COSMOS is an intensive four-week Summer Residential Pre-College program for students who have demonstrated an aptitude for academic and professional careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects. Talented and motivated students who are rising 9th through 12th graders have the opportunity to be mentored by renowned faculty, researchers, and scientists in state-of-the-art facilities while exploring advanced STEM topics far beyond the courses usually offered in California high schools. Through challenging hands-on and lab-intensive curricula, COSMOS fosters its students' interests, skills, and awareness of educational and career options in STEM fields.
Students apply to one of the five University of California's COSMOS campuses — UC Davis, UC Irvine, UC Los Angeles, UC San Diego, and UC Santa Cruz. While each campus employs the best practices in STEM education, each program's curriculum builds on the unique teaching and research expertise of its faculty and host campus. Each campus offers a variety of academic “clusters” that vary from year to year. Each cluster consists of two science and/or math courses and a science communication course that address advanced topics ranging from a variety of engineering disciplines, biomedical sciences, computer science, ecology, marine science, materials science, mathematics, physics and astronomy, robotics, game theory, & more. Courses are taught by active UC faculty and researchers. Students participate in hands-on labs, field activities, lectures, and discussions. Students also work on a related research project. Cluster sizes vary but typically range from 20-25 students, and the student-to-faculty ratio is commonly 5:1.
Each campus can only accommodate about 160-200 participants, so the selection is competitive. A typical COSMOS student has a GPA of 3.5 or above. Students are REQUIRED to live on campus for the duration of the program to receive the completed diploma and be considered COSMOS Alumni. Admission decisions are based on the academic merits of the applications in light of the topic of interest.
Location(s)
- University of California Davis
- University of California Irvine
- University of California Los Angeles
- University of California San Diego
- University of California Santa Cruz
Schedule
- Four weeks from July 6 to August 2, 2025
Cost/Compensation
- $5,256 plus a $44 application fee
Eligibility Requirements
- Students must be California residents who are rising 9th graders through rising 12th graders
Deadline
- February 7, 2025
Application or Entry Requirements
- Completed online application form
- Personal statement
- One teacher recommendation is required, and two recommended
- Unofficial transcripts should be uploaded directly to the application prior to submission and should be created after January 10th, 2025, at 8:00 AM when the application opens
- 8th and 9th graders must also submit a copy of their 7th and 8th-grade report card, respectively
- Parent/guardian's e-signature (s) in the parent portal
- Students may only apply to one campus and select one first-choice cluster and one second-choice cluster.
Notifications of Decisions
- March 27, 2025
Financial Aid Details
- Financial assistance to support application and attendance is available to students in cases of demonstrated individual financial need, and the requirements are described in the application portal. The amount of support for individuals may vary from year to year depending on, e.g., available financial COSMOS resources and assessment of the submitted documentation for individual families.
Other Dates to Keep in Mind
- Application opens in early January
- Admissions offer must be accepted or declined by early April
Have other questions?
COSMOS (California State Summer School for Mathematics and Science) is governed by a collaborative structure that involves various stakeholders within the University of California (UC) system, including faculty, administrators, and STEM professionals. It is an official outreach program of the UC system, designed to provide high-achieving California high school students with opportunities for advanced study in STEM fields. The overarching goal of COSMOS is to inspire students to pursue STEM careers by offering them the tools, experiences, and encouragement needed to succeed in highly technical fields. The program aims to enhance students' academic readiness, promote innovation, and build a network of young scientists and engineers who will contribute to solving global challenges in the future.
