COSMOS offers a unique opportunity for talented high school students to engage in university-level STEM research and project-based learning with UC faculty.
The California State Summer School for Mathematics and Science (COSMOS) at UC Irvine is an intensive four-week residential program designed for talented high school students. Participants engage in advanced STEM topics through specific clusters, working with distinguished university faculty, scientists, and graduate students. The curriculum emphasizes hands-on experimentation, challenging students to delve deeply into their chosen subject area. Students collaborate in pairs or small groups to produce a scientific or engineering project, which may include field study, and present their findings in a poster session at the program's culmination. This experience fosters critical thinking, analytical skills, teamwork, and scientific communication, preparing students for future academic and career paths in STEM fields. While no academic credit is awarded, COSMOS is recognized as an Academic Preparation Program by the University of California system.
A typical weekday involves lectures in the morning, followed by lab sessions or field study in the afternoon, with some evening activities for cluster projects.
The program is best for California high school students who excel in mathematics and science, have a GPA of 3.5 or above, and are genuinely curious and ready to explore advanced STEM topics.
University of California, Irvine
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