| Application deadline | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Cost | Last year's cycle (2026): $5,518; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site | Catalog terms: Free attendance; check separate expenses; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Financial aid | 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 | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Expenses and aid conditions | 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 | Unconfirmed — check official site | Catalog terms: GSET room and board: $0. Sponsored for admitted Rutgers GSET scholars; do not transfer this source wording to every future branch without confirmation.; GSET key and swipe-card deposit: $65. Presented at the start and returned uncashed when keys and cards are returned.; 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) | Unconfirmed — check official site | Grade 11; Grade timing: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Additional eligibility | 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: Rising into 10th or 11th grade at programme time, regardless of gender. | Residency: New Jersey resident; Requirement: Be a high-school junior in the application year and complete junior year before the summer session; Requirement: Receive the high school's limited nomination for the selected branch; Requirement: Demonstrate exceptional achievement and sustained interest in science, mathematics, engineering, or technology; Requirement: Commit to the entire demanding residential session without conflicting classes, employment, or programs; Requirement: Meet branch-specific coursework, test, document, health, conduct, and residential requirements; Exclusion: Direct self-application without a school nomination; Exclusion: Applying to both branches when the current packet or school rules prohibit it; Exclusion: Treating typical top-5% rank, 90th-percentile scores, honors courses, or historical admission rates as absolute statewide guarantees; Exclusion: Claiming current arts, humanities, or international-studies Governor's School branches; Exclusion: Assuming GSS and GSET have identical essays, recommendations, curriculum, dates, preparation, deposits, or credit policies |
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| Session dates or duration | Catalog terms: 4 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site | Catalog terms: 3–4 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 | Non-residential. Supervision and housing details: Unconfirmed — check official site | Residential. Supervision and housing details: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Location | 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 | Providence | Madison, New Jersey, Piscataway/New Brunswick, New Jersey, Drew University and Rutgers University campuses |
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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: One personal statement; One required teacher recommendation, with two recommended | Unconfirmed — check official site | Selection: Selection occurs first within the high school and then at the host. Recent host sources report approximately 20%-25% admission among school nominees, with exact cohort size driven by facilities and funding. Application materials: Branch-specific essays; Teacher recommendations; GSS specifically requires one science and one mathematics or computer-science letter |
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| Official sources | Source 1 · checked 2026-08-22Source 2 · checked 2026-08-22Source 3 · checked 2026-08-22Source 4 · checked 2026-08-22Source 5 · checked 2026-08-22Source 6 · checked 2026-08-22Source 7 · checked 2026-08-20 | Source 1 · checked 2026-10-11 | Source 1 · checked 2026-08-20Source 2 · checked 2026-08-20Source 3 · checked 2026-08-20Source 4 · checked 2026-08-20Source 5 · checked 2026-08-20 |
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