COSMOS offers a unique opportunity for California's brightest high school students to engage in university-level STEM research and coursework with UC faculty, providing a significant pre-college academic enrichment experience.
COSMOS at UC San Diego is an intensive four-week residential program designed for academically gifted high school students with a demonstrated interest and achievement in mathematics and science. The program offers an unparalleled opportunity to work side-by-side with distinguished university faculty and researchers on advanced STEM topics, extending beyond typical high school curricula. Students engage in a chosen 'cluster' focusing on specific STEM fields, participating in lectures, hands-on laboratory work, and field trips. The curriculum also includes a science communication course and culminates in a research project related to their cluster topic. Beyond academics, the program fosters a community of scholars through recreational activities, evening study sessions, and supervised weekend excursions, providing a comprehensive pre-college experience.
A typical day includes breakfast, morning lectures, lab sessions or field trips in their chosen cluster, lunch, afternoon lectures or fieldwork, free time, dinner, and evening recreational or academic enrichment activities.
This program is ideal for high-achieving California high school students (grades 8-12) with a strong academic record (average unweighted GPA around 3.8) and a genuine intellectual curiosity in specific STEM fields, seeking immersive exposure to university-level research.
UC San Diego Campus, Jacobs School of Engineering
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