| Application deadline | February 12, 2027 (2027 cycle) | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Cost | Unconfirmed — check official site | Last year's cycle (2026): $5,518; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Financial aid | Unconfirmed — check official site | 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 |
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| Expenses and aid conditions | Unconfirmed — check official site | 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): 2026 residential camp tuition, housing, and meals: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Varied by campus and week; 2026 residential pricing included six nights, program meals, activities, and supervision under the selected product.; Optional two-session virtual tutoring add-on: $149. Historical 2026 price for two one-hour sessions; not required and not confirmed for 2027.; 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 | Unconfirmed — check official site | Grades 9–12 (provider uses rising grades) | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Additional eligibility | Minimum age 15; Requirement: Rising juniors/seniors and at least 15 at start, without exceptions.; Requirement: English proficiency, TOEFL 90/equivalent or published waiver. | 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 9–18; Requirement: Choose a product whose age band matches the student's age at camp; Requirement: Choose the correct beginner, intermediate, advanced, or tournament track for current experience; Requirement: For online camp, have technology and availability for the live daily schedule; Requirement: For day or residential camp, meet travel, pickup, housing, supervision, health, consent, and conduct requirements; Requirement: Complete payment and registration before the selected cohort sells out; Exclusion: Treating every program as grades 7-12 or using one age range across tracks; Exclusion: Registering an 18-year-old for an in-person product that caps participation at 17; Exclusion: Assuming the same prerequisite, price, housing, meals, schedule, refund, certificate, or aid terms across products; Exclusion: Treating Georgetown, Columbia, UCLA, UC Berkeley, Boston University, Rutgers, or SMU venue use as university admission, enrollment, academic credit, endorsement, or guaranteed campus access; Exclusion: Assuming a certificate guarantees a conference award or college outcome |
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| Session dates or duration | Unconfirmed — check official site | Catalog terms: 4 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Catalog terms: 1 week; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Format | Online / In person | In person | In person / Online |
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| Housing and supervision | Unconfirmed — check official site | Residential. Supervision and housing details: Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Location | Marlborough, NEIA day/residential or online, not Wellesley | 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 | Washington, District of Columbia, New York, New York, Los Angeles, California, Berkeley, California, Boston, Massachusetts, New Brunswick, New Jersey, Dallas, Texas, Separate U.S. campus day and residential camps plus live online cohorts accessible by time zone |
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| Selection and application | Unconfirmed — check official site | 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: Most camps are paid, capacity-limited enrollment products rather than merit-selected institutes. Sessions can sell out; exact class size, prerequisites, and advanced-track screening vary by product. |
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| Official sources | Source 1 · checked 2026-10-10Source 2 · checked 2026-10-10 | 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 |
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