Chances of getting in COSMOS?
Grade: 10
Unweighted GPA: 4.0
Weighted GPA: 4.14
Science/Math classes taken/taking: Alg II/Trig Honors, Precalculus Honors, Biology Honors, AP Chemistry
Science/Math related ECs: Science Olympiad team, Math Club since 6th grade, has attended MATHCOUNTS in the past
I don’t have a very strong stem extracurricular background and I really want to apply for Biomedical Sciences (BUT I’VE HEARD IT’S REALLY HARD TO GET IN :((((()
Also does anyone know the hardest clusters to get in (beside biomedical)
oh and also I’ve heard that usually cosmos only accepts around 5 students from each high school? is that true? because I go to a really competitive asian school …
Are you applying to the cluster in UC Davis?
@crabpancakes: They definitely don’t only accept 5 students from each high school. It depends on your school; at competitive high schools, they accept many, many students.
TBH a lot of your COSMOS app depends on essays + recs. Don’t worry too much about your GPA/extracurriculars; they’re looking for passion more than anything.
The bio ones are the most difficult to get into.
Yeah UC Davis
@tonystarkofwinterfell thanks so much!!
@crabpancakes Hey!
I’m a junior who actually just went to COSMOS 2015 at UCSD last summer!! I’ll give you some advice! What you need in order to get accepted into the program is not just great “general” stats. The really important thing is that you need to express your personal passions for the topic of whatever cluster(s) you’re applyng to in the essays. Let me elucidate a little more…
I was in UCSD Cluster 4: Earthquakes in Everyday Lives, which is a course in which we learn about structural engineering designs that withstand earthquakes. In my essay, I talked about how I used to live in Japan and lived through the big earthquake in 2011. I said that Japan’s geographically unfortunate location limits engineers to build thousands of “super-tall” skyscrapers like they can do in China and Sinagpore, and that I am eager to learn what structural engineers can do in order to combat that problem and build “up” more, since Japanese cities such as Tokyo and Osaka are really dense in population. etc…
This is just a small part of my essay in the COSMOS application, but I hope you can see the point. Talk about an article you read, a place you went to, an EC activity you participated in, or a personal experience that shows your genuine interest in the cluster you’re applying to. Don’t just say, “I’m a perfect fit for Biomedical Engineering because I took ‘Honors’ Biology last year”. All this shows is that you’re knowledgeable about biology; it doesn’t say that you’re necessarily interested in it. And you don’t actually HAVE to be knowledgeable about your cluster; one of my dorm-mates learned about physics for his first time “at” COSMOS. You really need to show that you won’t be bored in the lectures of your cluster, and you have to prove that your cluster fits really well with your area of interest. SHOW THAT YOU’RE A CURIOUS KID!
Even though many people at COSMOS had a 4.0 unweighted GPA, I did not (I had 3.75), and yet I still got accepted into the program, thanks to my essay. 
While your “general” stats are important too, what makes you really stand out is your express of interest and curiosity!
P.S. COSMOS was an amazing experience! I made a lot of friends (We still have an active group-chat), my entire suite danced bollywood in the talent show (it’s on youtube lol), there were some couples, and we had awesome field trips to the beaches!!
WELL, I HOPE THIS HELPS!!! You can only do COSMOS once, so if you get in, enjoy every moment of it!! But don’t feel bad if you don’t get in either!! GOOD LUCK! 
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And yes, tonystarkofwinterfell is completely correct. I agree with him.
@hugomonster WOW THANKS SO MUCH!!! that really helps me a lottttt now I can stop worrying about my stats lol omg hope I get in though it sounds so fun
Does it matter when you submit your online application?
hopefully not?? anyone know an answer? i’m pretty sure it’s not rolling admission…
Hey y’all, hope I’m not late for the party 
first post and everything lol
Does anyone who went to cosmos before have any advice on essays? That would help threefold, thanks
@hugomonster Thanks! Not many alumni bother helping people applying to COSMOS because they already graduated!
I got in last year, but I didn’t go. For essays, just show that you’re passionate about STEM & the clusters you’re applying to. Your COSMOS acceptance is basically based on essays + teacher recs; your GPA doesn’t matter as much as your demonstrated interest (unless, I assume, you’re applying to one of the hyper-competitive bio ones–one had a 3% acceptance rate last year).
Do you know what kinds of stats/essays the people accepted to the bio clusters had?
No, sorry 
The people I know weren’t really very bio-y; a friend and I got into to math/cs, another friend got into engineering, and a third got into marine bio. I know one girl who applied to bio clusters and was rejected, but I have a feeling that that had to do with one of her teacher recommendations (the teacher wrote it an hour before the deadline in bullet points), since she was really smart.
Are there any stats about which campus (or cluster) is most competitive? (I guess the various bio clusters are apparently very competitive.) If someone with less-than-perfect stats wanted to increase their chances of being accepted, which campus / clusters are the best to apply to?
@thshadow From what I’ve heard, UC Davis is the most competitive. I think Santa Cruz might be the least competitive since I don’t hear many people going there, anyone can confirm?
Santa Cruz is still pretty competitive; I know someone who is, quite honestly, much smarter than me, and she was waitlisted for the same cluster I was accepted to (she was eventually accepted to her second-choice cluster, though). Honestly, just let your passion for the subjects you’re applying to shine through.