| Application deadline | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Cost | Last year's cycle (2026): $9,900; 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): 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 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 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): 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 | Last year's cycle (2026): Cook County Summer Fellows 2026 hourly wage: $17; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Eligibility | Grades 10–12; Grade timing: Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Additional eligibility | 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 | 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 | Ages 16–22; Residency: Cook County or Lake County under the selected 2026 branch and placement rules; Requirement: Be a graduating or recently graduated high-school student or other eligible opportunity youth under the selected branch; Requirement: Be age 16-22 by the cycle's published cutoff; Requirement: Not be a current college student under the 2026 form; Requirement: Meet Cook or Lake County geography and commute requirements; Requirement: For the Cook County IYIP-funded branch, meet and document at least one current state workforce-program eligibility criterion; Requirement: Be eligible for paid employment, payroll, and the assigned public office; Requirement: Commit to 30 hours weekly for six weeks plus workshops and placement-specific requirements; Exclusion: Current college students under the 2026 form; Exclusion: Applicants outside the branch's county or placement geography; Exclusion: Applicants who do not meet the funded branch's workforce-program eligibility; Exclusion: Treating current grades 9-11 Citywide Youth Councils or Youth Organizing Academy as Summer Fellows; Exclusion: Assuming the age 16-22, $17 rate, employer, office, or eligibility checklist persists in 2027; Exclusion: Submitting sensitive eligibility data through a stale form without confirming the cycle |
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| Session dates or duration | 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 June 28, 2026; Ends July 26, 2026; 4 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Catalog terms: 6 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 | Leadville, High Mountain Institute campus and Colorado/Utah backcountry | Portland, Oregon | Chicago, Illinois, Cook County and Lake County public offices and Mikva workshop locations, branch-specific |
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| Selection and application | 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: Merit-based selection centered on the Qualifying Test and application context | Selection: Eligibility and hiring depend on county, age, graduation status, funded workforce criteria, application quality, placement capacity, office fit, and employment requirements. Cook County cited approximately 50 placements; no current overall acceptance rate is published. |
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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 2026-08-22 | Source 1 · checked 2026-08-20Source 2 · checked 2026-08-20Source 3 · checked 2026-08-20Source 4 · checked 2026-08-20 | Source 1 · checked 2026-08-20Source 2 · checked 2026-08-20Source 3 · checked 2026-08-20Source 4 · checked 2026-08-20Source 5 · checked 2026-08-20 |
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