| Application deadline | Unconfirmed — check official site | January 25, 2027 (2027 cycle) | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Cost | $10,200 (2027 cycle) | Free attendance; check separate expenses (2027 cycle) | $1,700 (2027 cycle) |
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| Financial aid | Need-based financial aid: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. About 40% of students receive aid; average award is 70% of tuition; awards include free or reduced-price gear rental and top packages include flights. (2027 cycle) | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Expenses and aid conditions | Summer Term 2027 student account deposit: $500. Returned if unused.; Need-based financial aid: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. About 40% of students receive aid; average award is 70% of tuition; awards include free or reduced-price gear rental and top packages include flights.; Clarity financial aid application fee: $65. Only for aid applicants; automatically waived below a certain family income, or on request. (2027 cycle) | 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 10–12 (provider uses rising grades) | Grades 9–12 when applying; check the provider's rules for graduating seniors | Grades 6–12 (provider uses rising grades) |
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| Additional eligibility | Ages 14–18; Requirement: Open to rising grades 10–12; Requirement: Willing to spend extended periods (10 days) outdoors in wilderness settings; no previous outdoor experience is required | Requirement: Open to students currently in grades 9–12 when applying; Requirement: Has not attended MFAA in the past | Maximum age 17; Requirement: Open to rising grades 6–12; Requirement: Not yet graduated from 12th grade and under 18 at the time of attendance |
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| Session dates or duration | Starts June 27, 2027; Ends July 24, 2027; 4 weeks (2027 cycle) | Starts May 30, 2027; Ends June 12, 2027; 2 weeks (2027 cycle) | Starts May 23, 2027; Ends July 30, 2027; 1 week (2027 cycle) |
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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 | Leadville, CO | Springfield, MO | Pensacola, FL |
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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: Summer Term application with two essay questions; Two teacher recommendations (at least one from a core academic teacher); 15-30 minute interview with the admissions team | Selection: A panel of artists and arts educators adjudicates the complete application, essay, school evaluation, and discipline portfolio or audition. MFAA publishes no applicant count, cohort size, acceptance rate, or scoring weights on the official pages. Application materials: Essay of about 500 words; Portfolio (visual arts, creative writing), performance video (theatre, dance, vocal, instrumental) or audio files/scores (electronic music, composition) | Selection: The program is session- and capacity-based rather than presented as a judged competition. Current capacity, applicant volume, wait-list rules, and acceptance rate are not published. |
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| Official sources | 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 2026-08-22 | Source 1 · checked 2026-10-24Source 2 · checked 2026-10-24Source 3 · checked 2026-10-24 | Source 1 · checked 2026-10-24Source 2 · checked 2026-10-24Source 3 · checked 2026-10-24Source 4 · checked 2026-08-21Source 5 · checked 2026-08-20 |
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