| 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) | Unconfirmed — check official site | Catalog terms: $7,465; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Financial aid | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site | Catalog terms: Need-based scholarship: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Limited; only where family financial need can be reliably verified, including through partner schools and non-profit organizations.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Expenses and aid conditions | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site | Catalog terms: Need-based scholarship: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Limited; only where family financial need can be reliably verified, including through partner schools and non-profit organizations.; Full-scholarship deposit (refunded after completing the program): Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site; 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 | Grades 10–11 when applying; summer rising grade is one higher | Unconfirmed — check official site | Grades 9–12; Grade timing: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Additional eligibility | Residency: Texas high school students; Requirement: Open to students currently in grades 10–11 when applying; Requirement: Not enrolled in summer school during the program dates (full-time attendance required) | Ages 13–17 | Requirement: Open to grades 9–12; Requirement: Must demonstrate academic excellence and proficiency in English |
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| Session dates or duration | Starts June 6, 2027; Ends June 11, 2027; 1 week (2027 cycle) | Unconfirmed — check official site | Catalog terms: 10 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Format | In person | In person | Online |
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| Housing and supervision | Residential. Supervision and housing details: Unconfirmed — check official site | Non-residential. Supervision and housing details: Unconfirmed — check official site | Non-residential. Supervision and housing details: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Location | Austin, TX | Apple Valley, MN | Online and available to high-school students worldwide |
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| Selection and application | Application materials: Essay(s); One letter of recommendation | Selection: The zoo closes applications when the summer cohort is filled, but it does not publish applicant counts, cohort size, interview process or selection rate. | Selection: Pioneer uses holistic review of academic history, essays, interests, school materials, a video interview, and proctored timed writing. Decisions generally take six to eight weeks and may be admit, conditional, waitlist, or deny. The official pages publish no acceptance rate or automatic GPA/test threshold, and placement capacity varies by discipline. Application materials: Short essays on each interest area; Long essay; Video interview and proctored timed writing test (if selected to advance) |
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| Official sources | Source 1 · checked 2026-10-24 | Source 1 · checked 2026-10-24 | Source 1 · checked 2026-10-24Source 2 · checked 2026-10-24Source 3 · checked 2026-10-24Source 4 · checked 2026-08-20Source 5 · checked 2026-08-20 |
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