| Application deadline | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
|---|
| Cost | Last year's cycle (2026): $5,518; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Last year's cycle (2026): $3,096–$17,935; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
|---|
| Financial aid | Last year's cycle (2026): 2026 need-based application and program assistance: Up to $5,564. Could assist with the $46 application fee and $5,518 program cost based on family income, family size and available funds; actual award not guaranteed.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Last year's cycle (2026): 2026 need-based and partner scholarship options: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Limited and not guaranteed. No merit awards or 2026 international-student scholarships; eligibility varies by Sibley, PPSD, partner, or employee-dependent program.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
|---|
| Expenses and aid conditions | Last year's cycle (2026): 2026 COSMOS application fee: $46. Nonrefundable; pending fee-waiver review could change when or whether payment was required.; Credit-card transaction fee on program payments: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Approximately 2.5% when paying program costs by credit card; application fee exempt.; 2026 need-based application and program assistance: Up to $5,564. Could assist with the $46 application fee and $5,518 program cost based on family income, family size and available funds; actual award not guaranteed.; Full-financial-aid attendance deposit: $200. Required only for admitted students offered full aid and refunded to the legal guardian after successful completion.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Last year's cycle (2026): 2026 application fee: $80. Nonrefundable; eligible applicants could request a fee waiver.; Enrollment deposit after admission: $500. Nonrefundable in most circumstances and required before enrolling in an available course; not described as an additional program fee.; 2026 need-based and partner scholarship options: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Limited and not guaranteed. No merit awards or 2026 international-student scholarships; eligibility varies by Sibley, PPSD, partner, or employee-dependent program.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Catalog terms: ZooTeen program fee upon acceptance: $60. Nonrefundable; covers program materials, a camp T-shirt, and borrowing a Zoo uniform shirt. Contact the program if the fee creates economic hardship.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
|---|
| Stipend or pay | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
|---|
| Eligibility | Grades 9–12 (provider uses rising grades) | Grades 8–12; Grade timing: Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
|---|
| Additional eligibility | Residency: Attend high school in person in California; Requirement: Be rising into grade 9, 10, 11 or 12 for the program fall year; Requirement: Attend high school in person in California; Requirement: Demonstrate academic excellence and preparation for the selected STEM cluster; Requirement: Complete cluster-specific course prerequisites; Requirement: Live on the host UC campus for the full program; Requirement: Be a first-time COSMOS participant; Exclusion: Students not attending a California high school in person; Exclusion: Students who previously attended any COSMOS program; Exclusion: Applicants outside the rising-grade 9-12 range; Exclusion: Applicants unable to live on campus for the full program; Exclusion: Late application, supporting, payment or admission materials; Exclusion: Assuming a 3.5 GPA is an absolute statewide minimum rather than the published typical profile | Ages 13–18; Citizenship: Domestic and international students may apply, subject to program, visa, travel, and scholarship restrictions; Requirement: Meet the selected program/course age and completed-grade requirements; Requirement: Meet any course-specific prerequisite; Requirement: Demonstrate strong English proficiency for college-level academic and social participation; Requirement: Complete enrollment after admission while a suitable course still has space; Exclusion: Admission does not guarantee enrollment in a specific course or program; Exclusion: Most offerings are for ages 14-18/completed grades 9-12; STEM 9/10 extends to ages 13-15/completed grades 8-9; Exclusion: BELL, BEE, CRE, and Pre-Baccalaureate have narrower age/grade rules; Exclusion: Scholarship eligibility is narrower than general admission eligibility | Ages 13–17; Residency: No formal boundary is published; participants must reliably reach the Cincinnati Zoo for interviews, orientation, camp, and volunteer shifts; Requirement: Be age 13-17; the correct Summer 2027 reference date must be confirmed; Requirement: Show genuine interest in nature and conservation, curiosity, willingness to learn, positivity, and reliability; Requirement: Commit to 100 hours as a first-/second-year ZooTeen or 70 hours as a third-year/returning ZooTeen; Requirement: Be available for a full 40-hour camp week and required visitor-engagement/additional shifts; Requirement: Attend a group interview and complete guardian-assisted online/virtual and all-day in-person orientations; Requirement: Use email and an online profile to receive information and log service hours; Exclusion: The 2027 page's May 1, 2026 age-reference date is stale and must not be treated as the binding 2027 cutoff; Exclusion: The program cannot accept all applicants, and returning participation is not guaranteed; Exclusion: Advanced specializations require separate applications, experience, additional hours, and available capacity |
|---|
| Session dates or duration | Catalog terms: 4 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Catalog terms: 1–7 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
|---|
| Format | In person | In person / Online / Hybrid | In person / Online |
|---|
| Housing and supervision | Residential. Supervision and housing details: Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site | Non-residential. Supervision and housing details: Unconfirmed — check official site |
|---|
| Location | Davis, California, Irvine, California, Los Angeles, California, Merced, California, San Diego, California, Santa Cruz, California, UC Davis, UC Irvine, UCLA, UC Merced, UC San Diego, UC Santa Cruz | Providence, Rhode Island, Anchorage, Alaska, Key Largo, Florida, Barcelona, Spain, Oxford, England, Online; Brown campus; domestic and international field sites depending on program | Cincinnati, Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, Cincinnati, Ohio |
|---|
| Selection and application | 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: One personal statement; One required teacher recommendation, with two recommended | Selection: Brown reviews applications holistically for academic performance, intellectual curiosity, motivation, maturity, and English proficiency. Admission is separate from course enrollment, which depends on eligibility and remaining capacity; no umbrella acceptance rate is published. Application materials: Optional supplementary essay; Recommendation form if chosen/requested; required for Pre-Baccalaureate and suggested in listed circumstances | Selection: The Zoo says the program is very popular and cannot accept all applicants; it publishes no applicant count, cohort size, or acceptance rate. Application materials: Six written essay responses about motivation, role models, conservation learning, challenge, personal growth, and intellectual curiosity; In-person group interview |
|---|
| Official sources | Source 1 · checked 2026-08-22Source 2 · checked 2026-08-22Source 3 · checked 2026-08-22Source 4 · checked 2026-08-22Source 5 · checked 2026-08-22Source 6 · checked 2026-08-22Source 7 · checked 2026-08-20 | Source 1 · checked 2026-10-10Source 2 · checked 2026-10-10Source 3 · checked 2026-10-10Source 4 · checked 2026-08-21Source 5 · checked 2026-08-21Source 6 · checked 2026-08-21 | Source 1 · checked 2026-08-21 |
|---|
