| Application deadline | November 1, 2026 (2027 cycle) | February 12, 2027 (2027 cycle) | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Cost | Free attendance; check separate expenses (2027 cycle) | $600 (2027 cycle) | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Financial aid | Unconfirmed — check official site | 2027 need-based scholar-fee waiver: $0–$600. Limited waivers may be requested by students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch who do not have a sponsor. (2027 cycle) | Catalog terms: Current AMBITION26 tuition support code: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Advertised as 20% tuition support. Eligibility, expiration, stacking rules, and session coverage are not stated; verify before payment.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Expenses and aid conditions | Unconfirmed — check official site | 2027 need-based scholar-fee waiver: $0–$600. Limited waivers may be requested by students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch who do not have a sponsor. (2027 cycle) | Catalog terms: Current AMBITION26 tuition support code: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Advertised as 20% tuition support. Eligibility, expiration, stacking rules, and session coverage are not stated; verify before payment.; 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; Grade timing: Unconfirmed — check official site | Grade 10; Grade timing: Unconfirmed — check official site | Grades 6–12; Grade timing: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Additional eligibility | Residency: Mississippi resident; Requirement: Completing grade 10 or 11 at application; never attended MGS; one academic qualification: gifted eligibility OR ACT 25 OR GPA 3.25; also demonstrated advanced ability. | Residency: Missouri resident attending high school in Missouri or homeschooled in Missouri; Requirement: Be a current tenth grader during nomination for summer participation as a rising junior; Requirement: Receive a nomination from a counselor, teacher, principal, or other school official, except eligible homeschool self/family nomination; Requirement: Fit within the school's MSA nomination allotment; Requirement: Provide three-semester unweighted GPA and an accepted standardized aptitude or IQ score; Requirement: Demonstrate leadership, creativity, intellectual curiosity, problem solving, initiative, and likely benefit; Requirement: Commit to the full three-week residential Academy without planned absence; Exclusion: Students and families may not self-nominate outside homeschool settings; Exclusion: Incomplete nominations are not considered; Exclusion: Parents and guardians cannot write recommendation letters; Exclusion: MSA provides neither grades nor academic credit; Exclusion: Nomination does not guarantee selection, course choice, roommate choice, fee waiver, college scholarship, or admission advantage | Ages 10–17; Requirement: Be entering U.S. grade 6-12 or the international equivalent for the session's school year; Requirement: Be age 10-17 and not age 18 at attendance; Requirement: Have a parent or legal guardian complete registration and required health forms; Requirement: Be able to participate safely in a structured, technology-free residential group environment; Requirement: Disclose medical, dietary, disability, and medication needs through the registration process; Exclusion: Students who have graduated high school are ineligible; Exclusion: Students age 18 at attendance are ineligible; Exclusion: Students cannot register themselves; Exclusion: Current marketing copy says ages 11-17 in one location, while the 2026 handbook and FAQ say 10-17; verify the next session's age floor |
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| Session dates or duration | Starts June 6, 2027; Ends June 19, 2027; 2 weeks (2027 cycle) | Starts June 13, 2027; Ends July 3, 2027; 3 weeks (2027 cycle) | Catalog terms: 1 week; 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 | Columbus, Mississippi | Columbia | Pensacola, Florida |
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| Selection and application | Application materials: Recent teacher recommendation (not counselor or homeschooling parent); Community-member recommendation | Selection: School nomination allotments limit the pool, a statewide committee evaluates academic and qualitative criteria, and about 330 scholars are expected in 2027. MSA does not publish a current nomination count or acceptance rate. Application materials: Two PDF recommendation letters, at least one from a teacher and none from parents or guardians; Two named PDF essays of 300-350 words responding to the current character-identification and social-issue prompts | 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 2026-10-09Source 2 · checked 2026-10-09Source 3 · checked 2026-10-09Source 4 · checked 2026-10-09Source 5 · checked 2026-08-21 | Source 1 · checked 2026-10-12Source 2 · checked 2026-08-22Source 3 · checked 2026-08-22Source 4 · checked 2026-08-22Source 5 · checked 2026-08-20 | Source 1 · checked 2026-08-21Source 2 · checked 2026-08-21Source 3 · checked 2026-08-21Source 4 · checked 2026-08-21Source 5 · checked 2026-08-20 |
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