| Application deadline | Unconfirmed — check official site | November 11, 2026 (2027 cycle) | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Cost | Last year's cycle (2026): $5,518; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | $13,495 (2027 cycle) | Last year's cycle (2026): $5,990–$7,390; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| 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 | Unconfirmed — check official site | Last year's cycle (2026): Program financial aid: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Awarded after acceptance and reviewed first-come, first-served.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| 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 | 2027 application fee by round: $50–$100. Published 2027 programme-specific amount; additional expenses and financial awards require confirmation. (2027 cycle) | Last year's cycle (2026): Refundable damage deposit: $150. Refundable subject to program terms.; Program financial aid: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Awarded after acceptance and reviewed first-come, first-served.; 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 9–12 (provider uses rising grades) | Unconfirmed — check official site | Grades 11–12; Grade timing: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| 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 14–18; Requirement: Be a high-school student age 14-18 for flagship programs; Requirement: Complete the LaunchX application and current selection process; Requirement: Be prepared for the selected in-person or online team-based entrepreneurship programme; Requirement: Meet travel, insurance, consent, payment, and housing requirements; Exclusion: The program is not currently hosted by or operated by MIT; Exclusion: Online Startup Experience age rules do not define the in-person flagship; Exclusion: Financial awards, acceptance, team success, revenue, or venture continuation are not guaranteed; Exclusion: 2026 dates, location, and price do not establish the 2027 cycle | Ages 16–18; Requirement: Be age 16-18; Requirement: Have completed high-school sophomore year; Requirement: Return to high school in fall as a junior or senior; Requirement: Be motivated to address academic challenges and prepare for college-level demands; Requirement: Be able to participate in a structured residential learning community; Exclusion: Graduating seniors should consider the separate College Readiness Program; Exclusion: A diagnosed learning difference, ADHD or autism is not required; Exclusion: Program is not college credit and is not the separate Summer Bridge Experience |
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| Session dates or duration | Catalog terms: 4 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Starts June 27, 2027; Ends July 24, 2027; 4 weeks (2027 cycle) | Last year's cycle (2026): Starts July 11, 2026; Ends August 1, 2026; 3 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 | Unconfirmed — check official site | Residential. Supervision and housing details: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| 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 | Ann Arbor, Michigan | Putney, Vermont; residential applicant pool |
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| 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: LaunchX reports approximately a 30% acceptance rate for flagship programs; current cohort-specific applicant counts and criteria are not fully published. | Selection: Admissions reviews fit for the structured program; no applicant, cohort or acceptance count is published. Financial aid is limited and first-come after acceptance. |
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| 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 2026-10-09Source 2 · checked 2026-10-09Source 3 · checked 2026-10-09Source 4 · checked 2026-10-09Source 5 · checked 2026-08-22Source 6 · checked 2026-08-22 | Source 1 · checked 2026-08-22Source 2 · checked 2026-08-22Source 3 · checked 2026-08-20 |
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