| Application deadline | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Cost | Unconfirmed — check official site | Last year's cycle (2026): $3,000–$4,000; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | $5,793 (2027 cycle) |
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| Financial aid | Unconfirmed — check official site | Last year's cycle (2026): Sliding-scale tuition by household income: $200–$3,000. Estimated family tuition and fees by income; families can request additional aid on the enrollment form after acceptance.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Need-based financial assistance for application and program costs: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Based on family income, family size and available COSMOS resources. (2027 cycle) |
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| Expenses and aid conditions | Last year's cycle (2026): SPROG 2026 ticket: $0. Participants could select the USD 0 option with the published SPROG26 code.; Optional contribution: $0–$200. Voluntary contribution toward Sierra Club's costs.; Four nights of dorm lodging and bedding: $0. Provided by the program.; Program meals: $0. All meals were provided.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Last year's cycle (2026): Sliding-scale tuition by household income: $200–$3,000. Estimated family tuition and fees by income; families can request additional aid on the enrollment form after acceptance.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Application fee: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Non-refundable; fee waivers can be requested.; Need-based financial assistance for application and program costs: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Based on family income, family size and available COSMOS resources. (2027 cycle) |
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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 6–10 when applying; summer rising grade is one higher | Grades 9–12 (provider uses rising grades) |
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| Additional eligibility | Ages 15–25; Requirement: Be age 15–25 by August 5, 2026; Requirement: Attend the full five-day residential session; Requirement: Provide emergency, medical, dietary, accessibility, travel, and room information; Requirement: Sign the participant waiver; Requirement: Obtain a parent signature if under 18; Exclusion: Applicants younger than 15 or older than 25 for the 2026 session | Requirement: Open to students currently in grades 6–10 when applying; Requirement: Junior Division: in grade 6, 7 or 8 during the school year of application; Requirement: Senior Division: in grade 9 or 10, with at least a B average for the last full school term and the current year; Requirement: Classified as gifted by a Louisiana public school system, or scores on an acceptable aptitude test | Residency: California high school students only; Requirement: Open to rising grades 9–12; Requirement: Demonstrated academic excellence (a typical COSMOS student has a GPA of 3.5 or above) |
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| Session dates or duration | Last year's cycle (2026): Starts August 5, 2026; Ends August 9, 2026; 0.7 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Last year's cycle (2026): Starts June 7, 2026; 7 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Catalog terms: 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 | Residential. Supervision and housing details: Unconfirmed — check official site | Residential. Supervision and housing details: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Location | Little Switzerland, North Carolina | Lake Charles, LA | Davis, Irvine, Los Angeles, Merced, San Diego, Santa Cruz, CA |
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| Selection and application | Selection: Registration-based 2026 session; capacity and selection method were not stated | Selection: Applicants must meet gifted-identification or aptitude criteria and grade-specific requirements. Applications were reviewed until spaces filled; the program does not publish applicant counts, capacity, or an acceptance rate. | 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: Online application with one personal statement; One teacher recommendation (two recommended) |
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| Official sources | Source 1 · checked 2026-08-20Source 2 · checked 2026-08-20Source 3 · checked 2026-08-20 | Source 1 · checked 2026-10-24Source 2 · checked 2026-10-24Source 3 · checked 2026-10-24Source 4 · checked 2026-10-24Source 5 · checked 2026-08-21 | Source 1 · checked 2026-10-24Source 2 · checked 2026-10-24Source 3 · checked 2026-10-24Source 4 · checked 2026-08-22Source 5 · checked 2026-08-22Source 6 · checked 2026-08-22Source 7 · checked 2026-08-20 |
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