| Application deadline | February 1, 2027 (2027 cycle) | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Cost | Free attendance; check separate expenses (2027 cycle) | Catalog terms: $3,095–$9,540; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | $5,793 (2027 cycle) |
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| Financial aid | Unconfirmed — check official site | Catalog terms: Need-based tuition scholarship: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Limited and competitive; for admitted Summer College, College Prep and Academy students.; 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 | On-campus boarding: $0. Covered by program funders.; Food: $0. Covered by program funders. (2027 cycle) | Catalog terms: Pre-college fee (credit programs): $780; Optional housing (credit programs): $2,542; Residential College Prep fee (College Prep seminars): $1,726; Application fee: $50. Non-refundable; waived for applications received by the early-bird deadline.; Need-based tuition scholarship: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Limited and competitive; for admitted Summer College, College Prep and Academy students.; 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 8–12 when applying; check the provider's rules for graduating seniors | Grades 9–12 (provider uses rising grades) |
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| Additional eligibility | Residency: Texas high school students; Requirement: Open to students currently in grades 10–11 when applying; Requirement: Students enrolled in summer school during the program dates cannot participate (full-time attendance required) | Requirement: Open to students currently in grades 8–12 when applying; Requirement: Good academic standing; Requirement: Minimum 2.0 GPA for the Academies; Requirement: Summer College open to current 10th-12th graders with at least a 3.0 GPA | 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 | Starts June 20, 2027; Ends June 25, 2027 (2027 cycle) | Catalog terms: 1–8 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Catalog terms: 4 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Format | In person | In person / Online | In person |
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| Housing and supervision | Residential. Supervision and housing details: Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site | Residential. Supervision and housing details: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Location | Austin, TX | Washington, DC | Davis, Irvine, Los Angeles, Merced, San Diego, Santa Cruz, CA |
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| Selection and application | Selection: McCombs describes desired qualities but publishes no current applicant count, cohort size, acceptance rate, fixed GPA cutoff, identity quota, geographic quota, scoring rubric, interview process, or waitlist policy. Historical cohort figures must not be treated as a future guarantee. Application materials: Essay(s); One letter of recommendation | Application materials: Personal statement; Recommendation letter or School Official Reviewer Form | 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 2026-10-24Source 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 2026-10-24Source 6 · checked 2026-10-24 | 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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