebra skills; Requirement: Be able to live and work intensively on an assigned campus for five weeks; Exclusion: Current freshmen, sophomores and seniors are not eligible; Exclusion: Self-study does not substitute for credited prerequisite courses; Exclusion: A project or campus preference is not a guaranteed assignment; Exclusion: The program is not a drop-in camp or individually arranged lab placement | Ages 9–18; Requirement: Enroll in the correct program for age at camp: Space Camp 9–11, Space Academy 12–14 or Advanced Space Academy 15–18; Requirement: Nine-year-olds must have completed or currently be enrolled in fourth grade; Requirement: Complete payment, releases, health, medication, emergency and other required forms by the session deadlines; Requirement: Be able to participate safely in the selected program with any required accommodations arranged in advance; Requirement: International participants need proper United States entry documents and conversational English; Exclusion: Family, adult, educator, group, aviation, cyber, robotics and Elite programs have separate requirements and prices; Exclusion: Registration does not guarantee a preferred roommate, activity, simulator access or session until confirmed; Exclusion: Some water, motion, physical or specialty activities can have medical restrictions; Exclusion: The program is educational simulation and not affiliated with astronaut selection or NASA employment |
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| Session dates or duration | Catalog terms: 6 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Catalog terms: 5 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Catalog terms: 1 week; 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 | Residential. Supervision and housing details: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Location | Cambridge, Massachusetts; national applicant pool | Assigned university campus; 2027 sites not announced | Huntsville, Alabama |
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| Selection and application | Selection: MITES seeks strong, STEM-motivated students and prioritizes educational access in holistic review, but the current pages do not publish applications, cohort size or acceptance rate for 2027. Application materials: Essays and extracurricular activities | Selection: SSP describes a holistic, contextual and need-blind admission process with limited capacity. It does not promise admission based on grades, prestige, test scores or ability to pay. Application materials: Student essays and contextual information requested by the portal | Selection: Standard student programs are purchased first-come, first-served by age and session capacity; they are not merit-selective. Invitation-only Elite and scholarship programs are separate. |
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| Official sources | Source 1 · checked 2026-08-22Source 2 · checked 2026-08-22Source 3 · checked 2026-08-22Source 4 · 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 2026-08-20 | 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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