| Application deadline | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site | December 21, 2026 (2027 cycle) |
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| Cost | Last year's cycle (2026): $5,518; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site | 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 | Last year's cycle (2026): Need-based financial aid: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Historical 2026 terms included free attendance for domestic households below $85,000, case-by-case aid above that threshold and for international students, and possible travel grants. Confirm 2027 terms.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Catalog terms: Additional hardship assistance: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Admitted families for whom the published fee is a hardship may request additional aid.; 2027: 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 | Last year's cycle (2026): HCSSiM application: $0. The official finance page says applying is and will remain free.; Need-based financial aid: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Historical 2026 terms included free attendance for domestic households below $85,000, case-by-case aid above that threshold and for international students, and possible travel grants. Confirm 2027 terms.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Catalog terms: WTP application: $0. WTP is free to apply.; Additional hardship assistance: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Admitted families for whom the published fee is a hardship may request additional aid.; Need-based transportation help to and from Boston: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Admitted students may contact WTP if transportation would create financial hardship; coverage limits are not published.; 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 when applying; summer rising grade is one higher |
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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: Be a high-school student who has not already graduated; Requirement: Show strong motivation for sustained, proof-oriented college-level mathematics; Requirement: Complete the applicant form, motivation letter, Interesting Test, and mathematical sponsor process when the next cycle opens; Requirement: Commit to the full six-week residential session under the published program model; Exclusion: Students who have already graduated from high school under the published FAQ; Exclusion: Assuming the historical Hampshire College campus, 2026 dates, or 2026 price applies in 2027; Exclusion: Assuming grades, college credit, admission to Hampshire College, or another college outcome | Residency: Permanent family home address in the United States; current application guidance says applicants must live in the U.S. year round; Requirement: Be in grade 11 when applying and able to attend the full four-week summer after junior year; Requirement: Demonstrate strong performance in mathematics and science, normally in the most advanced courses available at the applicant's school; Requirement: Have little or no prior engineering experience and limited opportunities to explore engineering; Requirement: Enjoy problem solving, hands-on design and collaborative learning; Requirement: WTP is women-focused and prioritizes students underserved or discouraged in engineering; it states that all applications are reviewed equitably; Exclusion: Students who have already covered substantial WTP curriculum through courses, self-study or prior programs may be a poor fit |
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| Session dates or duration | Catalog terms: 4 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Catalog terms: 6 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Starts June 26, 2027; Ends July 24, 2027; 4 weeks (2027 cycle) |
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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 | 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 | New residential campus for 2027 is not announced; Amherst, Massachusetts was the historical 2026 location | Cambridge, Massachusetts, MIT campus |
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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 | Selection: Application review uses the form, letter, Interesting Test, and mathematical sponsor recommendation; no current acceptance rate or 2027 capacity is published. Application materials: One sponsor who knows the applicant in a mathematical context and can provide a recommendation | Selection: Up to 20 WTP-ME students are selected. WTP reports 320 applications for 20 places in 2024 and typically more than 300 highly qualified applicants. Application materials: Three personal essays |
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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 2026-08-20Source 2 · checked 2026-08-20Source 3 · checked 2026-08-20Source 4 · checked 2026-08-20 | Source 1 · checked 2026-10-09Source 2 · checked 2026-10-09Source 3 · checked 2026-10-09Source 4 · checked 2026-08-21Source 5 · checked 2026-08-21Source 6 · checked 2026-08-20 |
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