| Application deadline | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Cost | Last year's cycle (2026): $2,000; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Last year's cycle (2026): $899; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | $5,793 (2027 cycle) |
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| Financial aid | Last year's cycle (2026): Need-based tuition waiver or reduction: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Limited; applicants state their projected shortfall.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Last year's cycle (2026): Need-based Camp Cronkite scholarship: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Apply through the financial need information in the camp application.; 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): Need-based tuition waiver or reduction: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Limited; applicants state their projected shortfall.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Last year's cycle (2026): Need-based Camp Cronkite scholarship: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Apply through the financial need information in the camp application.; 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 | Grades 10–11 when applying; summer rising grade is one higher | Grades 10–12 (provider uses rising grades) | Grades 9–12 (provider uses rising grades) |
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| Additional eligibility | Requirement: Open to students currently in grades 10–11 when applying; Requirement: AltFinance track: current juniors only, with Pre-Calculus completed or in progress | Ages 15–17; Requirement: Open to rising grades 10–12 | 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 July 18, 2026; Ends July 31, 2026; 1 week; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Catalog terms: 1 week; 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 | Washington, DC | Phoenix, AZ | Davis, Irvine, Los Angeles, Merced, San Diego, Santa Cruz, CA |
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| Selection and application | Selection: Howard describes several tracks as selective or highly selective and publishes track maximums from 20 to about 50 for many offerings, but does not publish total applications or acceptance rates. | Selection: Applications are reviewed for academic performance and media interest, with current juniors sometimes prioritized because of demand. The 2026 acceptance rate and 2027 capacity are not published on the current page. | 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 2026-10-24 | Source 1 · checked 2026-10-24Source 2 · 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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