| 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): $9,900; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Financial aid | 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 | Last year's cycle (2026): Need-based financial aid: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. About 40% received aid in the published cycle; average award was 70% of tuition, and aid included discounted or free gear rental, with top packages potentially covering flights.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Last year's cycle (2026): Need-based scholarship: Up to $40. Available but not guaranteed; application process and coverage level were not published.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Expenses and aid conditions | 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 | Last year's cycle (2026): 2026 student-account deposit: $500. Returned to the family if unused; separate enrollment deposit details were not quantified on the official pages.; Travel to and from Colorado: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Flights were not included in tuition, although the largest need-based aid packages could cover them.; Need-based financial aid: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. About 40% received aid in the published cycle; average award was 70% of tuition, and aid included discounted or free gear rental, with top packages potentially covering flights.; Clarity financial-aid application fee: $65. Applies to the aid application; automatic or inquiry-based fee waivers are available for eligible families.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Last year's cycle (2026): 2026 accepted-participant registration and materials fee: $40. Charged only if accepted.; Need-based scholarship: Up to $40. Available but not guaranteed; application process and coverage level were 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 | Unconfirmed — check official site | Grades 10–12; Grade timing: Unconfirmed — check official site | Grades 10–12; Grade timing: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Additional eligibility | 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 | Ages 14–18; Requirement: Be a rising 10th, 11th, or 12th grader and age 14-18 for the applicable cycle; Requirement: Be prepared for a residential program at 10,000 feet and extended backpacking expeditions; Requirement: Complete the required application, recommendations, transcript, and interview; Requirement: If accepted, complete health, physical, risk, release, enrollment, and payment requirements; Exclusion: Prior outdoor experience is not required; Exclusion: The official pages do not state a citizenship or Colorado-residency restriction; Exclusion: Program mental-health services are limited, and backcountry groups may lack timely outside support; families must evaluate fit with HMI | Residency: Local high-school student able to commute to Baltimore; exact radius not published; Requirement: Successfully complete ninth grade before the summer program; Requirement: Demonstrate environmental awareness and strong interest in marine biology, environmental science or related fields; Requirement: Enjoy interacting with and assisting guests of all ages; Requirement: Attend orientation, all training and the complete first shift week; Requirement: Complete at least 10 scheduled four-hour shifts across five weeks without stacking; Exclusion: Applicants unable to commute to mandatory in-person interviews, training or shifts; Exclusion: Applicants seeking routine direct animal-care or animal-handling work; Exclusion: Applicants unable to complete the full summer commitment |
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| Session dates or duration | Catalog terms: 6 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Last year's cycle (2026): Starts June 28, 2026; Ends July 25, 2026; 4 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Last year's cycle (2026): Starts May 17, 2026; Ends August 9, 2026; 6–12 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 | Non-residential. Supervision and housing details: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Location | New residential campus for 2027 is not announced; Amherst, Massachusetts was the historical 2026 location | Leadville, High Mountain Institute campus and Colorado/Utah backcountry | Baltimore, National Aquarium main campus; local high-school student program |
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| Selection and application | 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: HMI describes a typical cohort of 12-20 students; it does not publish a current applicant count or acceptance rate. Application materials: Two approximately 250-word essays; Two teacher recommendations, including at least one from a core academic teacher, under the current central admissions page; Required 15-30 minute admissions interview | Selection: Qualified applicants receive required peer-and-staff interviews, with some placed on a waitlist. The Aquarium does not publish application totals, cohort size or acceptance rate. Application materials: In-person interview on an assigned date |
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| Official sources | Source 1 · checked 2026-08-20Source 2 · checked 2026-08-20Source 3 · checked 2026-08-20Source 4 · checked 2026-08-20 | Source 1 · checked 2026-08-22Source 2 · checked 2026-08-22Source 3 · checked 2026-08-22Source 4 · checked 2026-08-22Source 5 · checked 2026-08-22Source 6 · checked 2026-08-22 | Source 1 · checked 2026-08-22 |
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