| 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 | Last year's cycle (2026): $6,600; 2027: 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: Up to $6,600. Aid was available up to the full program fee; admission was decided before financial-aid consideration.; 2027: 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 | Last year's cycle (2026): Need-based financial aid: Up to $6,600. Aid was available up to the full program fee; admission was decided before financial-aid consideration.; Application fee: $0. Applying to MathPath is free.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | 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 | 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 | Ages 11–14; Requirement: Turn 11 before the program starts; Requirement: Turn 15 only after the program ends; Requirement: Complete the Qualifying Test independently; Requirement: Demonstrate mathematical ability, interest, and persistence; Exclusion: Students outside the published age window | Citizenship: No general citizenship restriction is stated; Summer fee-waiver eligibility was limited to U.S. citizens and permanent residents; Residency: International students may apply; accepted on-campus students must arrange lawful travel and local lodging; Requirement: Previously published 2026 route: Be at least 16 by the chosen session start; Requirement: Previously published 2026 route: Be a rising high-school junior or senior or an undergraduate premedical student; Requirement: Previously published 2026 route: High-school biology before enrollment is strongly encouraged; Requirement: Previously published 2026 route: Commit to full live attendance and active participation; Requirement: Previously published 2026 route: For on-campus participation, arrange commuter transportation and lodging if needed; Requirement: Previously published 2026 route: For virtual participation, be able to receive or locally source required activity-kit materials; Requirement: Previously published 2026 route: Complete Stanford/SlideRoom application and post-admission health, safety, consent, payment, and program forms; Exclusion: Medical students are not eligible under the published FAQ; Exclusion: CSI is not employment, direct patient care, or a guaranteed shadowing placement; Exclusion: Applicants younger than 16 at session start are ineligible; Exclusion: 2026 applications are closed; Exclusion: Fee-waiver income/citizenship criteria are not general program eligibility rules; Exclusion: Admission does not guarantee college credit, a recommendation, Stanford admission, research placement, employment, or clinical certification |
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| Session dates or duration | Catalog terms: 4 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Last year's cycle (2026): Starts June 28, 2026; Ends July 26, 2026; 4 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Format | In person | In person | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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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 | 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 | Portland, Oregon | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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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: Merit-based selection centered on the Qualifying Test and application context | Selection: Stanford describes CSI as highly competitive and says it receives more qualified applicants than it can accept, but it does not publish current application totals, cohort capacities by track, acceptance rate, waitlist size, or scoring cutoffs. Application materials: Previously published 2026 route: Application essays and interest/fit responses; Previously published 2026 route: One recommendation from a recent STEM teacher, submitted through the recommender form within the extra seven-day window |
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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 2026-10-09Source 5 · checked 2026-08-20Source 6 · checked 2026-08-20 |
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